Question for seasoned Detroit owners
So heres my short story: In mid Nov. the city came around and did an inspection on one of my properties. I think it was just arbitrarily chosen. Of course there were a number of rejects and we were given until mid Jan. to complete the work, -amongst the items a lead clearance, -in order to get a certificate of compliance. As of now, my PM has had all the work completed except for the lead clearance, as we cannot paint the outside at the moment due to the cold weather.
The thing is that since the inspection the tenant is withholding rental, claiming the home is not compliant and as such cannot be legally rented out. We have sent a 7 day notice and are waiting for a hearing.
The question is are they legally justified? As far as I know most of the rental properties in Detroit don't have an official city compliance. Are they all rented out illegally?
I find it hard to believe that the tenant is legally entitled to live in the house for free in this situation.
Thus far the tenant has been a good one, with regular payments so not looking to evict if I can avoid it.
As always thanks for any help and advice.