Oakland County, MI Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

West Bloomfield's vacant-property registration program — enforced by the Code Enforcement Division at (248) 451-4880 — requires owners to register within 30 days of vacancy, provide a local contact responsible for maintenance, and pay an annual registration fee. The Township inspects to verify the structure is secured (doors and ground-floor windows boarded or otherwise locked), the lot is mowed and free of debris, and the pool (if any) is drained or covered. Pontiac Code Section 22-220 et seq. (Article VIII — Vacant Property Registration and Maintenance) prohibits occupying a vacant property until a re-occupancy certificate has been issued by the Building Safety Division and all violations have been corrected under the State Construction Code and the International Property Maintenance Code. Royal Oak, Troy, and Bloomfield Township use the IPMC's general property maintenance standards for vacant lots: weeds and grass cut, no accumulation of trash or junk, no inoperable vehicles, and structures secured. Under MCL 117.4l, Michigan cities are authorized to designate blight violations as municipal civil infractions, which is how vacant-lot enforcement is most commonly handled across the county.