Obtaining and maintaining a rental certification is a requirement for rental properties in Grand Rapids. If a landlord fails to comply with this requirement, it could quickly escalate to compounding fines and restrictions on legally renting the property until the property is inspected and certified.
While this process seems straightforward, many property owners underestimate the time, coordination, and compliance involved. In this blog, we’ll walk you through how the Grand Rapids rental certification process works, what to expect as a property owner, and how to avoid common pitfalls.
What Is a Rental Certificate in Grand Rapids?
A rental certificate is issued by the City of Grand Rapids and confirms that the rental property meets minimum housing and safety standards. Before a property can be legally rented, it must:
- Be registered with the City
- Pass a housing inspection
- Receive an active rental certificate of compliance
This applies to most non-owner-occupied residential properties within city limits. Each municipality, however, has its own process regarding rental registrations and certifications, so it’s best to contact the designated municipality to confirm its requirements for rental properties.
The Rental Inspection and Certification Process
Step 1: Rental Property Registration
Before anything else, you must register your property with the City of Grand Rapids. Luckily, this process is simple and can be completed online via the Citizen Access Portal. On the website, you’ll complete the following:
- Submitting ownership and contact information
- Identifying a local agent (if applicable)
- Paying the required registration fee
The city will not issue a certificate of compliance if the rental property is not accurately registered.
Step 2: Scheduling the City Inspection
Once the rental property is registered, you can schedule the rental inspection with the city. The city will likely reach out to you via email to coordinate scheduling, but you can also proactively reach out to the city to schedule the inspection by calling 616-456-3053 or emailing codes@grcity.us.
Step 3: Attending the Inspection
The inspection is conducted by a city inspector, who will walk through the property and document any violations or deficiencies.
Areas typically covered include:
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Electrical and plumbing systems
- Windows, doors, and egress
- General habitability and safety conditions
- Exterior conditions and structural elements
At the end of the inspection, one of two things will happen:
Pass
If the property passes the inspection, it means that the property meets all requirements. In this case, a certificate of compliance will be issued for either 2, 4, or 6 years. The most common certification length in the City of Grand Rapids is 4 years.
Fail
Even well-maintained properties can fail the initial inspection for issues such as:
- Missing or outdated smoke or carbon monoxide detectors
- Smoke or carbon monoxide detectors installed at incorrect heights or locations
- Minor safety issues
- Deferred maintenance
If violations or deficiencies are found during the initial inspection, then the city inspector will provide a correction list for the required repairs, as well as a specified timeframe for completion. The City of Grand Rapids usually allows 10-14 days for required repairs. A re-inspection will be scheduled for the end of the specified timeframe so the city inspector can verify that the violations or deficiencies have been corrected.
Once the corrections have been verified, the city inspector will pass the inspection, and a certification will be issued for either 2 or 4 years.
Deferred Repairs
If the city inspector cites needed repairs that cannot be completed in the provided timeframe, then you can request that those repairs be deferred. When this is done, the city inspector will issue a Notice of Violation, which allows a repair deadline extension of between 60 and 120 days.
This extension can be beneficial in several situations, including:
- Weather: Exterior repairs are often weather-dependent, and much exterior work can’t be safely or correctly performed when it is raining, snowing, or near or below 40ºF. This can become an issue if the initial inspection takes place during the colder winter months or during stormy seasons.
- Major Repairs: If extensive repairs are required, then the initial provided timeframe may not offer enough time to complete the scope of work needed.
When deciding whether or not to request deferred repairs, it’s important to know that an issued Notice of Violation may accompany fees and that, as mentioned above, the city inspector will not issue the Certificate of Compliance until all repairs have been completed, as verified by a re-inspection with the city inspector.
Tips and Common Issues to Avoid
Over time, we’ve seen recurring issues that can create unnecessary delays, added costs, or amplify frustration for property owners navigating the rental certification process. Being aware of and understanding these upfront can help keep your property on track with fewer hurdles.
- Not Notifying Tenants
- Waiting Too Long to Start the Process
- Not Budgeting for Repairs
In Michigan, landlords must provide reasonable notice to tenants of any visits to the property. For many landlords in West Michigan, this notice period is typically set as 24 hours in the lease agreement. This requirement is no different for notifying tenants of upcoming city-related inspections and repair work. You don’t want the rental certification process to be delayed because the tenants deny entry due to not receiving proper notice.
Some landlords incorrectly view the rental certificate expiration as the date they should aim to start the recertification process; however, starting the process this late significantly increases the chances that the former certificate will expire before the next one is issued, resulting in fines from the city. If the property is vacant and a certificate expires or isn’t in place before leasing to the property to a new tenant, it can delay occupancy or also result in fines.
It’s always best practice to put aside funds on a regular basis toward maintenance repairs, which can also help fund any cited repairs for the city rental inspection.
There are a few different ways that landlords calculate how much money should be set aside for repairs, a couple of the most common frameworks are ones based on the property value or ones based on gross rental income. For example, someone using a property value-based framework usually sets aside 1% of the property value annually. Someone using a gross rental income-based framework may set aside 8%-10% of the gross rental income per month.
A More Practical Approach to Avoiding These Issues
While the city defines the requirements for obtaining a rental certificate of compliance and the steps required to do so, how you manage the process on your end can potentially make a significant difference. A lot of this difference boils down to project management, including scheduling appointments, coordinating vendors, tracking timelines, and communicating with all involved parties.
Our Proccess
At United Properties of West Michigan, we handle the rental certification process fully in-house for our owner clients, from registration through final approval and issuance of the certificate of compliance.
To make this process as simple and hands-off as possible, our team:
- Schedules the initial inspection with the city
- Attends the initial inspection with the assigned city inspector
- Coordinates any required repairs and attends the re-inspection (if repairs were needed)
- Advocates for our owners if unnecessary repairs are cited as being required by the inspector
- Manages deferred work deadlines if any extensions are needed
We find that a proactive approach and consistent communication with the city works best and helps property owners avoid the frustration and stress from missed deadlines, repeat inspections, and confusion about the process.
Pre-Inspections: To Do or Not to Do?
While some landlords and property management companies may choose to complete pre-inspections before the scheduled city rental inspection in an attempt to repair anything that the city inspector may cite during the inspection. The benefit is that the fewer items cited by the city inspector, the higher the likelihood of a longer certification term being issued. In fact, you are most likely to only receive a 6-year certificate of compliance if there are no repair items cited during the inspection.
That sounds like a great idea, but it’s not seamless. The unfortunate reality is that despite there being code regulations that guide the city inspection process, there seems to be a lack of consistency for what repairs are cited by any given city inspector. This can make predicting what repairs to complete during a pre-inspection difficult.
Rather than adding additional upfront costs to our owner clients through formal pre-inspections that may not provide any true benefit, we take a more practical approach by factoring possible city-cited repairs based on code requirements and our experience into our bi-annual inspection and Rent Ready processes.
- During our bi-annual inspections, we identify and communicate potential issues early and throughout the year as they are discovered.
- If a property is going through a Rent Ready and a city inspection is approaching, our technicians will call out items that are likely to be flagged.
Our goal is to maintain compliance and improve the chances for a longer certification without adding unnecessary added costs for our owner clients.
Final Thoughts
The Grand Rapids rental certification process is manageable, but it’s rarely as simple and quick as it first seems. Coordinating registration, inspections, repairs, and ongoing renewals requires project management skills, as well as having adequate time and resources to manage the process efficiently. If you’re navigating the rental certification process now, or want to avoid delays in the future, having a clean and well-thought-out plan of action makes all the difference.
If you’d like to talk through the best approach for your situation, or if you’d like to learn more about how United Properties makes owning rental properties easier by coordinating this process and so much more, reach out to us for a free consultation.
Sergio joined United Properties in 2020. He is a graduate from Pickens Technical College as a Nurse Assistant and as a Small Animal Care Provider in 2010. In the past nine years, Sergio has had various jobs, all focused around customer service.
Eden joined United Properties in 2016. Eden graduated from Davenport University in 2015 with an Associate’s in Business Administration. She’s the Executive Assistant to the Owner of United Properties, with a focus on procedural documentation. She enjoys playing guitar, reading, and doing outdoor activities. Eden is trilingual and able to communicate in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. 
David joined the United Properties team in 2019 as the Director of Client Relations and Business Development. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading all leasing, application underwriting, tenant relations, accounts receivable, process improvement, remote workers, and general office functionality (essentially anything outside of maintenance and service). David comes from a longstanding career at a Fortune 15 company primarily in a sales and customer service leadership role.
Matthew joined the United Properties in early 2020. He is a graduate of Lee University with a bachelor’s in Intercultural Studies and also a master’s in Discipleship and Christian Formation. Matthew serves as a project manager over the Rent Ready process. He has 20 years of construction experience and over 10 years of experience in leadership positions. He oversees a team of technicians and schedules outside vendors getting properties back to the United rent-ready standard so that they can be leased again.
Cristina joined United Properties as the Accounting and Billing Team Lead in October of 2020. She has experience as a technology professional, an English-Spanish translator, and has worked the past several years as the treasurer of her condominium.
Rick joined United Properties in 2020 as a Service Coordinator and then later transitioned to the Collections team, where his customer service shines. Rick has an extensive background in customer service and enjoys being able to resolve issues. He and his wife are raising their two kids and in his free time, Rick enjoys making his own homemade jerky.
Harriet joined United Properties as a Accounting & Billing Specialist in February of 2021. She has experience as a bookkeeper and a Property Manager for a Real Estate account. She was a working student during her college days. Harriet loves cleaning because she thinks it is therapeutic. She also loves watching series during her free time, and she’s a fur mom of one dog. Her inspiration to work every day is her family.
Diego has an extensive background in customer service and, most recently in Maintenance and
Paulina joined United in early 2021 as a Leasing Assistant. She has a background studying social work, with several years of experience in customer service. She speaks English and Spanish fluently and loves to learn. Paulina enjoys small road trips and cold, rainy weather. Her dog is her favorite thing in the world.
Jessica has a Bachelor’s Degree in Financial strategies and public accounting and is studying a masters in Blockchain and Fintech regulation. She has previous experience as a customer service representative. She speaks English and Spanish. She loves taking long walks with her three dogs, hiking and road tripping during the weekends.
Chris Good is new to the United Properties Team since June 2022 as a Business Development Manager. With years of experience in both the construction industry (Master Electrician) and the Real Estate industry (Broker), he will closely work with new and experienced investors to facilitate their real estate goals.
Melba Alvarez
Enrique Vergara (Henry)
Alyssa Conklin
Leo Lacson
Dhyana Aragon
Joksan Gomez
Soroya has been with United Properties since March 2025. Her problem-solving, time management, and communication skills help her shine when working collaboratively with tenants and prospects. She is currently pursuing a degree in Cyber Security at Davenport University. Thanks to her tech-savviness, she excels at navigating and troubleshooting common technology and software issues.
Marlon Joined United Properties in 2025 as a service coordinator. He arrived with solid experience in customer service, property management, and marketing. If you need assistance with either a new or a previous situation, he will be more than glad to help you. Depending on the season, he likes spending time outdoors, going hiking, or simply taking a stroll around town to see what’s new in the city.
Hector began his career in customer service in 2017, gaining valuable experience in client support and communication. In 2021, he transitioned into sales roles, where he developed a strong ability to drive results and build relationships. Since 2023, he has worked in maintenance, IT, and tech support, expanding his skills in troubleshooting, systems support, and hands-on problem-solving. His background combines over eight years of customer-facing roles with a growing expertise in technical support and operations.
Gar Allison joined United Properties as Director of Operations in August 2025. He brings a decade of experience, covering construction project management, supply chain, sales, marketing, and regulatory compliance. Before that, he spent five years as an Engines Sales Representative in Kansas City, MO, shortly after graduating from Davenport University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in business management.
Junior joined United Properties as a Leasing Assistant in February 2026 with a background in customer service and insurance claims. Junior is a lifelong learning with a genuine passion for helping people, especially when it comes to finding a place they can truly call home, and Property Management is where he feels most connected to this purpose. Outside of work, Junior is a proud father of two children that he raises with his wife, who constantly inspires him to grow beyond his limits while nourishing his hobbies through creative outlets like music, including guitar and singing.