Detroit — Ch. 8 Art. XV Div. 3 Requirements for Rental Property (Registration + Lead) § 8-15-98
Termination of tenancy to avoid compliance with this subdivision or retaliatory action prohibited
Operative Text
(a) An owner of rental property, or any person acting on the owner's behalf, shall not: (1) Terminate, or cause to be terminated, the tenancy of any person for the purpose of avoiding compliance with any section of this subdivision; or (2) Take any retaliatory action, as defined in Section 8-15-8 of this Code, toward a tenant who reports a suspected lead-based paint hazard to the owner or to the City. (b) Action by the rental property owner to achieve compliance with this subdivision shall not be deemed a basis for the modification or termination of a tenancy for the property.
Detroit Code § 8-15-98 prohibits rental property owners from ending a tenancy in order to sidestep their obligations under the lead-paint and registration requirements of this subdivision. It also bars any retaliatory action—as that term is defined elsewhere in the Code—against a tenant who reports a suspected lead-based paint hazard to the owner or to the City. Conversely, steps an owner takes to actually achieve compliance with the subdivision cannot themselves be used as grounds to modify or end a tenancy.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 8-15-98, compliant operators do not use lease terminations or other adverse actions as a way to avoid meeting lead-paint hazard or registration requirements. Owners and their agents are also careful to avoid any conduct that could be characterized as retaliation against a tenant who has reported a suspected lead hazard to the owner or to the City of Detroit. Notably, the provision clarifies that legitimate compliance work—such as remediation or inspections—does not, on its own, give rise to a valid basis for modifying or terminating a tenancy.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 8-15-98 of the Detroit Code gives tenants protection against eviction or other adverse action taken specifically to prevent them from benefiting from lead-paint and rental-registration rules. Tenants who report a suspected lead-based paint hazard to their landlord or to the City are similarly shielded from retaliation as defined in the Code. Tenants who believe they have experienced a prohibited termination or retaliatory act may consider contacting the City of Detroit for information about enforcement, consulting a tenant-rights organization, or raising the violation as a defense in any eviction proceeding.
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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