249 W Cermak Rd
This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.
This building has 0 building violations (7y), at or below the Chinatown average of 1.4.
What's in the 249 W Cermak Rd report
| Units | 6 |
|---|---|
| Year built | 1910 |
| Stories | — |
| Building area | 5,298 sq ft |
| Property class | 212 |
| PIN (Cook County parcel) | 17282020390000 |
Registered owner per Cook County Assessor records.
Landlord portfolio
Other Chicago properties this owner holds, with risk grades for each.
Unlock complete reportThe six-unit residential building at 249 W Cermak Rd in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood, owned by KWOK Y LAU, has been in operation since 1910 and has experienced minimal activity over the past seven years. The property has had two building permits issued during this period, though the specific nature of the permitted work is not detailed in the records. The building has generated a total of five 311 service requests since 2024, with the most recent being a water-related complaint from November 2025. The other service requests include a tree planting request from July 2025 (currently open), a cab feedback submission from February 2025 (closed), a tree trim request from early February 2025 (closed, noting that this type of request is no longer being accepted), and a graffiti removal request from May 2024 (closed). While the building's 311 service requests have been promptly addressed in most cases, with four of the five being closed, the current status of the tree planting request will require monitoring to ensure resolution.
AI-generated · may contain errors · check the source data tables below
How 249 W Cermak Rd'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
Grade A–B — Low risk
City inspectors rarely find violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.
Grade C — Moderate risk
Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.
Grade D–F — High risk
Elevated violation and complaint history. City inspectors have found issues here before and are statistically likely to again.
Out of 317 buildings in this neighborhood, 273 are predicted to be safer.
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.
249 W Cermak Rd apartment reviews
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249 W Cermak Rd event timeline
Building violations, environmental complaints and enforcement, permits, scofflaw listings, and 311 calls — most recent records in order.
See all 5 events
Full history back to 2024 — violations, complaints, permits, and 311 calls.
Unlock complete timelineFull data for 249 W Cermak Rd 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.
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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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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from the City of Chicago Department of Buildings, Chicago 311, Cook County Assessor & the Chicago Data Portal