Lansing, MI Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Required for
- Rental occupancy citywide
- Issued after
- Office of Code Compliance inspection
- Withheld if
- Health/safety hazard found
- Reinspection cycle
- Every 2-3 years
- Enforcing office
- Office of Code Compliance
Summary
Lansing, Michigan (Ingham County) bars occupancy of a registered rental unit unless the Office of Code Compliance has inspected it and issued a certificate of compliance, which it will withhold if conditions endanger health or safety.
Rental dwellings or units required by this Code to be registered shall not be occupied unless a certificate of compliance has been issued by the Office of Code Compliance. The certificate of compliance shall be issued only after an inspection of the premises has been conducted by the Office of Code Compliance; appropriate fees have been paid; the owner or their agent has provided proof of a valid insurance policy, carried by the owner or tenant, providing coverage for tenant relocation costs; and there are no delinquent real property taxes owed upon the premises. After inspection, the Office of Code Compliance shall not issue a certificate when the existing conditions constitute a hazard to the health or safety of those who may occupy the premises.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
Under § 1460.49, rental dwellings and units required to register under Chapter 1460 cannot be occupied without an inspection-based certificate of compliance from the Office of Code Compliance. The Office will not issue a certificate if conditions at inspection amount to a health or safety hazard, and units get reinspected on a two- or three-year cycle depending on unit count and violation history (§ 1460.45). This enforces the habitability baseline set by the 2015 IPMC as locally amended in § 1460.01.
Violations & Fines
Occupying or renting a unit without a valid certificate can get the dwelling ordered vacated, and lets occupants escrow rent until compliance; the Office of Code Compliance can also assess nonrefundable administrative fees for noncompliance found on inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a landlord rent a unit in Lansing without an inspection?
What if the unit fails inspection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lansing
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