13 verified short-term rentals rules for Detroit, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
As of May 2026, Detroit has no separately codified short-term rental ordinance in the Detroit City Code. A draft STR ordinance was released by BSEED on January 3, 2024 and has been discussed by City Council but has not been formally adopted. Until a dedicated STR chapter is enacted, every dwelling unit rented to non-owner occupants - including for any period - is regulated as 'rental property' under Detroit City Code Chapter 8, Article XV (the comprehensively amended Property Maintenance Code Rental Ordinance passed October 29, 2024 and effective January 1, 2025, which renumbered the prior Chapter 9, Article I provisions). Operators must obtain a Certificate of Registration and Certificate of Compliance from the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED), and the property must satisfy Chapter 50 (Zoning) use restrictions for the underlying district.
Detroit has not codified short-term-rental-specific quiet hours, decibel schedules, or party-house penalties; STR guests are governed by the general noise control provisions of Detroit City Code Chapter 38, Article II, which prohibits unreasonable noise that disturbs the peace, comfort, or repose of others at any time and imposes more specific limits between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The January 3, 2024 draft STR ordinance would add a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. quiet-hours provision specifically tied to the proposed STR license, but that draft has not been adopted. Until adoption, complaints route through the Detroit Police Department non-emergency line and BSEED's blight/rental enforcement.
Detroit does not impose a city-level accommodations or transient occupancy tax. Short-term rentals of fewer than 30 days inside the City of Detroit are subject to the 6% Michigan Use Tax on accommodations under MCL 205.93a, administered by the Michigan Department of Treasury. A 2% Wayne County convention and tourism marketing assessment is collected, on an opt-in basis, only from larger lodging facilities (generally 35 or more rooms) under the Michigan Convention and Tourism Marketing Act (MCL 141.1351 et seq.) and does not apply to a typical residential STR. Permit fees on the rental property itself are the $150 annual rental program fee under Detroit City Code Chapter 8, Article XV.
Detroit imposes no dedicated STR parking ordinance. Properties must follow Chapter 55 (Traffic) rules including no blocking of driveways and Chapter 50 zoning off-street parking minimums.
Detroit has not codified a short-term-rental-specific occupancy cap such as a fixed maximum number of guests. Occupancy is governed by the bedroom-area and dwelling-unit-area provisions of the Detroit Property Maintenance Code in Chapter 8, Article XV, which incorporates the standard International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) minimum-area-per-occupant rule: a bedroom must provide at least 70 square feet for one occupant and at least 50 additional square feet for each additional occupant. The January 3, 2024 draft Short Term Rental Ordinance would add a fixed 10-person STR cap, but that draft is not yet adopted.
Detroit does not require STR-specific liability insurance by ordinance. Hosts should verify that homeowner or landlord policies explicitly cover commercial short-term rental activity.
Detroit does not cap the number of STR nights per year. Unlike tourist-heavy jurisdictions, Detroit permits year-round STR operation subject to Chapter 31 noise and BSEED housing standards.
Detroit registers short-term rentals through the same Certificate of Registration system that governs all rental property under Detroit City Code Chapter 8, Article XV, administered by the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED). Operators apply through BSEED's online portal, pay the $150 annual rental program fee adopted in the October 29, 2024 amendments, and obtain a Certificate of Compliance after passing a 15-point property condition inspection. The Certificate of Compliance is valid for three years for residential rental property, and the certificate must be in place before any occupancy under Sec. 8-15-82. There is no separately codified STR-only registry as of May 2026.
Detroit Ord. 2018-08 distinguishes hosted from unhosted short-term rentals. When the operator is present at the property during the guest's stay, no annual night cap applies, but registration with the Buildings Department is still mandatory.
Detroit Ord. 2018-08 restricts short-term rentals to the operator's primary residence, blocking investor-owned whole-home Airbnb portfolios. Only one STR registration is allowed per natural person citywide, with proof of homestead exemption required.
Detroit's STR ordinance imposes a three-strike framework: three substantiated violations in 12 months trigger automatic registration revocation and a two-year ban from re-registering at any Detroit address.
Airbnb, VRBO, and similar booking platforms operating in Detroit must verify each listing carries an active BSEED registration number before accepting bookings, and must remit occupancy taxes directly under MI Public Act 2024-12.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Detroit city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Wayne County →