Sec. 126.
(1) The enforcing agency shall inspect multiple dwellings and rooming houses regulated by this act in accordance with this act. Except as provided in subsection (2), the period between inspections shall not be longer than 4 years. All other dwellings regulated by this act may be inspected at reasonable intervals. Inspections of multiple dwellings or rooming houses conducted by the United States department of housing and urban development under the real estate assessment center inspection process or other government agencies may be accepted by a local governmental unit and an enforcing agency as a substitute for inspections required by a local enforcing agency. To the extent permitted under applicable law, a local enforcing agency or its designee is authorized to exercise inspection authority delegated by law or agreement from other agencies or authorities that perform inspections required under other state law or federal law.
(2) A local governmental unit may provide by ordinance for a maximum period between inspections of a multiple dwelling or rooming house that is not longer than 6 years if the most recent inspection of the premises found no violations of the act and the multiple dwelling or rooming house has not changed ownership during the 6-year period.
(3) An inspection shall be conducted in the manner best calculated to secure compliance with the act and appropriate to the needs of the community, including, but not limited to, on 1 or more of the following bases:
(a) An area basis, such that all the regulated premises in a predetermined geographical area will be inspected simultaneously, or within a short period of time.
(b) A complaint basis, such that complaints of violations will be inspected within a reasonable time.
(c) A recurrent violation basis, such that premises that are found to have a high incidence of recurrent or uncorrected violations will be inspected more frequently.
(d) A compliance basis, such that a premises brought into compliance before the expiration of a certificate of compliance or any requested repair order may be issued a certificate of compliance for the maximum renewal certification period authorized by the local governmental unit.
(e) A percentage basis, such that a local governmental unit may establish a percentage of units in a multiple dwelling to be inspected in order to issue a certificate of compliance for the multiple dwelling.
(4) An inspection shall be carried out by the enforcing agency, or by the enforcing agency and representatives of other agencies that form a team to undertake an inspection under this and other applicable acts.
(5) Except as provided in subsection (7), an inspector, or team of inspectors, shall request and receive permission to enter before entering a leasehold regulated by this act at reasonable hours to undertake an inspection. In the case of an emergency, as defined under rules promulgated by the enforcing agency, or upon presentment of a warrant, the inspector or team of inspectors may enter at any time.
(6) Except in an emergency, before entering a leasehold regulated by this act, the owner of the leasehold shall request and obtain permission to enter the leasehold. In the case of an emergency, including, but not limited to, fire, flood, or other threat of serious injury or death, the owner may enter at any time.
(7) The enforcing agency may require the owner of a leasehold to do 1 or more of the following:
(a) Provide the enforcing agency access to the leasehold if the lease provides the owner a right of entry.
(b) Provide access to areas other than a leasehold or areas open to public view, or both.
(c) Notify a tenant of the enforcing agency's request to inspect a leasehold, make a good faith effort to obtain permission for an inspection, and arrange for the inspection. If a tenant vacates a leasehold after the enforcing agency has requested to inspect that leasehold, an owner of the leasehold shall notify the enforcing agency of that fact within 10 days after the leasehold is vacated.
(d) Provide access to the leasehold if a tenant of that leasehold has made a complaint to the enforcing agency.
(8) A local governmental unit may adopt an ordinance to implement subsection (7).
(9) For multiple lessees in a leasehold, notifying at least 1 lessee and requesting and obtaining the permission of at least 1 lessee satisfies subsections (5) and (7).
(10) Neither the enforcing agency nor the owner may discriminate against an occupant on the basis of whether the occupant requests, permits, or refuses entry to the leasehold.
(11) The enforcing agency shall not discriminate against an owner who has met the requirements of subsection (7) but has been unable to obtain the permission of the occupant, based on the owner's inability to obtain that permission.
(12) The enforcing agency may establish and charge a reasonable fee for inspections conducted under this act. The fee shall not exceed the actual, reasonable cost of providing the inspection for which the fee is charged. An owner or property manager shall not be liable for an inspection fee if the inspection is not performed and the enforcing agency is the direct cause of the failure to perform.
(13) An enforcing agency or a local governmental unit shall produce a report to a requesting party on the income and expenses of the inspection program for the preceding fiscal year. The report shall contain the fees assessed by the enforcing agency, the costs incurred in performing inspections, and the number of units inspected. The report shall be provided to the requesting party within 90 days of the request. The enforcing agency or local governmental unit may produce the report electronically. If the enforcing agency does not have readily available access to the information required for the report, the enforcing agency may charge the requesting party a fee no greater than the actual reasonable cost of providing the information. If an enforcing agency charges a fee under this subsection, the enforcing agency shall include the costs of providing and compiling the information contained in the report.
(14) If a complaint identifies a dwelling or rooming house regulated under this act in which a child is residing, the dwelling or rooming house shall be inspected prior to inspection of any nonemergency complaint.
(15) As used in this section:
(a) "Child" means an individual under 18 years of age.
(b) "Leasehold" means a private dwelling or separately occupied apartment, suite, or group of rooms in a 2-family dwelling or in a multiple dwelling if the private dwelling or separately occupied apartment, suite, or group of rooms is leased to the occupant under the terms of either an oral or written lease.
History: Add. 1968, Act 286, Eff. Nov. 15, 1968 ;-- Am. 1997, Act 200, Imd. Eff. Jan. 2, 1998 ;-- Am. 2000, Act 479, Imd. Eff. Jan. 11, 2001 ;-- Am. 2008, Act 408, Imd. Eff. Jan. 6, 2009
Last modified: October 10, 2016