Detroit Ord. 2018-08 distinguishes hosted from unhosted short-term rentals. When the operator is present at the property during the guest's stay, no annual night cap applies, but registration with the Buildings Department is still mandatory.
Title 21, Article 8 of the Detroit City Code separates hosted from unhosted STR operations. A hosted stay means the host occupies the home as their primary residence and remains on-site during the booking, such as renting a spare bedroom on Airbnb. Hosted operators avoid the 14-night unhosted cap but must still register annually, carry liability insurance, post emergency contact info, and remit the Wayne County hotel-motel excise tax plus state use tax. BSEED (Buildings, Safety Engineering & Environmental) handles registration and complaint follow-up, including life-safety inspections triggered by neighbor reports.
Operating hosted STR without registration: $250 first offense, $500 repeat. False hosted-status claim treated as unregistered unhosted operation, citation up to $2,500.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Detroit, MI
Detroit's zoning and property maintenance codes do not restrict the number, size, or style of residential lawn ornaments, statuary, or religious displays. Re...
Detroit, MI
Detroit has no specific ordinance regulating residential inflatable holiday displays (giant snowmen, pumpkins, Santas). Restrictions, if any, come from priva...
Detroit, MI
Detroit has no citywide ordinance restricting the time of year, brightness, or duration of residential holiday lights. Restrictions arise mainly from Local H...
Detroit, MI
A built-in outdoor kitchen in Detroit requires separate trade permits from BSEED for any gas line, electrical, or plumbing work, plus a building permit if it...
Detroit, MI
Detroit has no ordinance specifically regulating residential offset smokers or pellet grills. The City's nuisance and air-quality provisions (Detroit Code Ch...
Detroit, MI
Detroit follows the International Fire Code (IFC) as adopted by Michigan. IFC Section 308.1.4 prohibits open-flame and charcoal cooking on combustible balcon...
See how Detroit's host presence rule rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.