Detroit Rental Registration and Certificate of Compliance: A Landlord's Step-by-Step Guide

To legally rent a home in Detroit, you register it as a rental with the city, pass a 15-point city inspection, and receive a Certificate of Compliance. Registration is free, the inspection for a single-family home costs $195, and without a valid certificate you can't lawfully collect rent, your tenant can pay rent into escrow instead of to you, and the city can ticket you.

This guide walks through each step under the rental ordinance Detroit rolled out in 2025, including lead paint rules for older homes, renewals, the repairs that most often fail an inspection, and what non-compliance actually costs. If you'd rather hand the whole process off, that's part of what Detroit property management covers.

Requirements change. Everything below reflects official City of Detroit sources as of October 2026. Fees, forms, and procedures get updated, so confirm the current rules at detroitmi.gov/rental or with the Property Maintenance Division at (313) 628-2451 before you act.

What Detroit's rental ordinance requires

Detroit's rental rules live in the Property Maintenance Code, Chapter 8 of the City Code, and the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) enforces them. The 2025 amendment is blunt: an owner must secure a Certificate of Compliance before the property can be occupied and before the owner collects rent.

What counts as a rental. The city's landlord guide defines it as any dwelling rented, leased, or occupied by tenants, under a written lease or a verbal agreement. That includes renting to family members. Two situations are excluded: an owner-occupied single-family home with rooms rented out, and an owner-occupied duplex with one unit rented.

What changed in 2025. The old process involved two separate inspections and, per the city, more than $1,000 in fees. The new system uses one inspection of about one to two hours against a published 15-point checklist. It took full effect citywide on May 1, 2025.

Step 1: Register the property as a rental

1. Create an eLAPS account. Detroit handles rental registration through its online permitting system, eLAPS.
2. Register in the Code Enforcement module. Add each rental property separately. The city's Certificate of Compliance page says to upload all required forms during registration, including proof of ownership.
3. Keep your contact information current. The city sends inspection scheduling, correction orders, and renewal notices to the contact on file.

The Certificate of Rental Registration is free of charge, and registration stays valid permanently unless the property changes ownership. If you buy a rental that was already registered, you still need to register it under your name.

Step 2: Schedule the city inspection

How you schedule depends on the number of units:

• 1 to 2 units. Pay the inspection fee in eLAPS, then schedule. The city assigns an approved third-party inspection company by ZIP code, and that company contacts you directly.
• 3 or more units. Call the city's Property Maintenance Division at (313) 628-2451 to schedule.

Already passed a government inspection? Detroit can accept a passed inspection from HUD (for example, Section 8), MSHDA, or the city's Housing and Revitalization Department. The city's Certificate of Compliance page says to upload the passed report, less than 12 months old, in eLAPS. If you rent to voucher holders, our Section 8 landlord guide for Detroit covers that inspection.

What the inspector checks

The 15-point checklist is published in advance, so you know exactly what you're being graded on:

1. Walls, floors, stairs, porches, and attached decks have no major structural defects (holes, rot, leaning, collapse).
2. Handrails on any stairs with four or more risers, and guardrails on porches.
3. Roof, exterior walls, gutters, and downspouts keep out rain and snow.
4. Gas and electric are on and working.
5. Heat works and can reach at least 68 degrees.
6. Electrical system works, with no exposed wires and cover plates on every switch and outlet.
7. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and working.
8. Hot and cold water, with hot water between 110 and 140 degrees.
9. Sinks, toilets, tubs, showers, and the water heater work, drain, and don't leak.
10. Every room has proper egress, including any attic or basement used as living space.
11. Every window designed to open works and has a lock.
12. Every unit entry door has a working lock.
13. No rodent or insect infestation.
14. Floors, walls, and ceilings are sanitary, with no mold-like growth or sewage.
15. No deteriorated paint or bare soil.

Step 3: Handle lead paint rules for older homes

Most Detroit housing was built before 1978, so the paint rule (item 15) is where many owners get stuck. The ordinance presumes all paint in a rental is lead-based for inspection purposes, so any chipping or peeling paint, inside or out, is a violation.

Here's how it works today:

• Visual check, not dust testing. The ordinance allows dust wipe sampling, but the city's 2025 summary says the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services advised that Detroit can't implement it. So inspectors look for deteriorated paint and bare soil.
• Exemptions. The visual assessment doesn't apply if you can show the home was built after January 1, 1978, that all lead-based paint was fully abated and passed a lead clearance exam, or that a certified lead inspector found no lead-based paint.
• If you fail for paint or soil, the city recommends consulting a lead-safe certified professional. Federal rules already require that paint-disturbing work in pre-1978 rentals follow the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule.
• If a child in the rental is lead poisoned, the city will order the owner to complete and pay for a lead inspection and risk assessment. The city's summary says that typically costs $650 or more.

Separately, federal law requires you to disclose known lead-based paint and give tenants the EPA lead pamphlet before they sign a lease on pre-1978 housing.

You may see older city pages that describe a separate lead clearance report for every pre-1978 rental. That was the pre-2025 two-inspection process. Under the current ordinance the paint check happens during the single inspection, but ask the city if you're unsure which rules apply to your property.

Step 4: Fix any failed items and get re-inspected

If the home fails, you get a list of what to correct. Make the repairs, pull permits where the work requires them, and schedule a re-inspection. For single-family homes, the city says the first re-inspection carries no extra cost.

The most common reasons Detroit rentals fail

The city's own summary lists four:

• Chipping or peeling paint. Scrape and repaint with lead-safe practices, and cover bare soil with mulch, grass, or gravel.
• Windows that don't work. Painted-shut sashes, broken balances, and missing locks are cheap to fix and easy to miss.
• No smoke detectors. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and test them the day before.
• Damaged gutters and downspouts. Reattach, clear, and extend them so water drains away from the house.

Walk the house with the checklist a week ahead. A missing switch plate or a loose handrail can fail an otherwise solid home. If you self-manage and need the punch list handled, our property maintenance crews do repairs, turns, and make-readies for Detroit landlords with no management contract required.

Step 5: Receive your Certificate of Compliance

Once the home passes, the city issues the Certificate of Compliance. Under the ordinance, a certificate lasts three years. When you renew before it expires, the next one can last five years. The city can shorten the term for owners with repeated compliance problems.

Renewing your certificate

Renewal means passing a new inspection and paying the fees before the current certificate expires. Renewing on time matters for two reasons: it keeps you from a gap where you can't lawfully collect rent, and it is how you qualify for the longer five-year term.

In August 2026 the city announced a compliance plan that includes advance notices 90, 60, 30, 7, and 1 day before a certificate expires. Don't rely on the reminder. Put the expiration date on your calendar the day the certificate arrives, and schedule the renewal inspection a couple of months early.

What it costs

These are the fees the city has published. Confirm the current amount in eLAPS before you pay.

For three or more units, ask the city for the current fee. The bigger variable is repairs: a well-kept home may pass for the cost of the inspection, while an older home with failing paint and windows can need real work first.

What happens if your rental isn't compliant

Detroit's ordinance makes non-compliance expensive in three ways.

1. You can't lawfully collect rent. The ordinance makes it unlawful to collect rent for any period without a valid Certificate of Compliance. Tenants keep their right to stay in the home, and you can't evict them for nonpayment during that period. You can still evict for other, non-retaliatory reasons under state law. Our Michigan eviction process guide explains those steps.

2. Tenants can pay rent into escrow. Tenants in a rental without a certificate, or with serious safety violations, may pay rent into a city escrow account. Under the city's rent escrow rules, adopted in September 2025:

• After a tenant applies, the city inspects the unit. If the home meets the standard, you have seven calendar days to obtain the certificate or pay the fees to avoid escrow.
• Escrowed rent goes into either a repair account, which can release money to you for documented repairs, or an account reviewed at least every 120 days. At each review, the money goes to the tenant if the unit is still out of compliance, or to you if it's compliant, less administrative fees.
• Retaliation is barred. A rent increase, lease termination, or similar action within 90 days of a tenant using the program is presumed retaliatory.

As of late August 2026, local reporting said the city's revamped escrow program was still expected to launch. The tenant's right to escrow is already in the code, so plan as if it applies.

3. Tickets and liens. Properties without a certificate face tickets starting at $400, and unpaid tickets can become a lien enforced through the property tax bill. Per the city's update, hearing officers can cut a ticket by up to 50% if the property comes into compliance, and tickets can be written to management companies too.

Enforcement is ramping up. Only about 14% of Detroit rentals had a certificate as of May 2026, and the city's new plan targets 25% within a year by building a master list of rentals from court, utility, and assessor records.

Should you handle compliance yourself?

If you live nearby and the home is in good shape, the process is manageable. Where owners struggle is distance and repairs, which is where a Detroit property manager that handles city compliance earns its fee. Out-of-state owners can't easily meet an inspector or check that a contractor fixed the window locks, which is one reason our guide to investing in Detroit from out of state treats compliance as a line item, not an afterthought.

Great Lakes PMG is a licensed Michigan real estate brokerage at 16554 Wyoming in Detroit. We've worked in this market since 2006 and completed more than 350 Detroit renovations. Our full-service property management costs 10% of rent collected and includes city compliance: registration, scheduling, meeting the inspector, and getting the repairs done. If you self-manage, our maintenance crews can handle inspection repairs on their own. Curious how management fees stack up? See what property management costs in Detroit, or contact us about your property.

Frequently asked questions

Is Detroit rental registration free?

Yes. The city's Certificate of Rental Registration is free, and it stays valid unless the property changes ownership. You pay for the inspection that leads to the Certificate of Compliance.

How much is a Detroit rental inspection?

The city lists $195 for a single-family home and $225 for a duplex, plus a $20 processing fee, with the first re-inspection at no extra cost. Confirm the current amount in eLAPS before paying.

How long is a Detroit Certificate of Compliance valid?

Three years. If you renew before it expires, the next certificate can last five years.

Can I collect rent without a Certificate of Compliance in Detroit?

No. The ordinance makes it unlawful to collect rent for any period without a valid certificate, and tenants may pay rent into a city escrow account instead.

Do I need a lead clearance to rent a Detroit house built before 1978?

Not as a separate step for most properties under the current process. The inspector checks for deteriorated paint and bare soil, and all paint is presumed to contain lead. You're exempt from that check if a certified lead inspector found no lead paint or the home passed a lead clearance after full abatement. Federal lead disclosure rules still apply.

Can I use a Section 8 inspection instead of the city inspection?

Often, yes. Detroit can accept a passed HUD, MSHDA, or city housing program inspection less than 12 months old. Upload it in eLAPS.

Who pays for repairs to pass the inspection?

The owner. Bringing the home up to the 15-point standard is the landlord's job. Tenant-caused damage is a separate question governed by your lease and Michigan's security deposit rules.