Not legal advice. This is a free reference compiled from official government sources. Laws change and local details matter. Confirm every deadline with the official source or a licensed attorney before you rely on it.
Register every rental with BSEED; a new owner applies within 90 days after buying, and contact changes are due within 30 days Verified
Deadline: Before renting; a new owner within 90 days after the sale or transfer; contact changes within 30 days
Owners or agents must register every rental dwelling with the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED) and get a Certificate of Registration of Rental Property. Registration stays valid until ownership or use changes. A new owner must apply within 90 days after the sale or transfer, and changes to the owner's or agent's address, email or phone must be reported within 30 days.
Who it covers: Residential rental property in Detroit, including 1- and 2-family homes. Owner-occupied single-family homes are not rental property.
"The owners or agents of rental property shall register all such dwellings with the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department and obtain a Certificate of Registration of Rental Property as provided for in this section." detroitmi.gov
"within 90 days after the sale or transfer of the rental property, the new owner shall apply for a Certificate of Registration in the manner prescribed in this section." detroitmi.gov
"telephone number within 30 days of such change." detroitmi.gov
"Rental Registration remains valid permanently, unless there is a change in ownership." detroitmi.gov
Notes: Detroit City Code 8-15-81. City Code Ch. 8, Art. XV, Div. 3, as amended by the rental ordinance passed Oct. 29, 2024 (official PDF posted by the City; text extracted without the margin line numbers).
Last verified 2026-10-23 · Confidence: high · Status: verified · Report a correction
Get a Certificate of Compliance before occupancy or collecting rent; it runs 3 years (5 after two consecutive approvals) Verified
Deadline: Every 3 years from the certificate of compliance issue date; apply within the 90 days before it expires
A registered rental needs a Certificate of Compliance, issued after passing the city's inspection, before you may let it be occupied or collect rent. Each certificate lasts three years and can be extended to five years after two consecutive approvals. Without a valid certificate, tenants may pay rent into a city escrow account instead of to you.
"must secure a Certificate of Compliance before the owner may lawfully allow the property to become occupied and collect rent from an occupant." detroitmi.gov
"Each Certificate of Compliance issued pursuant to this division shall be for a term of three years, and may be extended from three years to five years when the Certificate of Compliance is approved for two consecutive periods prior to expiration." detroitmi.gov
Notes: Detroit City Code 8-15-82(a), (h) and (m). The 90-day reminder before expiry is a planning buffer, not a legal deadline. City Code Ch. 8, Art. XV, Div. 3, as amended by the rental ordinance passed Oct. 29, 2024 (official PDF posted by the City; text extracted without the margin line numbers).
Last verified 2026-10-23 · Confidence: high · Status: verified · Report a correction
Pre-1978 rentals: every compliance inspection includes a lead paint visual assessment (plus dust wipes in high-risk areas) Verified
Deadline: Every 3 years from the certificate of compliance inspection
For Detroit rental inspections, all paint is presumed to be lead-based and deteriorated paint is a violation. Every inspection includes a visual assessment; in the city's high-risk lead areas it also includes dust wipe samples where state law allows. Violations must be fixed and re-inspected before the Certificate of Compliance is issued. Buildings completed after January 1, 1978, and fully abated or certified lead-free properties, are exempt from the lead portion.
Who it covers: Rental property built before 1978 (original construction completed before January 1, 1978).
"all paint on the interior or exterior of any residential rental property is presumed to be lead-based and any deteriorated paint in rental property is a deteriorated paint violation." detroitmi.gov
"All inspections performed shall include a visual assessment." detroitmi.gov
"Original construction on the rental property was completed after January 1, 1978" detroitmi.gov
Notes: Detroit City Code 8-15-82(d) and (f). Medium confidence: the official PDF shows inserted and struck-out wording, and the extracted text cannot always tell them apart. City Code Ch. 8, Art. XV, Div. 3, as amended by the rental ordinance passed Oct. 29, 2024 (official PDF posted by the City; text extracted without the margin line numbers).
Last verified 2026-10-23 · Confidence: medium · Status: verified · Report a correction