Rochester Hills, MI Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)

Division 3 of Chapter 70, Article VI defines the terms that drive the host-liability rule: a 'house party' is a social gathering at a residence that includes at least one person who is not an owner, tenant or regular legal occupant, and a 'hall party' is the same kind of gathering at a hall, motel or hotel room, meeting room, ballroom, suite or club (Sec. 70-351). 'Control' extends to anyone who rents, leases, hires or is otherwise responsible for arranging use of the space, not just the property owner.

Section 70-352 states the city council's purpose: unregulated alcohol and controlled-substance use by people under 21 causes injury, property damage, disturbances of the peace and other harms, so requiring the person in control to take responsibility, and barring under-21 attendance, reduces those problems. Section 70-354 then makes it unlawful for any person 16 or older with control of the residence or hall to allow the party to start, or to continue once begun, if that person knows or reasonably should know alcohol or a controlled substance is being or has been possessed or consumed there by someone under 21.

A companion provision, section 70-355, separately makes it unlawful for anyone under 21 to attend such a party while knowing alcohol or drugs are being sold, offered or possessed by underage attendees, unless a parent or guardian accompanies them. Section 70-353 exempts legally protected religious observances and educational activities from the whole division. No penalty is stated in Division 3 itself, so a violation of section 70-354 defaults to the Code's general misdemeanor penalty in section 1-16.