Washtenaw County Health Department explains housing-complaint process, limitations to Ann Arbor Renters Commission

Kristen Chwekofer, environmental health director with the Washtenaw County Health Department, told the Ann Arbor Renters Commission on Feb. 20 that the county’s environmental health division accepts housing and other environmental complaints and can contact property managers to seek remediation but faces staffing and statutory limits.

Chwekofer explained the department’s authority and practical role: it can take complaints about mold, bed bugs, pests, plumbing and sewage backups, and other conditions; it can notify landlords and recommend remediation; and, under Michigan’s public health code, local health officers may order correction of nuisance or unsanitary conditions. But Chwekofer said the department often relies on more specific local building-code authorities for enforcement in Ann…