Ann Arbor, MI Code Violation Reporting: Common Violations (2026)
Key Facts
- Who publishes it
- Building Official
- Purpose
- pre-occupancy self-check
- Governing chapter
- Housing Code, Ch. 105
- Linked penalty
- $200-$1,000 civil infraction
Summary
Ann Arbor's Building Official must publish a checklist of commonly recurring housing code violations so tenants, buyers, and landlords can inspect a property against the same standards city inspectors use.
The Building Official shall make available to the general public a checklist of commonly recurring violations for use in examining premises offered for occupancy.(d)The Building Official shall submit monthly reports to the City Council specifying the number of initial inspections, reinspections, and buildings certified for occupancy during the month. In addition, the report shall include the number of complaints, buildings razed, appeals heard, abandoned dwellings inspected, certificates suspended, persons using the city escrow account, and tickets issued during the month. The report shall also include notice of public hearings being held on any administrative rules, and the number of inspection reports that have not been prepared within the 10 working days. These monthly reports shall be available to the public upon request through the Planning and Development Services Unit.(5)For dwellings that are determined to be in full compliance with this chapter at the first inspection of a periodic inspection, the period between that inspection and the next inspection shall be extended to 3½ years. (Ord. No. 66-87, § 1, 12-21-87; Ord. No. 10-88, § 1, 5-2-88; Ord. No. 28-88, § 3, 7-18-88; Ord. No. 28-90, § 7, 6-4-90; Ord. No. 54-90, § 1, 10-15-90; Ord. No. 46-92, § 1, 6-15-92; Ord. No. 61-92, § 2, 10-5-92; Ord. No. 43-04, § 35, 1-3-05; Ord. No. 17-10, § 2, 7-3-17)
8:512. - Code administration.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
Under the Housing Code's inspection policy section, the Building Official is required to make a checklist of commonly recurring violations available to the general public for examining premises offered for occupancy. It sits alongside other transparency duties in the same section, including monthly reports to City Council on inspections, complaints, and buildings certified for occupancy. The checklist itself isn't a penalty: it mirrors what inspectors actually cite.
Violations & Fines
Not a fine itself. Items that fail the checklist are cited as Housing Code violations and processed under the notice-of-violation procedure, which carries a civil infraction fine of $200 to $1,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get Ann Arbor's list of common code violations?
Does failing an item on the checklist mean I'm automatically in violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ann Arbor
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