Here's what Harvey requires of investors buying, rehabbing, and renting there, taken from the city's own website, and how we fit in.
Harvey at a glance
| Inspection before a sale | Stopped doing point-of-sale inspections on April 7, 2025; buyers and sellers hire a private inspector (source) |
|---|---|
| Rentals | Annual Rental Property Business License required (Ordinance 17-48-010) (source) |
Checked against Harvey's own website and forms on 2026-09-22. Rules and fees change; confirm with the village before you rely on them.
No city inspection before sale, so bring your own
Harvey stopped performing point-of-sale inspections on April 7, 2025. The city now handles transfer stamps online, and its invoice covers the transfer tax stamp fee, the final water bill, and any unpaid city debt. Without a village inspector's violation list, the condition report is yours to get. Walk the property with a contractor before you commit to a price. How to estimate the rehab before you buy.
Renting it out
Harvey requires a Rental Property Business License every year for single-family and multi-family rentals, whether the unit is occupied or vacant. The application includes a crime-free housing lease addendum and a completed property rental course.
What else to plan for
Property taxes after the rehab. Cook County is reassessing the south and west suburbs in 2026, and the Assessor reviews municipal building permits to decide whether work is likely to change a property's value. Build a post-rehab tax estimate into your numbers.
Contractors register with the city. Harvey requires any contractor to be registered with the city before starting work. We handle the city's contractor requirements and permits as part of the job.
How we help in Harvey
- Before you buy: send Mason the address. We'll walk it and price the work before you close.
- The rehab: flips, BRRRR, and rentals, with a weekly update from Mason. How we run a rehab.
- Keep your capital working: weekly labor draws sized to the project's contract, scope, schedule and labor requirements, with a $4,000 weekly minimum, instead of a large labor deposit. Calculate your capital.