Detroit launches the pilot phase of the new rental ordinance - here's what that means

Detroit – Detroit has launched the pilot phase of a new rental ordinance and encourages the owners to meet their rental properties.

The building department, safety and environmental engineering (BSEED) pilots the new inspection process until May 1, 2025 and will collect feedback from inspectors, owners of property, tenants and interested parties.

Properties in the Following Zip Codes has included in the pilot: 48201, 48202, 48203, 48207, 48208, 48209, 48214, 48215, 48216, 48217, 48219, 48221, 48223, 48224, 48226, 48228, 48228, 48228, 48228, 48228, 48228, 48228, 48228, 48234, 48235, 48239, 48240.

The gradual launch of a new rental ordinance (City of Detroit)

In the pilot phase, the city said that the owners of the Eligible Postal Code should take the following steps to obtain a certificate of compliance:

Registering your property as a rent in the City of Detroit
Passes an inspection of the state of property
1. 1-2 unit properties: programs with any of the approved inspection companies listed here.
2. 3+ unit properties: Schedule an inspection with BSEED by calling 313-628-245
Upload the inspection report passed through explain.
BSEED will issue a compliance certificate.

City officials have stated that the properties outside the postal pilot codes should wait for a compliance certificate until the full launch.

BSEED will make a complete launch of the new rental ordinance starting May 1, 2025.

In accordance with the Detroit law, the rental properties must have a certificate of compliance for legal rental for tenants, a process intended to ensure that the rental housing meet the safety standards. The Municipal Council has adopted a new rental ordinance in October 2024 to concentrate inspections on safety issues, to improve sanctions for property owners who do not want to comply and offer tenants to answer when their home has safety problems.

“Each Detroit tenant deserves to live in safe and quality homes,” said Andrea Taverna, the deputy operating officer. “We have worked closely with tenants, owners and members of the Council to develop this new process and we believe that it will result in a significantly larger number of rental properties to be inspected for safety and to respect the city code. The new process attracts Detroit in accordance with the best practices in other cities and states regarding the respect and safety of housing housing. “

Old process of compliance with rental	New process of compliance with rental
Two separate property inspections that are left 4-8 hours: one for the general condition of the house and a lead inspection/risk assessment	An inspection completed in 1-2 hours, covering the most common and serious safety problems including lead safety
Over $ 1,000 in taxes, costs that owners transmit to their tenants	$ 195 for unifamilial home inspection
37 inspection components for home status	Clear, standardized and distilled 15 -point checklist covering all major safety issues
100,000 lease violation tickets over the past 5 years, but only 20% have paid, which means that little real punishment for non -observance	The owners have more opportunities to comply, but when they do not want this, the city can submit loans for the costs of unpaid tickets to ensure that non -compliance has a real cost
Tenants capable of escaping rent with city program in restricted circumstances after submitting extended documents	Starting this summer the lease scam program will simplify and extend access