Royal Oak, MI Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Royal Oak adopts the 2006 International Property Maintenance Code as its property maintenance standard under § 556-1, and § 556-4A adds Section 104.8, Rental Property Registration, to that code. The rule bars any person, firm, or business entity from renting, leasing, or allowing a residential unit to be occupied by a nonowner without first registering the property with the City. To register, an owner must submit an application listing the owner's name and address, the unit and bedroom count and size, off-street parking spaces matching what is advertised, the maximum occupancy the owner intends to rent to (capped at two occupants per bedroom plus two per finished story), and contact information for a "responsible party" who lives within 30 miles and can respond to emergencies.

The owner must also sign a sworn attestation that the dwelling has a functional carbon monoxide detector, a smoke detector, and one fire extinguisher per occupied floor, and, for short-term rentals, proof of at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance and any required State of Michigan short-term rental certificate. Registered rentals must post the street address in two prominent interior locations for emergency responders, cannot put a bedroom in an attic or basement unless it was permitted and meets Michigan Residential Code and Fire Code requirements, and must maintain the exterior as required by the Property Maintenance Code.

Registration can be suspended or revoked by the Code Official for cause, including three or more ordinance violations tied to the property in one registration period, and a revoked owner cannot reapply for a year. Section 556-4B sets the penalty scale: a first violation is a municipal civil infraction with a civil fine of not less than $200 plus costs, escalating to not less than $350 for a second violation and a misdemeanor, with up to a $500 fine or 90 days imprisonment, for a third.