Detroit, MI Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- BSEED / Public Health Director
- Base civil fine
- $50-$1,000 per violation
- Emergency-order fine
- $500-$5,000
- Liability
- All owners jointly and severally liable
Summary
Detroit's Property Maintenance Code makes it unlawful for an owner to occupy or rent out a building not maintained in a habitable, sanitary, and safe condition, with every owner jointly liable for compliance.
It shall be unlawful for a person to occupy as owner-occupant, or permit another person to occupy, a building, premises or structure, which is not maintained in a habitable, sanitary, and safe condition in accordance with the requirements of this article.(c)Occupants of a dwelling unit are responsible for keeping that part of the dwelling unit or premises, which they occupy and control, in a clean, habitable, sanitary, and safe condition.(d)Except as otherwise specified in this article, each owner, or the owner's agent, shall be responsible for the maintenance of the building, premises, and structures regulated under this article, and for any violation and any corresponding penalty, as a result of a failure to comply with the provisions of this article.(e)All owners are jointly and severally required:(1)To comply with the requirements of this article; and(2)To cure any blight violations that are issued under this article. (Code 1984, § 9-1-12; Ord. No. 18-03, § 1(9-1-12), eff. 7-18-2003; Ord. No. 11-10, § 1(9-1-12), eff. 8-6-2010)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Detroit City Code Chapter 8, Article XV (the Property Maintenance Code) requires owners to keep buildings, premises, and structures in compliance with the article's minimum conditions, and bars occupying or letting a unit that isn't habitable, sanitary, and safe. Occupants must also keep the space they control clean and safe. All owners are jointly and severally responsible for curing violations, which the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED) or the Public Health Director enforce through blight-violation notices and civil fines.
Violations & Fines
General Property Maintenance Code violations run $50-$1,000 per offense (higher for larger buildings), escalating on repeat offenses; failing to comply with an emergency or unsafe-condition order runs $500-$5,000 under the Sec. 8-15-11 civil fine schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for keeping a Detroit rental habitable?
What happens if a Detroit rental isn't kept habitable?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Detroit
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Repairs & Habitability in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle repairs & habitability.