How to Check if a Chicago Condo Is FHA-Approved (2026)

Published by Joe Bjorklund, Broker, Baird & Warner

To check if a Chicago condo is FHA-approved, search the building on HUD’s FHA condominium lookup and confirm its status says Approved with an expiration date after your closing; if it is not approved, your lender may be able to get a single-unit approval for that one unit.

Last reviewed October 17, 2026 · Chicago First Time Home Buyer editorial team

FHA condo approval at a glance

Where to check	HUD’s FHA Condominium lookup (entp.hud.gov)
Status you need	Approved, with an expiration date after your closing
Approval lasts	3 years from the date the project is placed on the approved list
Not approved?	Ask your lender about a Single-Unit Approval
Single-Unit Approval needs	A finished building with at least 5 units and no more than 10% of units with FHA loans (no more than 2 FHA units if under 10 units)
Who asks for approval	The lender (single unit); the lender, association, management company or developer (whole building)
Site condos	Detached or townhouse site condominiums do not need FHA project approval

How to search HUD’s FHA-approved condo list

Open HUD’s FHA Condominium lookup (linked in Sources).
Choose Illinois as the state. Enter Chicago as the city and part of the building’s name, or search by ZIP code. City and name searches only work with a state selected.
If nothing comes up, try the condo association’s legal name from the listing or the declaration. Many buildings are listed under that name, not the street address.
Open the result and note the status, the expiration date, which submission or phase is approved, and the FHA concentration (the share of units with active FHA loans).

What each FHA condo status means

Status	What it means for an FHA buyer
Approved	FHA loans can be processed for units in the approved project or phase
Expired	The 3-year approval ran out; the building may be recertified or a single-unit approval may be possible
Rejected	HUD did not approve the project; the listing gives the reason
Withdrawn	Approval was taken away; FHA loans cannot be processed under the project approval

A building can recertify starting 6 months before its approval expires and up to 6 months after. After that, it needs a new full application.

If the building is not FHA-approved: single-unit approval

A Single-Unit Approval, sometimes called a spot approval, lets FHA insure one unit in a building that is not on the approved list. Your lender requests it by completing HUD’s condominium questionnaire (Form HUD-9991) with information gathered within the last 90 days. The unit must be in a finished building with at least 5 units, and no more than 10% of the units can already have FHA loans (no more than 2 FHA-insured units in a building with fewer than 10 units). The building must also meet some of FHA’s project rules, including owner-occupancy and financial condition. Not every lender handles single-unit approvals, so ask early.

Since May 2026, FHA assigns case numbers automatically for single-unit approvals in buildings listed as Expired or Rejected. A case number is not an approval; the lender still has to confirm the unit qualifies.

Why Chicago condo buildings miss FHA approval

For a whole building to be approved, FHA looks at limits like these:

Owner occupancy: generally at least 50% of units owner-occupied.
FHA concentration: no more than 50% of units with FHA loans.
Commercial space: no more than 35% of the floor area, with case-by-case exceptions up to 55%. This matters for mixed-use buildings with stores on the ground floor.
Reserves: at least 10% of monthly assessments going into reserves, unless a reserve study supports less.
Delinquent assessments: FHA reviews how many owners are more than 60 days behind on dues.
Insurance: a master policy, liability coverage of at least $1 million per occurrence, fidelity coverage, and flood insurance if the building is in a flood zone.
Finances and lawsuits: no financial distress event in the past 36 months, disclosure of any litigation, and a management contract the association can end on 90 days’ notice or less.

Two- to four-unit condo buildings, common in Chicago two-flat and three-flat conversions, need full project approval under a separate FHA section; single-unit approval is not available for them because it requires at least 5 units.

Questions to ask before you make an offer

Is the building on HUD’s list, and when does its approval expire?
If not, will my lender do a single-unit approval, and how many units already have FHA loans?
How many units are owner-occupied, and does any one owner hold several units?
How many owners are more than 60 days behind on assessments?
What is in reserves, and are any special assessments planned?
Is there any pending lawsuit, and how much of the building is commercial space?

Common questions

How do I know if a condo is FHA-approved?

Search the building on HUD’s FHA Condominium lookup. It must show Approved, with an expiration date after your closing, for the phase your unit is in.

Can I get an FHA loan on a condo that is not FHA-approved?

Sometimes. Your lender can request a Single-Unit Approval if the building has at least 5 units, is finished, and no more than 10% of its units have FHA loans.

How long does FHA condo approval last?

Three years from the date the project is placed on HUD’s approved list. The association can recertify within 6 months before or after it expires.

Can a buyer apply for FHA approval of a building?

No. The lender, the condo association, its management company, the developer or their attorney submits it. A buyer can ask the association or the lender to start it.

For the association documents to review and how assessments work, see buying a condo in Chicago. For how FHA compares with conventional and VA loans, see first-time home buyer loans in Chicago. Fannie Mae has its own condo rules for conventional loans; see Fannie Mae’s new condo rules.

Sources

Cite this page: Chicago First Time Home Buyer, “How to Check if a Chicago Condo Is FHA-Approved,” reviewed October 17, 2026, chicagofirsttimehomebuyer.com/buying-process/fha-approved-condo/.