Rental Housing Program
George Dood, Building/Electrical Inspector
Bruce Dodge, Building/Mechanical Inspector
616.847.3490
In order to assure decent rental housing accommodations in the City of Grand Haven, a Rental Certification process has been in operation to carry out this important endeavor.
Pursuant to City Code of Ordinance Chapter 9, Article X all rental property and units thereof must be registered on a yearly basis. It is upon the owner of the rental property to register with the Building Department and pay the appropriate registration fee ($25.00 per unit). Once the property becomes registered with the City, an inspection will take place to ensure the rental property is in full compliance with all applicable codes. All rental property is required by ordinance to be registered annually. In January of each year, the Building Department will send out the yearly registration forms to all registered rental properties. The application is also available by accessing the link below. The rental registration process is complete upon successful passage of a City authorized inspection and the issuance of a Certificate of Compliance.
Rental Unit Registration Application
Changes to Short Term Rental Ordinances
City Regulations for Rental Property
2009 Short Term Rental Location Map
The City has been aggressive in their pursuit to make certain that all rental housing units are registered and certified through the Rental Housing Program. Since hiring a full-time Housing and Code Enforcement Officer, 540 rental properties have been inspected with approximately 70% of those being fully certified. As of June 2009, the City has 640 rental properties registered, which amounts to 1,599 rental units in all. The overall results have been very encouraging thus far with nearly 75% of all registered rental property having a valid Certificate of Compliance.
Property Owner/Landlord Responsibilities
The property owner is ultimately responsible for all registration and inspection obligations with the City. The property owner may designate their current tenant (adults only) to act as the authorized representative during a scheduled inspection. Property owners should immediately deal with any disruptive tenants that may pose a threat to those who reside within close proximity. The Housing and Code Enforcement Officer will only interject if the situation deals specifically with an adopted code belonging to any of the Local Code of Ordinances, Property Maintenance Code, Fire and Building Code, or Zoning Ordinance. The City’s Rental Housing Certification Process really serves two primary functions. The first would be to ensure that everything is satisfactory with the property. In addition to this, an inspection offers us the opportunity to update you with the applicable codes that may apply by increasing the level of awareness through the inspection process.
Short Term Rental Requirements
The unique geographical setting of Grand Haven affords some property owners the occasion of utilizing their rental property as a short term rental. Operating a rental as a short term must also comply with the requirements set forth by the Zoning Ordinance. A Short Term Rental is considered a Special Land Use by zoning and is only permitted if the property is located in one of the six zoning districts that currently allow for short term rental operation. They are as follows; Southside, Old Town, Central Business District, Dune Residential, Waterfront-2, and North Shore.
City Council is currently reviewing the requirements of Short Term Rentals. During this review period, Council has suspended enforcement of some of the zoning regulations for Short Term Rentals for the 2009 year. Thus any owner wishing to operate a new short term rental may register the property and operate the rental for the year 2009. However, after 2009 the City will confer no right or entitlement to the property owner to have/or maintain a short term rental. Property owners currently operating or even thinking of operating a Short Term Rental are encouraged to stay current on this issue.
Current property owners/local agents who operate a short term rental are now required to complete and retain for their records a Short Term Rental Affidavit.
Property Maintenance Code Enforcement
The Planning and Community Development Department strives to achieve voluntary compliance with the City's Codes through a process of notification and increased education. To accomplish this end, a partnership with the Department of Public Safety is utilized to attain maximum results. Public Safety Officer Tom Winegar enforces the property maintenance code throughout the community with the ultimate goal of improving and maintaining property values and overall quality of life in the City of Grand Haven.
To report a public nuisance for Code Enforcement investigation, please call 616-847-3490 or use the City's Service Request system (select "Planning & Community Development" as the department).
Maintenance Code Expectations for Property in Grand Haven
This list is certainly not exhaustive but gives a general understanding of what is presently expected of all property owners in Grand Haven.
Dilapidated structures will be targeted for extensive rehabilitation efforts to stave off any harmful repercussion from spreading into the local neighborhood. If a structure is found to be in such disrepair and the current owner is unresponsive then the condemnation process will ensue. After a distressed building is condemned, it may become possible to demolish the structure. Property owners will be held accountable for any poor conditions that may exist on the land in which they have possession of.
Complaints
All complaints received will be thoroughly examined and resolved in a very efficient manner. Falsification of a complaint can result in a Municipal Civil Infraction being issued to the person making the unjustifiable claims against any property owner. No complaint will be acted on unless there is undeniable evidence that such violation took place. Any complaint that represents an immediate risk to personal safety should call 911 or Grand Haven Public Safety’s non-emergency line 616-842-1640.
Tenants and occupants of rental property can also make a complaint with the Housing and Code Enforcement Officer if they feel that the rental property in which they reside is deficient of certain code requirements. This would include both interior and exterior conditions. All persons who file a complaint will be asked for their name and current address to alleviate an unusual amount of false claims from becoming a persistent inconvenience.
The City does not interfere with landlord/tenant disputes (i.e., lease disagreements or late fees associated with delinquent payment of rent). These circumstances will be considered a private matter unless summarized in any of the City Codes.