3538 W Van Buren St
This building has a substantial enforcement record over the last seven years, and our model sees a moderate chance of more 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 8 building violations (7y), above the Garfield Park average of 1.9.
What's in the 3538 W Van Buren St report
| Units | 2 |
|---|---|
| Year built | 1888 |
| Stories | — |
| Building area | 2,096 sq ft |
| Property class | 211 |
| PIN (Cook County parcel) | 16142160230000 |
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 3538 W Van Buren St in Garfield Park, currently owned by Rosielee Johnson, has a documented history dating back to its 1888 construction. The property has experienced two distinct periods of concern over the past seven years: unresolved permit-related inspection issues in 2024, and a notable cluster of complaint-driven inspections in September 2019, all of which were ultimately resolved. More recently, between 2025 and 2026, there has been a consistent pattern of tree-related service requests, including multiple clean-up requests and at least one tree emergency, suggesting ongoing maintenance challenges with the property's greenery. While the most recent permit-related violation from September 2024 was resolved, there remains an open permit-related inspection from July 2024 that has yet to be addressed. The building's total record of eight violations and fourteen 311 service requests over seven years indicates periodic maintenance and regulatory compliance issues, though many of these matters have been successfully resolved.
AI-generated · may contain errors · check the source data tables below
How 3538 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 3998 buildings in this neighborhood, 2839 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.
3538 W Van Buren St apartment reviews
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3538 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 9 events
Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, and 311 calls.
Unlock complete timelineFull data for 3538 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.
| Violation # | Date | Category | Status | Address |
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What this is
Violations issued for failure to register or maintain a vacant or abandoned building.
| Docket # | Violation # | Issued | Department | Type | Disposition | Total Fines |
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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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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from the City of Chicago Department of Buildings, Chicago 311, Cook County Assessor & the Chicago Data Portal