Clinton Township, MI Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Section 1498.02 states the purpose behind the whole chapter: creating a registration, licensing, and inspection program for residential rental units within the Township for the health and safety of its residents, and an efficient system for compelling landlords to correct violations and to maintain, in proper condition, rental property within the Township. The operative rule sits at Section 1498.05: no person may allow a leasehold to be occupied, rented or let unless a registration form has been filed with the Building Department and a current, valid license is in good standing, with good standing defined as no outstanding, uncorrected building violations for which written notice has been furnished to the landlord.

Section 1498.11 backs that up with recurring inspections: every rental premises is inspected at least once every two years, on transfer of ownership, or upon discovery that it was never registered, and inspections can happen more often if a tenant complains and consents to entry or the Township obtains an administrative warrant. Newly constructed units get a two-year grace period from their certificate of occupancy before the cycle starts. If an inspection turns up violations, Section 1498.19 lets the Building Official suspend or revoke the rental license; the owner can appeal to the Construction Board of Appeals within twenty days by paying a $100 appeal fee, and the unit may keep operating during that appeal. Section 1498.23 adds more frequent inspections for a property with two or more violation cycles inside a two-year span.