Council debates non-owner-occupied registration draft, seeks clarity on family exemptions and inspection rules

The Highland Park City Council held an initial workshop on a draft non-owner-occupied residential property registration and inspection ordinance on June 2, focusing on family exemptions, inspection frequency and how to identify out-of-area owners.

Sam Woodrick, director of building services at McKenna, told the council the ordinances aim to "make you all, the legislators, allies with the people in your city, the people who rent," arguing inspections and registration are tools to improve housing safety and habitability. Woodrick outlined common municipal approaches, including a limited immediate-family exemption and an affidavit process for qualifying properties.

Staff and legal representatives said the draft includes an immediate-family exemption (recommended to be narrowly defined to immediate family) and a proposed cap on the number of properties that could be exempt. Woodrick described enforcement practice and verification methods, noting municipalities typically allow exemptions for closely related family members because they are simpler to demonstrate and verify than distant relations.

Council debate highlighted several recurring concerns. Members said residents have reported being required to declare family-occupied houses as rental units and that the enforcement experience at the city building office has sometimes provoked complaints. Several councilmembers urged that the ordinance avoid inadvertently "punishing the victim" by imposing fees or inspections on homeowners who have family living with them and do not receive rent.

Technical and administrative details drew extended discussion: the draft ties annual furnace checks to life-safety inspections (staff recommended annual furnace reports because of carbon-monoxide risk), it treats properties owned by LLCs as presumptively non-owner-occupied (because LLCs are not eligible for a principal residency exemption under Michigan practice), and it currently requires new owners to obtain a certificate within a set period after property transfer unless the transfer occurs within an existing certificate window.

Staff recommended keeping a one-year cadence for furnace safety checks; Woodrick explained the test looks for carbon-monoxide emissions even when an appliance is otherwise functioning. Councilmembers asked for clarity on transfer rules, on whether certificates transfer with property sales, and on how the city will serve notice to out-of-area owners; staff said they will bring clearer language explaining transfer windows and notification timing to the next workshop.

No formal votes were taken. Councilmembers instructed staff and legal to refine family-exemption language (including discussion of caps and who qualifies), to clarify inspection frequency and transfer rules, and to return with revised ordinance language and a follow-up workshop date.

Ending: The rental-registration draft remains in workshop stage. Staff will revise the draft to address family-exemption caps, inspection timing, LLC treatment and notice procedures and will return for further council review and community input.