Southfield — Ch. 103 Registration Requirements for Rental or Leased Dwellings § 8.503

For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms, phrases, words, and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein. 1.
Certificate of rental compliance means a certificate issued by the city's building and safety engineering division, which certifies compliance with this chapter and other applicable provisions of this Code and with other codes and ordinances of the city.
2. Code official means a city building official, building inspector, the director of the department and other city employees designated and legally authorized by the director or the city administrator to administer and enforce this chapter.
3. Department shall mean the department of building and safety engineering or any successor department or division hereafter established.
4. Director shall mean the director of the department or his or her designee.
5. Dwelling means any building that contains either a one- or two-family dwelling as defined in chapter 45 , title V, of the Code, or townhouse, apartment, including any accessory buildings or structures and the land upon which it is situated, that is intended for occupancy for living purposes; a single unit providing independent living facilities for one (1) or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.
6. Dwelling unit shall have the meaning as defined in chapter 45 of the Code.
7. Family shall have the meaning as defined in chapter 45 of the Code.
8. Fee schedule means the schedule of fees established by resolution of the city council from time to time.
9. Occupants mean tenants, lessees, renters, and/or any persons residing in or occupying a rental dwelling who are not owners thereof.
10. Owner means the person or entity having a legal or equitable ownership interest in a one- or two-family rental dwelling which ownership interest is established by a written document that has been fully recorded at the county register of deeds office or is reflected on a property transfer affidavit filed with the city assessor. Owner does not include a person with a possessory interest pursuant to a lease with option to purchase, lease to purchase, or any similar possessory interest.
11. Rent or rented means a lease or other contractual arrangement whereby a person is to pay or provide monetary or other consideration to another person for the right or privilege to use and occupy a residential dwelling for any period of time.
12. Rental dwelling means a residential one- or two-family dwelling or townhouse that is/or is not occupied as a residence by the owner and is rented or available to be rented; provided, however, rental dwelling shall exclude any structure or building the principal use of which is licensed and inspected by the State of Michigan and is preempted from regulation by the city pursuant to state or federal law. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter, occupancy of any dwelling by any person other than the owner of record (with his or her family, as defined in chapter 45 of the City Code) shall be considered renting and shall require registration and inspection of the dwelling pursuant to this chapter. A homestead declaration filed on the property reflecting less than one hundred (100) percent shall be prima facie evidence that the owner does not occupy the dwelling.
13. Sublease means a lease by the lessee of an estate/dwelling/property to a third person, conveying all or part of the estate/dwelling/property for a shorter term than that for which the lessee holds originally. A sublease is any new contract/agreement between the lessee and the sublessee. The original lessee turns into a sublessor/responsible party.
14. Townhouse means an attached, privately owned single-family dwelling unit, which is a part of a building containing three (3) or more privately owned single-family dwelling units, in which each unit extends from foundation to roof and with a yard or public way on not less than two (2) sides.