North Barrington's current zoning code has a short clause that matters to sellers. It lets a home's preceding owner rent the house back after selling it. The July 2026 public draft of the village's new zoning code leaves that clause out. Under the draft, any rental of 30 consecutive days or less to someone outside the owner's immediate family counts as a prohibited short-term rental.
Most of the rewrite is a reorganization. The village describes a clearer, more modern code with a use matrix, graphics and standard measurement methods, built to protect community character. The hens, horses and acreage rules that give North Barrington its estate feel mostly carry over. The real changes cluster around three questions that come up when a house changes hands: whether the seller can stay on briefly after closing, whether an older house can be rebuilt or enlarged as it stands, and whether a second dwelling is allowed on the lot.
The rental exceptions sellers rely on today
The current code's Chapter 6 defines a short-term rental as renting a residence, or part of one, to non-relatives for fewer than 93 consecutive days. It bans those rentals in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts with three exceptions:
- Rental by the preceding owner after a sale to a new owner.
- A village resident renting a different home after selling their own.
- A rental of less than 93 days with a $50 permit from the Village Administrator, when the owner shows the main purpose isn't hosting parties or gatherings of more than ten people.
The first two exceptions match how move-up households in the village actually move: sell one house, then need a place to stay or a few extra weeks in the old one. Here is the draft that would replace them, from Section 7.1.E of the July 2026 public draft:
"Both the offering for short-term rental and the use of a short-term rental are expressly prohibited. Short-term rental means a residential dwelling, dwelling unit, single room within a dwelling, or portion of dwelling unit offered for rent for a period of 30 consecutive days or less to any person other than a member of the owner's immediate family."
The rule changes in two directions. The window gets shorter, from under 93 days to 30 days or less, so a rental of 31 to 92 days would no longer meet the definition of a short-term rental. The exceptions also disappear. The draft has no permit path and no carve-out for a seller staying on after a sale. The only exception is the owner's immediate family. Post-closing occupancy is usually agreed in the purchase contract, so this clause ties straight into deal terms.
Older houses get more room to rebuild and expand
The same draft loosens the rules for homes that no longer meet today's setbacks or other standards. Many houses in an established village like North Barrington were built before the current rules.
| Situation | Current code | July 2026 draft |
|---|---|---|
| Nonconforming structure heavily damaged | Destroyed beyond 50% of replacement cost, it can't be re-established unless it conforms (§10-4-2A(3)) | A nonconforming single- or two-family home damaged by an act of God may be rebuilt to its original condition regardless of the percent of damage, with a permit applied for within one year (§14.3.E.2) |
| Adding on to a nonconforming home | Nonconforming buildings may not be expanded or enlarged (§10-4-2A(1)) | A home encroaching into a rear or interior side setback may extend horizontally or vertically along its existing wall planes, if it breaks no other district rule (§14.3.F) |
| Missing the deadline | Not applicable | Without a permit application within one year, the house must be rebuilt to current standards; the deadline can be extended for good reason |
The current code already has a narrower protection. In the R-1 section, buildings, pools, tennis courts and other improvements that existed as of June 28, 2006, or were lawfully built afterward, may be repaired, replaced and rebuilt after unintentional damage, but not expanded. The draft's real change is expansion. Today an owner whose house sits inside a side setback can't build out along that wall. Under the draft, the owner could, and eaves could keep encroaching only as far as they already do.
The draft also says how replacement value is measured for other kinds of nonconforming structures. It uses assessed value or an appraisal from the last two years. If neither exists, it uses the insured amount before the damage, or another method the village accepts. For a buyer looking at an older house with a setback quirk, the draft would turn a permanent constraint into a feature the house can keep and build on.
A villagewide ADU ban, and the housing it would replace
"Accessory dwelling units (ADU) are prohibited in the Village of North Barrington," the draft reads. It defines an ADU as an additional dwelling unit associated with and incidental to a principal dwelling on the same lot.
The current code doesn't list a general second dwelling as a permitted use in the residential districts. It does allow two kinds of extra housing in the Premier Equestrian Estate District:
- A separate residence of up to 1,500 square feet for no more than two adult domestic employees and their minor children.
- An accessory residential building of up to 3,500 square feet, with no more than eight bedrooms, for groomsmen and caretakers at an equestrian center.
These allowances fit the estate properties that come up in North Barrington luxury searches, where staff or caretaker quarters are part of the property's purpose. A buyer considering a property with an existing employee residence, or planning one, should note that the draft's flat ADU ban sits next to these provisions in the current code.
The estate rules carry over almost word for word
Hens stay at the current limit: up to six on residential lots of at least 40,000 square feet, with no roosters and no outdoor slaughter. The draft adds detail. Coops need at least 3 square feet per hen, can be no taller than 8 feet, and must sit in the rear or interior side yard outside the required setback. Coops and yards must also be at least 30 feet from specified structures on neighboring properties.
Larger animals stay at three per five acres, capped at six, on R-1 tracts of at least three acres. Housing and grazing still must be at least 200 feet from a neighbor's dwelling, and swine stay prohibited. One condition is gone. Today sheep, goats and cattle are allowed only as pets of children under 18, and the draft lists them alongside horses, donkeys and mules without that requirement. The village's summary presentation calls the animal rules "Simplified."
The draft also treats solar plainly. Roof, wall and ground-mounted panels are allowed with limits: 18 inches above a pitched roof, 4 feet on a flat roof, and freestanding arrays only in the rear yard and no taller than 20 feet.
Springfield's ADU bills have stalled
North Barrington's ADU ban is moving forward while several bills in Springfield that would override local bans have stalled. SB4071 would require municipalities, starting January 1, 2027, to allow at least one ADU in districts that permit single-family homes. Its last recorded action was referral to Senate Assignments on February 24, 2026. SB3726 would bar municipalities from prohibiting ADUs while allowing reasonable size and location rules; it was re-referred to Assignments on April 24, 2026. On the House side, HB5626 went to Rules on February 19, 2026. HB1813 has been in Rules since April 11, 2025. None of the four has passed, so for now the village's own code decides the question.
Where the rewrite stands
Arista Strungys, a principal of the consulting firm Camiros, LLC, presented the public draft at a joint workshop of the Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals on August 17. Village Administrator John Lobaito and Building & Zoning Officer Kelly Rafferty also attended.
- August 17, 2026: Joint workshop. The two commissions agreed to meet separately and send questions to the consultant.
- September 14, 2026: The Plan Commission reviewed the July 2026 draft.
- November 9, 2026: A draft dated November 2026 was on the Plan Commission agenda at Village Hall, 111 Old Barrington Road. Updates on the GHO drainage project and the Parks & Recreation five-year plan were on the same agenda.
- Public hearing: The village says it will announce the date of a Plan Commission hearing when it is known.
- Late winter or early spring 2027: Expected Village Board approval.
The village's zoning code update page asks residents to send written comments to [email protected]. The draft's wording on rentals, ADUs and nonconforming homes may change before adoption, and the current code stays in effect until then.
FAQ
Is the current zoning code still in effect? Yes. The published code on American Legal applies until the Village Board adopts a replacement. The board's approval is expected in late winter or early spring 2027. The zoning title says it includes ordinances through October 24, 2018, so check with the village before relying on a specific section.
Does the draft ban rentals of a month or longer? The draft defines a short-term rental as 30 consecutive days or less. Rentals longer than that fall outside the definition.
What else does the draft prohibit? Data centers, which the draft defines broadly enough to include cryptocurrency mining facilities.
This post is general information about proposed and current village rules, not legal, tax or financial advice. Owners and buyers should confirm how any provision applies to their property with an attorney or the village's building and zoning office.
If you're planning a sale that needs a few weeks of post-closing occupancy, or you're weighing an older North Barrington house you'd like to expand, the timing of this rewrite matters to your plans. Rob Morrison Team can go through the current code and the draft language with you as it develops. Schedule a consultation today.
