Rental Property Information
All non-owner occupied properties must be registered with the City of Dearborn. Initial registration is only required once.
Rental Property LocatorRequirements & Instructions for Registering a Rental Property
Any residential property the owner does not live in themselves is considered a non-owner occupied property and must be registered with the City of Dearborn. The majority of non-owner occupied properties are income or investment properties, where a tenant/occupant is leasing from the owner and pays rent. These properties are commonly referred to as rental properties.
Per Dearborn ordinances, any non-owner occupied home must be inspected to ensure compliance with minimum housing standards, and to confirm that Certificates of Occupancy are kept current. Rental properties must undergo the same inspection process as homes that are being prepared for sale.
ALL properties that are not occupied by an owner must apply to be included in the Residential Rental program.
To be registered with the City, a rental property must pass proper inspection(s). This is the same property inspection process required when selling a home.
Inspections are conducted on a 3-year rotating cycle, and include basic safety and property maintenance inspections to ensure compliance with minimum housing standards. Rental inspections are conducted at a 3-year interval based on the expiration date of the Certificate of Occupancy. A property owner or representative will receive a letter when a new 3-year cycle is set to begin.
Please note that property maintenance is the responsibility of the property owner.
Schedule a Rental Property Inspection for Existing Property Owners
For existing rental property owners, to schedule a rental property inspection, email dbnrentals@dearborn.gov.
Please type the property address in the subject line of the email.
In the body of the email, indicate:
- 1) Your name and if you are the owner or the property representative
- 2) Phone number
- 3) Available dates for inspection (not times)
- 4) If it is a first inspection or a re-inspection
- 5) Any additional notes that are needed
Once the inspection has been complete, your inspection results are viewable after 5pm that day in most cases.
Report an Unregistered Rental Property
Before reporting an unregistered rental property to the City of Dearborn, first confirm whether the property is registered with the City using the Rental Property Locator tool.
If you find that the property in question is not listed as a registered rental, notify the City through the Report Suspected Unregistered Rental form.
Landlord/Tenant Disputes
The City always recommends always having a written lease agreement.
The Dearborn 19th District Court's jurisdiction includes resolving landlord/tenant disputes (non-payment of rent or eviction cases) or mortgage forfeitures where damages claimed are less than $25,000. Legal action may be initiated by obtaining and completing forms available in the court's Civil Division and payment of appropriate filing fees.
Some forms include:
- - Non-payment of rent
- - Termination of tenancy
- - Demand for possession
- - Order of eviction
- - Tenant injury to premises
- - Land contract forfeiture
Please note that the City of Dearborn does not mediate any disputes with property owners, does not track leasing tenants for any rental property, and cannot provide legal assistance in dealing with landlord/tenant issues.
State of Michigan Resources
Landlords and tenants should have a rental contract and know their rights and responsibilities. The State of Michigan provides resources for dealing with legal issues related to renting a home.