The 7 Most Common Tenant Maintenance Requests in Detroit

The maintenance requests Detroit landlords get most are no heat, plumbing leaks and clogs, sewer backups, no hot water, electrical problems, broken doors, windows, and locks, and pests. Almost all of them trace back to the same root cause: Detroit's housing is old, and old systems fail in predictable ways, especially through a Michigan winter.

That predictability is good news. If you know which calls are coming, what usually causes them, and which ones can't wait, you can line up the right contractors before the phone rings. This guide covers each of the seven, with what Michigan law and Detroit's rental inspection require of you.

Why do Detroit rentals get the repair calls they do?

Because most of the houses are close to a century old. The median Detroit home was built in 1946, and about 37% of the city's housing units were built in 1939 or earlier, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey. Roughly 78% were built before 1960.

A house from that era often still has some original wiring, galvanized or cast iron pipes, and a clay or cast iron sewer line running under mature trees. Each of those shows up somewhere on the list below.

The legal baseline is the same for every request. Under MCL 554.139, Michigan landlords must keep a rental fit for its intended use, in reasonable repair, and in compliance with state and local health and safety laws, except for damage the tenant caused. In Detroit, the city's 15-point rental inspection spells out much of what "fit" means in practice, and several of the seven requests below map directly to an item on that checklist. Our Certificate of Compliance guide covers the inspection itself.

How urgent is each request?

Michigan's statute doesn't set a repair deadline in days, so the standard is "reasonable," judged by how serious the problem is. Here is how we triage the seven:

A useful rule: anything that threatens safety, security, or causes active water damage is same-day. Anything that makes the home less comfortable but not unsafe can be scheduled.

1. What should you do when a tenant reports no heat?

Treat it as an emergency from fall through spring. Detroit's rental inspection requires a heating system that can provide at least 68 degrees, and a family without heat in January is both a habitability problem and a frozen-pipe risk to your house.

What usually causes it: In older Detroit homes, the furnace itself may be well past its expected life. The common failures are a dirty filter that makes the furnace overheat and shut off, a failed igniter or flame sensor, a bad control board, or a thermostat problem. Have the tenant check the thermostat setting, the breaker, and the furnace switch first. That resolves a surprising share of calls.

Who fixes it: Furnace repair is mechanical work. In Michigan, heating work for pay requires a licensed mechanical contractor, and a furnace replacement needs a permit. Have an HVAC contractor you trust lined up before October, not after the first cold snap.

How to prevent it: An annual fall tune-up and regular filter changes. Our winter rental checklist covers the rest of cold-weather prep, including what to tell tenants about keeping the heat on.

2. How should you handle plumbing leaks and clogged drains?

Split them into two groups. An active leak, especially one dripping through a ceiling, gets a same-day response because water damage spreads by the hour. A slow drain, a dripping faucet, or a running toilet can be scheduled within a few days.

What usually causes it: Worn faucet cartridges and toilet flappers, old shutoff valves that weep, and drain lines narrowed by decades of buildup. Detroit's inspection checklist requires plumbing fixtures, including sinks, toilets, tubs, showers, and the water heater, to work, drain, and not leak, so a leak left alone can also fail a city inspection.

Who fixes it: Snaking a drain, replacing a flapper, or swapping a faucet is routine maintenance work. Repairing or replacing supply and drain piping is plumbing that calls for a licensed plumber and, in most cases, a permit. Michigan's homeowner plumbing permit only applies to a single-family home the owner occupies, so it doesn't cover your rental.

Tell your tenant where the main water shutoff is at move-in. A tenant who can shut off the water in two minutes turns a flood into a wet floor.

3. What causes sewer backups in Detroit, and who pays to fix them?

A sewer backup, with water coming up through the basement floor drain, is an emergency for health reasons alone. Detroit's checklist requires floors, walls, and ceilings to be free of sewage and mold-like growth, so cleanup has to be thorough, not just a mop.

What usually causes it: The private sewer line, called the lateral, that runs from the house to the city sewer. In much of Detroit those laterals are old clay or cast iron, and tree roots find every joint. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) says that age, shifting soil, roots, and lack of maintenance can leave private lines offset or completely disconnected from the city sewer, causing backups and cave-ins. City officials told BridgeDetroit in July 2026 that about one in three private sewer connections are clogged, offset, or have fallen off.

Who pays: The property owner. DWSD says owners are responsible for the private line from where it leaves the house to where it connects to the city sewer, which may be in the alley. Two city programs can help:

• The Alley Sewer Repair Program is scheduled to start in October 2026 and run about four years, reconnecting roughly 9,000 private lines to alley sewers at no cost to the owner. DWSD picks blocks in low and moderate income neighborhoods with known defects, and there's no application. BridgeDetroit reported that a private repair of that connection normally costs about $10,000. The city's program page talks about homeowners and doesn't say how it treats rentals, so ask DWSD if your block is notified.
• The Basement Backup Protection Program installed backwater valves and sump pumps in 11 neighborhoods with repeated backups. As of this writing, its applications are closed unless more funding arrives.

Who fixes it: A licensed plumber or sewer contractor to clear the line, then a camera inspection to find out whether you're dealing with roots you can manage or a broken pipe that needs repair. Our maintenance checklist explains why to scope the line before it backs up, not after.

4. What should you do when there's no hot water?

Respond within about a day. No hot water isn't as dangerous as no heat, but it makes a home hard to live in, and Detroit's inspection requires hot water between 110 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

What usually causes it: A water heater near the end of its life, a gas pilot or thermocouple problem, a failed electric element, or sediment buildup. Rust or water at the base of the tank usually means replacement, not repair.

Who fixes it: Michigan requires a permit to replace a water heater, and gas units need their gas piping and venting inspected. Use a licensed plumber or mechanical contractor. Ask them to confirm the temperature setting afterward so you don't swing from no hot water to a scalding risk.

How to prevent it: Write the install date on every tank. A heater approaching the end of its expected life is cheaper to replace on your schedule than as an emergency, especially if it fails by leaking.

5. How should landlords handle electrical problems in older homes?

It depends on the symptom. Sparks, a burning smell, a warm outlet or panel, or a total loss of power is an emergency: tell the tenant to stop using the circuit and call a licensed electrician the same day. A single dead outlet or a light fixture that flickers can be scheduled, but don't let it sit, because it's often a loose connection.

What usually causes it: Homes built before the 1950s may still have sections of original wiring, older fuse boxes or panels, and two-prong outlets that were never meant for today's loads. Space heaters in cold months and window air conditioners in summer push those circuits past what they can handle. Detroit's checklist requires an electrical system in working order with no exposed wires and cover plates on every switch and outlet.

Who fixes it: A licensed electrician. Michigan only lets a homeowner pull an electrical permit for a single-family home the homeowner owns and occupies, so an owner working on their own rental doesn't qualify. Before hiring, verify the contractor's Michigan license.

Don't forget the alarms. A chirping smoke or carbon monoxide alarm is one of the most common requests of all, and Detroit's inspection requires both to be installed and working. Replace the battery or the unit right away rather than letting the tenant pull it off the ceiling.

6. How fast do you need to fix doors, windows, and locks?

A front or back door that won't lock, or a window broken after a break-in, is a same-day security repair. Detroit's checklist requires a working lock on every entry door and working locks on every window designed to open. A sticking interior door or a loose cabinet hinge can wait for a scheduled visit.

What usually causes it: Old houses settle, so frames shift and doors stop latching. Wood windows swell and stick. Hardware wears out, and in some neighborhoods, attempted break-ins damage doors and frames.

Who fixes it: A carpenter or handyman. One Detroit-specific catch: if the repair disturbs painted surfaces in a pre-1978 home, such as planing a door, replacing a window, or cutting into trim, federal lead rules apply. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires a certified firm using lead-safe practices for paid work that disturbs more than 6 square feet of interior paint or 20 square feet of exterior paint, and for any window replacement. Detroit's checklist also fails a rental for deteriorated paint.

At every turnover, rekey or replace the exterior locks.

7. What should you do about pests?

Respond within days, not weeks. Mice, rats, cockroaches, and bed bugs spread, and Detroit's checklist requires a home free from infestation by rodents or insects.

What usually causes it: Gaps around old foundations, utility penetrations, and siding give mice an easy way in, especially when the weather turns cold. Neighboring vacant buildings or overgrown lots can add pressure. Inside, roaches and bed bugs often arrive with belongings.

Who fixes it: A licensed pest control company. In Michigan, anyone applying pesticides for pay needs a pesticide application business license from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, with a certified applicator on staff. Your part is sealing entry points and fixing leaks that give pests water. Who pays for a tenant-caused infestation depends on your lease and the facts, so spell it out in writing.

How do you keep repair requests from turning into bigger problems?

Three habits do most of the work:

1. Make reporting easy and written. An online form or portal gives you a timestamp and photos, which protects you if a repair is ever disputed. Michigan tenants may have remedies such as rent withholding when repairs go unaddressed, and our Michigan landlord-tenant law guide covers what that means for you.
2. Line up your trades in advance. Have an HVAC contractor, a plumber, an electrician, a sewer contractor, and a handyman you trust before you need them. Emergencies are the worst time to start calling around.
3. Give proper notice. Give your tenant reasonable notice before non-emergency work. We give at least 24 hours.

If you're weighing whether to run all of this yourself or hand it off, our guide on outsourcing property maintenance in Detroit walks through the tradeoffs.

How Great Lakes PMG helps

Our standalone property maintenance service is built for self-managing Detroit landlords and other property managers who want repairs handled without signing a management contract. You submit the request through our online form, or send it from AppFolio or Buildium, and we assign it to a contractor who handles that type of work, schedule with your tenant, and send before and after photos and a detailed invoice.

The work we handle includes furnace repair, plumbing (drain snaking and clearing blockages, plus toilets, faucets, and garbage disposals), electrical work like light fixtures and appliance installation, carpentry for doors, windows, cabinets, drywall, and painting, exterior work like gutters, siding, security lights, and lawn care, property turns, site cleanup, full renovations, and 24/7 maintenance for urgent requests. We don't repair appliances.

If you'd rather hand off the whole rental, including tenant calls, see our full-service property management. And if you rent a home we manage, submit your request through our resident maintenance request page.

Sources: Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, tables B25034 and B25035 (city of Detroit); MCL 554.139; City of Detroit, Landlord Quick Reference Guide and 15-point rental inspection checklist (2025); DWSD, Alley Sewer Repair Program and Basement Backup and Flood Protection (accessed October 2026); BridgeDetroit, Detroit to repair 9,000 faulty alley sewer lines for free by 2030 (July 16, 2026); Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes, electrical and plumbing permit information; MDARD, pesticide application business license; EPA, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common tenant maintenance requests?

In Detroit, the most common are no heat, plumbing leaks and clogged drains, sewer backups, no hot water, electrical problems including chirping smoke alarms, broken doors, windows, and locks, and pests. Most trace back to the age of the city's housing, which has a median build year of 1946.

What repairs is a landlord required to make in Michigan?

Under MCL 554.139, a Michigan landlord must keep the rental fit for its intended use, in reasonable repair, and compliant with state and local health and safety laws. Damage caused by the tenant's willful or irresponsible conduct is the exception. In Detroit, the city's 15-point rental inspection adds specifics such as heat to 68 degrees, hot water between 110 and 140 degrees, and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

How quickly does a landlord have to make repairs in Michigan?

Michigan law requires repairs within a reasonable time but doesn't set a number of days. In practice, treat no heat in cold weather, sewer backups, active leaks, electrical hazards, and doors that won't lock as same-day emergencies, and schedule routine repairs within a few days.

What is the minimum heat a Detroit landlord must provide?

Detroit's rental inspection checklist requires a heating system that works and can provide at least 68 degrees.

Can a landlord do their own electrical or plumbing repairs on a rental in Michigan?

Generally not for work that needs a permit. Michigan's homeowner electrical and plumbing permits apply only to a single-family home the owner occupies, so work on a rental needs a licensed contractor. Minor maintenance like replacing a toilet flapper or snaking a drain is different from rewiring a circuit or replacing pipe.

Who is responsible for a sewer backup in a Detroit rental?

The property owner is responsible for the private sewer line from the house to the city sewer connection, according to DWSD. If the backup was caused by something the tenant flushed, your lease may let you charge for the cleaning, but the line itself is the owner's to maintain.