Rental Inspections in Southfield, MI (2026)
2 verified rental inspections rules for Southfield, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Inspection Programs
In the City of Southfield, no one- or two-family or townhouse rental dwelling may be occupied without a certificate of rental compliance issued by the Building and Safety Engineering Department. The department places each registered dwelling on an inspection schedule that reaches every unit at least once every three years.
Southfield Rental Compliance Certificate
Significant RestrictionsSouthfield City Code §§ 8.505, 8.508
Persons shall not occupy, and owners shall not rent, offer for rent, or allow occupancy of rental dwellings unless a certificate of rental compliance has been applied for and issued by the department as provided in this chapter, except rental dwellings existing on the effective date of the ordinance establishing this chapter may continue to be rented and occupied after such effective date witho...
Tenant Complaint Process
A tenant complaint about conditions the owner has not addressed lets the Southfield Building and Safety Engineering Department order a special inspection of a rental dwelling between its regular three-year inspection cycles. The tenant, not the owner, pays the special inspection fee under the city's fee schedule.
Southfield Tenant Complaint Inspections
Some RestrictionsSouthfield City Code §§ 8.508, 8.513
Rental dwellings shall be subject to inspection at any time there is a credible complaint or other indication of a violation of this chapter. ... In the event of complaints from a tenant regarding conditions affecting the rental dwelling that have not been addressed by the owner, the department shall have the right to require an inspection of the rental dwelling between regular inspection perio...
Looking for Oakland County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Southfield city rules.
Rental Inspections in Oakland County →