Michigan MCL 750.2010 requires smoke alarms in all residential rental units and since 2018 in single-family homes at sale. Wayne County cities require detectors outside each sleeping area and on every level.
Smoke detector requirements in Wayne County follow Michigan state law and the Michigan Residential Code. MCL 125.1501 and the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act require working smoke alarms in all residential rental properties, enforced by city rental inspection programs in Detroit, Dearborn, Hamtramck, and most suburbs. Detectors must be installed outside each sleeping area, inside each bedroom for homes built or renovated after 2008, and on every level including basements. Detroit requires rental properties to carry a Certificate of Compliance that includes smoke alarm verification. Hardwired interconnected alarms with battery backup are required for new construction and major renovations. Carbon monoxide detectors are separately required under MCL 125.1504d for any dwelling with a fuel-burning appliance or attached garage. Tampering with smoke alarms in a rental unit is a misdemeanor.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
See how Wayne County's smoke detectors rules stack up against other locations.
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