Landlord Maintenance Responsibilities For Rental Housing

Division Of Student Affairs; Western Michigan University

1. It shall be the responsibility of the owner to keep and maintain each dwelling unit so as to meet the minimum basic requirements of this article and all other provisions of this housing code; and if the owner is prevented from so doing by the actions of the occupant, it shall be the obligation of the owner to terminate the tenancy or the lease and evict the occupant.

2. Every owner of a two-family or multiple dwelling or residential collective shall be responsible for maintaining in a clean and sanitary condition the shared or public areas of the dwelling and premises.

3. Whenever infestation of insects, rodents or other pests exists in any duplex or multiunit building or in the shared or public parts of any building, extermination thereof shall be the responsibility of the owner.

4. In a single-family dwelling, whenever infestation of insects, rodents or other pests exists, and the occupant has resided in the unit less than thirty (30) days, or the infestation is caused by the failure of the owner to maintain the dwelling in a reasonable insect- and rodent-resistant condition, extermination thereof shall be the responsibility of the owner.

5. A schedule of garbage pickup times and a schedule of the city's major pickup service shall be placed in the common area of each building. In the absence of a common area, the owner shall provide each tenant with said schedule.

6. The owner of every dwelling shall be responsible for the maintenance of all sewer lines within the dwelling and for connecting the dwelling with public sewers. In case of sewer stoppage, it shall be the responsibility of the owner to take corrective action.

7. The owner shall be responsible for maintaining lighting within all common areas.