DetroitShort-term rental rules
Largest 50 cities / Michigan
Detroit has no short-term-rental ordinance; STRs operate under the general rental Certificate of Compliance. That certificate expires automatically on sale, and the new owner has 90 days to refile.
Research reviewed . Original city review.
- Does the operating permit transfer?
- New application
Detroit's general rental certificate expires automatically on the date of sale; the new owner has 90 days to apply for their own Certificate of Registration and pass inspection again.
- Can the land-use approval continue?
- Verify the property approval
The operating-permit rule does not establish whether this parcel’s zoning approval, variance or older-use protection continues. Obtain the actual approval and its conditions.
- Can this buyer obtain approval?
- Non-owner-occupied STRs are allowed citywide with no cap or geographic limit today; a draft ordinance would add a 90-day cap and bar new investor licenses north of the Grand Boulevards.
- License or registration
- Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department issues the general Certificate of Registration and Certificate of Compliance that most STRs rely on.
- Application availability
- Confirm current availability
Application availability was not separately reverified for this explorer. Check the city’s current program, cap, lottery or waitlist before relying on the seller’s rental history.
- Timing to verify
- No sale-specific deadline was established in this summary. Ask the issuing office about filing, renewal and any interruption in operation.
- Changes and uncertainty
- A draft STR ordinance (90-day cap, geographic licensing limit) was discussed at an Oct. 2025 public meeting; still unadopted as of Oct. 2026.
What this means for the appraisal
- Obtain the buyer application requirements and confirm the earliest approved operating date before assuming continuity of rental income.
- Verify the property’s land-use approval and continuation conditions. Research finding: Verify the property approval.
- Check the proposed buyer against the recorded requirements: Non-owner-occupied STRs are allowed citywide with no cap or geographic limit today; a draft ordinance would add a 90-day cap and bar new investor licenses north of the Grand Boulevards.
- In the assignment analysis, identify the evidence supporting the proposed rental use, any operating interruption and any unresolved assumptions.
Use these prompts to plan the property review. The appraiser must evaluate the evidence and reach the assignment-specific conclusions.
Record the property evidence in a worksheetRequest documents from the owner or agent
Copy this market-specific request, add the property address and edit it for the assignment.
Read or select the document request
Subject: STR property document request | Detroit, MI Please provide the following documents for the property under review. Identify any item that is unavailable or does not apply. 1. Property address, parcel ID and confirmation of the governing jurisdiction. 2. Current operating permit or registration, named holder, expiration date and renewal history, if applicable. 3. Written ownership-change instructions from the issuing office. Guide finding: Detroit's general rental certificate expires automatically on the date of sale; the new owner has 90 days to apply for their own Certificate of Registration and pass inspection again. 4. Zoning approval, conditional-use permit, variance or grandfathering record, including conditions and evidence of continued use. Guide finding: The operating-permit rule does not establish whether this parcel’s zoning approval, variance or older-use protection continues. Obtain the actual approval and its conditions. 5. Documents addressing the proposed buyer and property requirements: Non-owner-occupied STRs are allowed citywide with no cap or geographic limit today; a draft ordinance would add a 90-day cap and bar new investor licenses north of the Grand Boulevards. 6. Current confirmation of application availability, including any cap, waitlist, lottery or separation rule. Guide finding: Application availability was not separately reverified for this explorer. Check the city’s current program, cap, lottery or waitlist before relying on the seller’s rental history. 7. Recorded covenants, HOA or condominium rental restrictions and applicable lease restrictions. 8. Rental operating statements and booking records, with the periods covered and any anticipated interruption at closing. Market research reviewed: 2026-10-18. These requests need property-specific verification. Official research sources: Detroit City Code Chapter 8, Article XV, Property Maintenance Code: https://library.municode.com/mi/detroit/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PAIVCOCH1--20_CH8BUCOPRMA_ARTXVPRMACO
Research and guide updates
- Research record: Research recorded for this market. Original city review. See the findings, open questions and official sources below.
- Guide tools: Added assignment prompts, a document request and consistent research questions. This tool update does not change the market research date.
Changes and uncertainty to verify
A draft STR ordinance (90-day cap, geographic licensing limit) was discussed at an Oct. 2025 public meeting; still unadopted as of Oct. 2026.
Sources and research limits
Carried forward from the October 18, 2026 city research. The explorer separates the operating permit from land-use rights; this is not a new verification of all current city rules.
Use this summary to identify the documents and questions for a property review. A seller's rental history alone does not establish a buyer's permission to operate.