Detroit, MI Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Sidewalk snow and ice removal in Detroit is governed by City Code Chapter 43 (Streets, Sidewalks and Other Public Places), Article XIII - Snow Removal (current recodification; the previous edition appeared as Chapter 50 Article VIII). The article places the obligation on the owner or occupant of property that abuts a public sidewalk to keep that sidewalk clear of snow and ice. The Detroit Department of Public Works publishes the operational expectations and accepts complaints, and the city's Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED) Property Maintenance Division identifies failure to remove snow and ice from sidewalks as one of the categories of property-maintenance complaints it investigates. Enforcement is generally through Detroit's blight-violation process — inspectors or police may issue a Blight Violation Notice for an uncleared sidewalk, with administrative hearings handling adjudication and the city's blight-fine schedule setting the dollar amount. Detroit does not stripe a specific statewide deadline like 'within 24 hours' in the way many Michigan cities do; the obligation is to keep the walk reasonably clear, with enforcement triggered by complaints or inspector observation.