St. Clair Shores — Ch. 8 Art. VII Inspection of Residential Rental Properties § 8-308
Inspection; appeal of report; time for compliance
Operative Text
(a) Upon receipt of the inspection fee, the Building Division shall make or cause to be made an inspection of such premises, buildings or structures. If the inspection reveals compliance with the standards, as adopted by this article, a certificate of approval shall be issued, If the premises, buildings or structures are not in compliance with the provisions of this article, the Building Division shall give notice of any defects, violations and necessary repairs following such an inspection, and a certificate of approval shall not be issued until such provisions or standards have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Building Official. Such notice shall list the street address of the building and describe the part or portion of the building needing correcting. (b) An owner shall have the right to appeal any order to repair to the Building Board of Appeals as established by the property maintenance code adopted in article X of this chapter. Such appeal shall be made in writing to the Building Division within 14 days of the date of the notice of defect/inspection report and shall detail the nature of the appeal. The Building Board of Appeals shall thereafter convene within 14 business days for the purpose of hearing the appeal and shall render a decision within five business days. The Board shall be permitted but not required to inspect the subject premises and defects, and to this end, the filing of the appeal shall be construed as permission by the appellant and owner for the Board to enter the premises for such inspection. The owner shall thereafter comply with the Board's decision within the time frame specified in subsection (c) of this section. (c) The owner of the residential premises shall correct such deficiencies within 90 days of the date of notice of same or the decision of the Building Board of Appeals. Such time may be extended for an additional period not to exceed 30 days upon application of the owner for good cause. (d) Re-inspection to determine compliance shall be requested by the owner at least seven days prior to the expiration of the time period required for compliance noted above. Failure of the owner to request re-inspection within these limits shall require a new application to be filed, inspection fees paid and a new inspection prior to issuance of any certificate of approval. (e) Should an inspector discover any other violation or defect no first observed at an earlier inspection, the inspector shall have the authority to require compliance as provided above. The timetable for compliance shall run from the date of issuance of the subsequent notice of defects, notice of repairs or the Building Board of Appeals decision relating thereto, if any, whichever occurs later. (f) Failure by the owner to cause the premises, building or structure to be repaired or refurbished in compliance with the minimum standards of this article as determined by the Building Official after having received notice as provided herein and within the time allowed for such compliance shall be deemed a violation of this article. (g) Every owner of a rental dwelling or rental unit shall comply with all of the requirements found within this article so as to obtain and keep current certificate of compliance for the premises of each rental dwelling and all dwelling units therein subject to the restrictions below. The Building Official may revoke a certificate of compliance for any violation of this Code, the codified ordinances, rules and regulations of the City or any state-mandated codes or regulations, upon the occurrence of either of the following: (1) Three notice of violations within a 24-month period, of either sections 28-29 through 28-31 or section 36-2 . (2) Any building code violation resulting in a conviction. (h) In the event the certificate of compliance of any rental property shall be revoked pursuant to this section, any tenant residing in said property shall be permitted to continue such residence until the occurrence of either of the following: (1) The end of the existing lease; or (2) If the tenant is month to month, for 90 days from the revocation of the certificate of compliance.
St. Clair Shores § 8-308 establishes the process by which the Building Division inspects residential rental properties, issues or withholds certificates of approval, and handles non-compliance. When defects are found, the property owner receives written notice and has 90 days—extendable by up to 30 days for good cause—to make corrections, with a formal appeal route available through the Building Board of Appeals within 14 days of the notice. If a certificate of compliance is ultimately revoked, existing tenants are protected and may remain in the property until their lease ends or, for month-to-month tenants, for 90 days from the date of revocation.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 8-308, compliant rental property operators in St. Clair Shores generally ensure inspection fees are paid promptly, respond to any notice of defects within the stated deadlines, and schedule re-inspection at least seven days before the compliance period expires—failing to do so requires a full new application and fee. Owners who dispute a defect finding typically file a written appeal with the Building Division within 14 days of the inspection report, detailing the basis for the appeal. Operators also track their violation history carefully, since three notices of certain code violations within a 24-month period, or a building code conviction, can trigger revocation of the certificate of compliance under this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 8-308 provides tenants with a meaningful protection: if a landlord's certificate of compliance is revoked, tenants already residing in the property are not required to leave immediately—lease-holding tenants may stay through the end of their lease term, while month-to-month tenants have at least 90 days from the date of revocation. Tenants who believe their rental unit has unaddressed defects or that their landlord has failed to meet the inspection and repair requirements of this article may consider contacting the St. Clair Shores Building Division to inquire about the property's compliance status. Tenant-rights organizations can also help residents understand how the protections in § 8-308 may apply to their situation and what general options exist for raising a landlord's non-compliance.
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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