Rent control rules in Grand Rapids, MI — also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances — limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Grand Rapids cannot impose local rent control. Michigan Compiled Laws section 123.411 preempts municipalities from regulating the amount of rent charged for private residential property, leaving Grand Rapids without authority to cap rent increases or set base rents.
MCL 123.411 expressly bars local units of government from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing ordinances that control the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential property. As Michigan's second largest city, Grand Rapids has explored rent stabilization repeatedly, but each proposal stalls against this state preemption. The city retains authority over rental registration, habitability inspections, anti-discrimination protections, and limited just-cause processes, but it cannot cap rents or annual increases without a change in state law.
There is no local penalty because there is no local rent cap. Tenants concerned about rent increases must rely on lease terms, fair-housing protections, and Michigan landlord-tenant law rather than a Grand Rapids cap.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Kent County.
See how other cities in Kent County handle rent control.
See how Grand Rapids's rent control rules stack up against other locations.
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