St. Clair Shores — Ch. 8 Art. VII Inspection of Residential Rental Properties § 8-306
Certificate of approval contents
Operative Text
The certificate of approval shall state that the Building Division of the Department of Community Development or its designee has inspected the rental premises and that said department has determined that the premises comply with the minimum standards of habitability adopted by this article. The certificate shall bear this legend in capital letters or bold-faced type: "This certificate does not constitute any representation or warranty as to the condition of the premises described herein (or any aspect of such condition), and interested persons are advised and encouraged to make their own inspections of the premises in order to determine the condition thereof. The subject premises have been visually inspected by a Code Enforcement Officer employed for this purpose, not by a certified housing inspector. The inspection and related reports are evidence only of what has been observed and what he/she was able to reasonably observe at the time of inspection in accordance with the minimum standards established hereunder."
Under St. Clair Shores Ch. 8 Art. VII § 8-306, a certificate of approval issued for a rental property must confirm that the Building Division of the Department of Community Development (or its designee) has inspected the premises and found them to meet the article's minimum habitability standards. The certificate is also required to carry a specific bold or capitalized disclaimer making clear that it is not a warranty or representation about the property's condition, that the inspection was conducted by a code enforcement officer rather than a certified housing inspector, and that the inspection reflects only what was visually observable at the time. The disclaimer further encourages anyone with an interest in the property to conduct their own independent inspection.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of residential rental properties in St. Clair Shores should be aware that under § 8-306, a certificate of approval documents that the Building Division has found the premises to meet minimum habitability standards — but it does not serve as a guarantee of overall property condition. Compliant operators understand that the certificate's required legend explicitly limits the scope of the inspection to what a code enforcement officer could visually observe, and they do not represent the certificate to prospective or current tenants as a clean bill of health beyond that scope. Maintaining records of the certificate and any related inspection reports is a common practice among property managers operating under this article.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under St. Clair Shores Ch. 8 Art. VII § 8-306, a certificate of approval on a rental unit means the Building Division found the premises met minimum habitability standards at the time of inspection — but the certificate itself carries a required disclaimer stating it is not a warranty about the property's condition. Tenants and prospective renters are explicitly encouraged by the provision to conduct their own inspections, since the review was performed by a code enforcement officer observing visible conditions, not a certified housing inspector. Those who believe habitability standards are not being met may consider contacting the Department of Community Development, consulting a local tenant-rights organization, or exploring other enforcement paths available under this article.
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 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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