Grand Rapids — Ch. 174 Residential Rental Application Fees § 9.926
Complaint Procedure
Operative Text
(1) If the applicant believes the application fee exceeds the actual cost of the screening process as described in, and limited by, Section 9.925 (4) or believes that the reasons for denial deviate from the legal, disclosed criteria for evaluating the application, or believes that the rental property owner has violated any other requirement of the ordinance, the applicant or his or her representative may, with assistance as needed, within thirty (30) days of receipt of the denial, file a written complaint with the City Manager or the City Manager's designee in accordance with Section 9.925 (3) of this ordinance. (2) The written complaint must be filed with the City Manager or the City Manager's designee within thirty (30) days from the date the denial is received by the applicant.
Grand Rapids Ch. 174 § 9.926 establishes a formal complaint pathway for rental applicants who believe a landlord has overcharged for a screening fee, applied denial criteria that differ from those legally disclosed, or otherwise violated the ordinance. An applicant or their representative has a strict 30-day window from the date of receiving a denial to submit a written complaint to the City Manager or the City Manager's designee. The provision also notes that assistance is available to those who need help filing the complaint.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Grand Rapids Ch. 174 § 9.926, rental property owners should be aware that applicants have a formal, time-limited right to challenge screening fees, denial reasons, and other ordinance requirements. Compliant operators generally ensure that application fees reflect only actual screening costs as defined in § 9.925(4), that denial criteria are clearly disclosed in advance, and that all other ordinance requirements are met — since any deviation may trigger a written complaint to the City Manager. Maintaining clear documentation of fee calculations and denial rationale is a practice commonly associated with compliance.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 9.926 of Grand Rapids Ch. 174 gives rental applicants the right to file a written complaint with the City Manager or the City Manager's designee if they believe a screening fee was excessive, that denial reasons did not match the disclosed criteria, or that any other part of the ordinance was violated. This complaint must be filed within 30 days of receiving the denial, and the provision explicitly allows a representative to file on an applicant's behalf, with assistance available as needed. Tenants exploring this path may find it helpful to contact a local tenant-rights organization for general information about the complaint process.
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 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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