DETROIT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — In a bid to improve the quality of rental housing and address widespread non-compliance, Detroit city officials are pushing for amendments to the city’s rental ordinance. Currently, only 10% of rental homes in Detroit have passed the required inspections, leaving many residents in substandard living conditions, according to the Detroit Free Press. The proposed changes intend to simplify the compliance process for landlords, increase penalties for repeat offenders, and enhance protections for tenants.
With over 82,000 rental properties in Detroit, only a small fraction currently meet compliance standards. The proposed ordinance aims to simplify the process for landlords by combining property condition and lead safety inspections into a single, streamlined process, thereby reducing overall inspection fees. Moreover, the new focus will be on 15 essential health and safety measures, such as electrical and plumbing functionality, rather than the current 37-point checklist that includes less critical items like grass height and graffiti.
These measures are expected to make compliance faster and less costly for landlords.
However, for those who repeatedly fail to meet these standards, penalties will increase. Despite issuing 100,000 blight tickets over the past five years, Detroit has collected less than 20% of the fines. To address this, the ordinance raises fines and adds stricter penalties for landlords. Based on an example from the Detroit Free Press, the penalty for failing to obtain a certificate of compliance would rise from $250 to $400 for the first offense, $500 to $650 for the second offense, and $1,000 to $1,150 for subsequent violations. Additionally, the city would gain the authority to file liens on properties with unpaid fines.
The ordinance also includes modifications to the city’s lead inspection standards, which currently take four to seven hours and are a major issue for landlords. The new approach would use a visual assessment and dust wipe method to address the most common lead hazards, such as dust from damaged paint, eliminating the need for an initial lead inspection and risk assessment.
While this nationally recognized model will enhance efficiency, critics like Wayne State University professor Lyke Thompson, cited by the Detroit Free Press, caution that reducing the rigor of testing could increase the risk of lead exposure for children.
“It will substitute a low quality of testing for a very rigorous testing that they have right now,” Thompson said.
Meanwhile, the city’s escrow program, designed to allow tenants to withhold rent if their property does not meet safety standards, is underused due to eligibility requirements.
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The proposed changes would ease these requirements, making the program more accessible to residents who may not have traditional leases or identification. The program would also be moved from the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED) to the Housing and Revitalization Department to increase capacity and streamline application processing.
As it stands, applicants must live in a single-family home or duplex, provide a written lease, proof of rental payments, an ID, a utility bill, and have no pending litigation.
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