Detroit Ord. 2022-006, the Right to Counsel framework, paired with Title 18 amendments, requires landlords to state a just cause when refusing to renew an existing tenancy. Pure no-fault non-renewals face heightened scrutiny in 36th District Court.
Detroit Title 18 housing code, harmonized with Ordinance 2022-006, narrows landlords' ability to terminate tenancies without cause. Permitted bases include nonpayment, material lease breach, owner move-in, substantial rehabilitation requiring vacancy, or removal of the unit from the rental market. For owner move-in or rehab-based terminations, the landlord must provide 90 days' notice and a relocation payment equal to two months' rent. Pretextual owner-move-in claims followed by a relisting within 12 months create a rebuttable presumption of bad faith, supporting a tenant action for treble damages. Tenants in qualifying income brackets receive free legal counsel under the Right to Counsel Office.
No-cause non-renewal without statutory basis: eviction action dismissed, treble damages, possible $5,000 per-tenant penalty under unfair-practices ordinance.
Detroit, MI
When BSEED red-tags a Detroit rental for habitability violations, landlords must pay displaced tenants relocation assistance equal to three months' rent or c...
Detroit, MI
Detroit does not have a just-cause eviction ordinance. Michigan law allows landlords to terminate month-to-month tenancies without providing a reason, with p...
See how Detroit's no-fault evictions rules stack up against other locations.
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