Renting out a home? Your city may make you register it and pass an inspection

If you’re thinking about renting out a house or buying a place to use as a rental, here’s a rule that catches a lot of new landlords: in many Michigan cities, you can’t legally rent a home until you register it with the city and have it pass a safety inspection. Michigan law lets cities require a “Certificate of Compliance” before anyone moves in, and a lot of them do — though the rules vary widely from one community to the next, so some require it and some don’t. Detroit, for example, makes landlords register every rental and pass an inspection before renting, with the certificate good for about three years. Grand Rapids requires yearly registration plus an inspection, and issues certificates good for two, four, or six years depending on the property. Other cities have their own versions, and many smaller towns and townships don’t require any of this at all. The fees, the inspection checklist, and how often you renew all depend on where the property is. So before you list a rental, check with your city or township’s building or code-enforcement department to find out what’s required.