Benton Harbor, MI Code of Ordinances Ch. 20 Art. VI Annual Registration of Habitable Rental Properties §§ 20-165 – 20-204 § 20-174
Transferability
Operative Text
A certificate of Compliance shall not be transferred to any other dwelling or unit.
Under Benton Harbor, MI Code of Ordinances § 20-174, a Certificate of Compliance issued for a rental dwelling or unit is tied exclusively to that specific property. It cannot be moved, reassigned, or applied to any other dwelling or unit under any circumstances. Each property requiring compliance must obtain its own certificate.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 20-174, compliant operators maintain a separate Certificate of Compliance for each individual rental dwelling or unit in their portfolio. When acquiring new properties or converting units, operators generally initiate a fresh certificate application for each new address rather than attempting to carry over an existing certificate. Assuming a certificate from a prior property or a different unit is valid at a new location would place a property out of compliance with Benton Harbor's annual registration requirements.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 20-174 of Benton Harbor's rental property ordinance means that the Certificate of Compliance your landlord holds is valid only for the specific dwelling or unit where you live — it cannot be borrowed from another property to satisfy your unit's requirements. If you have reason to believe your unit is being covered by a certificate issued for a different address, that may represent a violation of the annual registration rules under Ch. 20 Art. VI. Tenants can look into raising such concerns with the appropriate Benton Harbor municipal authority or consult a local tenant-rights organization to understand available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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