Wayne County rental property owners must address bed bug infestations promptly under Michigan landlord-tenant law and local property maintenance codes adopted by municipalities such as Detroit and Dearborn.
Michigan does not have a single statewide bed bug statute, but the Michigan Public Health Code (MCL 333.12601) and local property maintenance ordinances in Wayne County treat infestations as a habitability defect. Landlords are generally responsible for treatment in multi-family buildings, while tenants must cooperate with inspection and preparation. Detroit incorporates the International Property Maintenance Code, which requires owners to keep premises free of insect infestation. WCPHS can investigate complaints in suburban communities, and renters may pursue remedies through MCL 554.139 covered habitability obligations. Treatment typically requires licensed pest-control operators using EPA-registered products.
Failure to treat documented infestations, retaliatory eviction for complaints, or charging tenants for landlord-caused infestation can lead to code citations and civil claims.
See how Dearborn's bed-bug rules rules stack up against other locations.
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