Grand Rapids, MI Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Requirement
- Certificate needed before occupancy
- Enforced by
- Code Compliance Department
- Governing code
- Chapter 140 Property Maintenance Code
- Penalty
- Civil infraction, escalates to misdemeanor
Summary
No rental dwelling in Grand Rapids may be occupied until the Code Compliance Department issues a Certificate of Compliance confirming it meets the Property Maintenance Code.
1000.1 Certificate of Compliance required. Any rental dwelling or any dwelling containing at least one (1) rental unit, hotel unit or rooming unit, shall be in substantial compliance with the provisions of this Chapter. No rental dwelling, rental unit, hotel unit or rooming unit shall be occupied prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Compliance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 70).
Full Breakdown
Grand Rapids requires every rental dwelling, any unit not occupied by its owner, to be in substantial compliance with Chapter 140, the Property Maintenance Code, before it can legally house a tenant. City Code § 8.504 (PMC § 1000.1) bars occupancy of any rental unit, hotel unit, or rooming unit until the City issues a Certificate of Compliance. The Code Compliance Department verifies compliance through inspection before a certificate is granted, tying habitability enforcement directly to the right to occupy the unit.
Violations & Fines
Occupying or renting a unit without a valid Certificate of Compliance is a civil infraction under § 8.503; repeat violations against the same owner escalate to a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a landlord rent out a unit before it's certified?
What triggers the certificate?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Rapids
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Repairs & Habitability in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Kent County handle repairs & habitability.