Kalamazoo, MI Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

Section 17-12.1 sets the procedure for Kalamazoo's systematic rental inspection program, which Subsection A says is meant to ensure 'safe, decent and sanitary rental housing' through cooperation among City staff, landlords, tenants and neighborhood associations. Subsection B puts the scheduling burden on the owner or responsible local agent, who must contact the City in time for a new certificate of compliance to issue before the current one expires; Subsection C repeats that this scheduling duty belongs to the owner or agent, not the City. Once a date is set, Subsection D requires the owner or agent to tell affected tenants when the inspection will occur, to ask each tenant for permission to enter if the tenant is not home, and to tell tenants that the owner or a representative must accompany the inspector and unlock the unit if the tenant is absent.

Subsections E through H govern tenant objections: if a consenting tenant wants to be present but the time is inconvenient, the City will try to reschedule to a mutually convenient time (Subsection F); if the City, owner and tenant cannot agree, the City can seek an administrative search warrant under state law, MCLA § 125.527. Subsection J bars the City or owner from discriminating against a tenant based on whether a unit was randomly selected for inspection or based on how the tenant responds to an entry request, and bars billing inspection costs to tenants. This program inspection runs alongside the complaint-basis and area-basis inspections separately authorized under § 17-12E.