5546 W Van Buren St
This building has a substantial enforcement record over the last seven years, but recent activity points to a low risk of further maintenance problems in the next 12 months. Read the records below before you sign. Ask which issues were resolved, get repair commitments in writing, and inspect the unit yourself.
This building has 9 building violations (7y), above the Austin average of 1.6.
What's in the 5546 W Van Buren St report
| Units | 2 |
|---|---|
| Year built | 1907 |
| Stories | — |
| Building area | 2,458 sq ft |
| Property class | 211 |
| PIN (Cook County parcel) | 16161140200000 |
Registered owner per Cook County Assessor records.
Landlord portfolio
Other Chicago properties this owner holds, with a risk rating for each.
Unlock complete reportThe two-unit residential building at 5546 W Van Buren St in Chicago's Austin neighborhood, owned by Debra Gipson, has experienced several significant issues over the past few years, most notably in recent months. As of May 2026, there are currently six open building code violations stemming from complaint-driven inspections conducted on May 19, 2026, indicating ongoing concerns that have not yet been resolved. The property has a documented history of nine building violations and nine 311 service requests over the past seven years. Prior to the recent violations, the building's service requests included various maintenance issues, such as a building violation report in October 2024, a tree trim request (no longer being accepted) in October 2025, garbage cart maintenance in August 2025, an injured animal report in June 2025, and a graffiti removal request in May 2025. In 2021, there was an environmental complaint regarding construction and demolition activities, though this was investigated and found to be unfounded as of May 14, 2021. The building, constructed in 1907, has been subject to multiple compliance checks and service requests, with particular attention warranted to the recent cluster of unresolved violations from May 2026.
AI-generated · may contain errors · check the source data tables below
How 5546 W Van Buren St's risk score is calculated
We trained a model on 7 years of Chicago code enforcement data — building violations, 311 complaint history, environmental enforcement, and owner track records. It estimates the probability that the City of Chicago will find a code violation at this address in the next 12 months. Lower % = safer.
What the score means for you
Lower risk — safer than most nearby
City inspectors rarely find violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.
Typical — about average for the neighborhood
Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.
Higher risk — riskier than most nearby
Elevated violation and complaint history. City inspectors have found issues here before and are statistically likely to again.
Out of 7223 buildings in this neighborhood, 4839 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.
violation
likely
What's driving this score
The data points that most influenced this building's risk rating — ranked by the weight the model placed on each one.
5546 W Van Buren St apartment reviews
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5546 W Van Buren St event timeline
Building violations, environmental complaints and enforcement, permits, scofflaw listings, and 311 calls — most recent records in order.
See all 10 events
Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, and 311 calls.
Unlock complete timelineFull data for 5546 W Van Buren St apartments
Chicago public datasets for this parcel — building violations, permits, 311 calls, environmental complaints and enforcement, scofflaw listings, and vacant building registrations.
What this is
Violations issued by the City of Chicago Department of Buildings against this parcel.
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What this is
Violations issued for failure to register or maintain a vacant or abandoned building.
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What this is
Building permits issued by the City of Chicago for new construction, alterations, and repairs at this parcel.
| Permit # | Issued | Status | Description |
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What this is
Chicago 311 service requests recorded at this parcel — maintenance complaints and quality-of-life requests.
| SR # | Created | Type | Department | Status |
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What this is
Environmental complaints filed about this property with the City of Chicago.
| Complaint # | Date | Type | Inspector | Resolution | Resolved |
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What this is
Formal environmental enforcement cases brought against this property.
| Case # | Date | Type | Violation | Disposition | Status | Fine |
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