RR
Rent Regulations

Detroit — Ch. 22 Art. V Rental Agencies § 22-5-1

Definitions

In Force
Verified 10/13/2026 · Next check 11/12/2026
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Operative Text

Detroit — Ch. 22 Art. V Rental Agencies § 22-5-1
For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meaning respectively ascribed to them by this section:
Rental agency means the operation of any business where any person, for the payment of a fee in advance thereof or any portion of such fee, solicits, offers or attempts to procure any living quarters for any person for the purpose of the rental thereof, or who assists or in any manner causes the same to be done.
Cross reference-- Definitions and rules of construction generally, § 1-1-2 .
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Detroit — Ch. 22 Art. V Rental Agencies § 22-5-1 establishes the foundational definition of a 'rental agency' for the purposes of Article V. Under this provision, a rental agency is any business that collects an upfront fee—or any portion of one—in exchange for helping someone find rental housing, whether by soliciting, offering, or otherwise facilitating that search. This definition sets the scope of who is subject to the rules that follow in the article.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 13, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers who operate or work with businesses that charge advance fees to help prospective tenants locate rental housing should be aware that such operations fall under the definition established in Detroit — Ch. 22 Art. V Rental Agencies § 22-5-1. Compliant operators typically clarify whether their business model triggers this definition before collecting any upfront placement fees. Understanding this definition helps determine which additional requirements in Article V apply to a given operation.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Detroit — Ch. 22 Art. V Rental Agencies § 22-5-1 defines what counts as a 'rental agency' under Detroit law, which matters if a tenant has paid an advance fee to a business that promised to help find rental housing. Tenants who believe such a business may be operating outside the rules established in Article V can consult a local tenant-rights organization or the City of Detroit for guidance on next steps. Knowing whether a service qualifies as a rental agency under this definition is a useful starting point for understanding what protections may apply.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

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Source Information

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