Southfield — Ch. 103 Registration Requirements for Rental or Leased Dwellings § 8.506
Issuance of certificate of rental compliance
Operative Text
(a) A certificate of rental compliance shall be applied for at the time the owner initially registers the dwelling as a rental dwelling, and subsequent thereto, shall be applied for not later than thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of an existing certificate of rental compliance in accordance with subsection 8.507 (b) hereof. A certificate of rental compliance shall be required for all rental dwellings and shall be issued only after: (1) An inspection of the dwelling and the premises upon which it is located by the code official verifies that there are no violations of the inspection guidelines described in section 8.510 hereof, and the International Property Maintenance Code, as may be amended from time to time, and other applicable ordinances and codes upon which they are based; (2) All registration, inspection and other fees have been paid and the dwelling has been registered and all registration information is current and correct as provided in section 8.504 ; and (3) All property taxes, water and sewer bills, and any other city assessments or charges associated with the dwelling are current. (b) In the event upon inspection the rental dwelling is determined not to comply with the requirements of this chapter, the owner shall be sent a written notice of the violations noted during the inspection. The owner shall correct such violations within the period stated within the written notice. When a certificate of rental compliance is withheld pending compliance and correction of violations, no rental dwelling that has not been occupied shall be so occupied, and a rental dwelling that has been or is occupied may be ordered vacated by the code official until re-inspection by the department and a certificate of rental compliance has been issued. (c) A certificate of rental compliance is issued conditioned upon the requirement that the rental dwelling remain in a safe, habitable and fit condition for occupancy thereof.
Under Southfield Ch. 103 § 8.506, rental dwelling owners must obtain a certificate of rental compliance before renting their property, and must renew it at least 30 days before the current certificate expires. The certificate is issued only after a code official confirms no property maintenance violations exist, all fees and registration information are current, and all taxes, water, sewer, and city charges are paid. If violations are found during inspection, the owner receives written notice and must correct them within the stated timeframe; unoccupied units cannot be rented and occupied units may be ordered vacated until a new certificate is issued.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of rental dwellings in Southfield subject to Ch. 103 § 8.506 generally maintain compliance by submitting a certificate application when first registering a unit and then again no later than 30 days before any existing certificate expires. Compliant operators ensure that all registration fees are paid, registration data is kept accurate, and property taxes along with water, sewer, and other city charges remain current before seeking inspection. When a code official identifies violations, operators in good standing address each item within the timeframe specified in the written notice and schedule a re-inspection promptly to avoid occupancy restrictions or a vacate order.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Southfield Ch. 103 § 8.506, tenants have an interest in knowing whether their rental dwelling holds a valid certificate of rental compliance, since the certificate is conditioned on the unit remaining safe, habitable, and fit for occupancy. If a code official determines the dwelling does not comply and issues a vacate order, that order is a formal action tenants can document and reference when asserting habitability rights. Tenants who believe their unit lacks a required certificate or has unresolved violations may consider contacting the Southfield code enforcement department, reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization, or exploring whether the absence of a certificate is relevant to any legal proceeding involving their tenancy.
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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