Detroit is kicking off enforcement of a new ordinance aimed at getting all rental properties in the city up to code.
Detroit wants the thousands of rental properties…. apartments and houses… to meet city building codes within two years.
The ordinance allows tenants to withhold rent payments from their landlords without fear of eviction if the homes are not in compliance. A tenant would pay rent into an escrow account for three months; if the property is brought up to code, the landlord gets the rent. If not, the tenant gets the rent back.
The effort breaks up the city into what the ordinance calls ‘compliance zones.’ Owners have a 6-month window to bring their properties up to code.
A new zone will be added every 90 days.
The city can withhold landlords’ certificates of compliance if they are behind on property taxes totaling more than $1,000 for more than six months.
Landlords who have received no blight violations in the prior year and are current on their taxes would get less frequent inspections.