Ean Toliver, 1, crawls on the floor of his grandmother TaNiccia Henry’s house where lead paint is flaking off. Photo by Nick Hagen.

Overview:

- Detroit City Council has approved amendments to its rental ordinance, focusing on rental compliance, lead inspections, and tenant protections through expanded escrow regulations.
-Effective January 1, 2025, with full implementation by spring, the ordinance aims to improve Detroit's low rental compliance rate and ensure safer housing.
- It includes lead safety protocols like visual inspections, dust wipe testing, and geographic expansion. While officials support the ordinance, some advocates worry visual inspections may overlook critical lead hazards, risking children's health.

Detroit City Council has approved amendments to its rental ordinance, reforming rental compliance, lead inspections and tenant protections through expanded escrow regulations. The amendments will become effective January 1, 2025, and full implementation is expected by spring.

Landlords must obtain this certificate before renting any property. Valid for three years, the certificate ensures properties meet city safety standards. Non-compliant landlords cannot collect rent legally, and the city may file liens or issue civil fines for violations. Key details include:

  • Escrow accounts: Tenants of properties without a compliance certificate can deposit rent into a city-managed escrow. If the landlord fails to meet compliance, tenants may retain escrowed funds. This program now includes multi-family housing and shifts responsibility to the city’s housing department.
  • Tenant protections: Landlords are prohibited from retaliating against tenants who report non-compliance or participate in the escrow program, ensuring tenant safety and fair practices.
  • Staffing: A fiscal analysis indicated that Detroit will require additional staff by 2027, including three inspectors and three escrow program coordinators, to manage the ordinance’s demands effectively.

The amendments went forward this week after a delay last week.

City officials said the ordinance addresses Detroit’s low rental compliance rate—currently only 10%—and aims to provide safer housing conditions. Council Member Mary Waters referenced the death of 11-month-old Ca’Mya Davis in a rental property, underscoring the urgency for stricter regulations to prevent further tragedies.

View the amendments here>>>

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Lead safety protocols:

The ordinance requires:

  • Visual inspections: Lead paint hazards are initially identified through visual inspections, followed by dust wipe testing in high-risk properties.
  • Enhanced sampling: Lead dust samples are collected from specific rooms in properties built before 1978. An emergency order triggers a comprehensive lead assessment if a child under six has elevated blood lead levels.
  • Geographic expansion: Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero proposed future amendments for citywide lead sampling within six years.

While officials, including Andrea Taverna from the mayor’s office, highlighted endorsements from groups like the Get the Lead Out Detroit Coalition, some advocates, such as Wayne State University’s Lyke Thompson, remain concerned that visual inspections may miss critical lead hazards and harm children.

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Nina Misuraca Ignaczak is an award-winning Metro Detroit-based editor, journalist, and documentary filmmaker. She is the founder, publisher, and editor of Planet Detroit, a digital media startup focused on producing quality climate, equity, health, and environment journalism that centers grassroots voices, holds power accountable, and spotlights solutions. Planet Detroit has received awards and recognition from the Society for Professional Journalists Detroit, the Institute for Nonprofit News, and LION Publishers since its establishment in 2019. Prior to her journalism career, Nina worked in urban planning in local government and nonprofit sectors, holding a Master of Science in Natural Resource Ecology and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.