Mich. Comp. Laws § § 125.472
Water supply.
Operative Text
Sec. 72. Water supply. Every dwelling not exempted in section 7 of this act shall have within each apartment or family unit at least 1 approved sink with running water furnished in sufficient quantity at all times. The owner shall provide proper and suitable tanks, pumps or other appliances to receive and to distribute an adequate and sufficient supply of such water at each floor in the said dwelling at all times of the year, during all hours of the day and night. But a failure in the general supply of city water shall not be construed to be a failure on the part of such owner, provided proper and suitable appliances to receive and distribute such water have been provided in said dwelling.
Under MCL § 125.472, every non-exempt dwelling must include at least one approved sink with running water in each apartment or family unit, available in sufficient quantity at all times. Property owners are required to maintain tanks, pumps, or other appropriate equipment to ensure an adequate water supply reaches every floor of the dwelling around the clock, throughout the entire year. Notably, a citywide water-supply failure does not constitute a violation by the owner, as long as the owner has properly installed and maintained the necessary distribution equipment.
Plain English — not legal advice.
MCL § 125.472 places the responsibility on dwelling owners to equip each apartment or family unit with at least one approved sink connected to a continuous running water supply. Compliant operators generally maintain tanks, pumps, or comparable appliances capable of receiving and distributing water to every floor at all hours, every day of the year. Owners who have properly installed such equipment are generally not held responsible for interruptions caused by a broader municipal water-supply failure.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
MCL § 125.472 establishes a right to continuous running water at an approved sink within each apartment or family unit, supported by adequate building-level distribution equipment. If running water is unavailable due to conditions within the building rather than a citywide outage, tenants may have grounds to raise this provision as a basis for a complaint with local housing or building code enforcement authorities. Tenants experiencing persistent water-supply issues may also wish to consult a tenant-rights organization to understand the range of options available under Michigan housing law.
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.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation