Detroit, MI Home Business: Customer Traffic Restrictions (2026)

Detroit's zoning code allows home occupations in a dwelling without a permit, but Sec. 50-12-487 bars any increase in traffic from visitors, clients, or customers that goes beyond the normal amount and timing of traffic residents and guests already bring to the neighborhood. It sits alongside companion limits on floor area (25% or 500 sq ft), non-resident employees (banned in R1/R2, capped at two elsewhere), and required off-street parking for those employees. A home occupation that draws steady client traffic, a busy in-home salon or tutoring practice, for instance, can be found non-compliant even with no numeric cap written into the code.