Violation of Detroit's Rental Ordinance

does the court enforce the law?

Use this tool to see how many landlords were compliant with the City of Detroit rental ordinance when they filed eviction cases against tenants.

Detroit's rental ordinance requires landlords to comply with basic health and safety codes before legally renting out their properties.

Most pandemic-era evictions involved properties operated unlawfully by landlords in violation of the City of Detroit’s rental ordinance.

HOW TO USE THIS TOOL

Select the data you want to see on the pie chart and graph.


Select Property Type: Use the drop-down menu to view data for residential properties, non-residential properties, or all properties.


Select Timespan: Use the drop-down menu to view data for a specific time period.


The pie chart shows totals and overall proportions for the timespan selected.


The graph shows monthly totals and proportions.

TIP: hover your mouse over the bottom axis and click the -/+ signs to change the unit of time.


TO START OVER, REFRESH THE PAGE.

UNDERSTANDING THE DATA

The vast majority of landlords seeking to evict tenants in court are operating their units illegally.


Eviction Filing: When a landlord (plaintiff) files a complaint to bring an eviction lawsuit against a tenant (defendant). An eviction filing can have long-term consequences for tenants' housing stability, regardless of what happens in the case.


Landlords must have a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) to legally rent out their properties, but this law is not enforced in eviction court.


Properties in Compliance:

  • Properties are In Compliance (Yes) with Detroit’s rental ordinance if the landlord obtained a valid Certificate of Compliance (CoC)* before the eviction filing date.

  • Properties without a valid CoC are Not in Compliance (No) with Detroit’s rental ordinance if the landlord lacked a CoC* for the property at the date of eviction filing.

*as of March 15, 2022