Off The Beaten Path

In Person Inspection
Off the Beaten Path

Visit the property and look at specific areas. Remember to check:

  • Safety and security: dead bolt, working lock, peephole in door, door bell, windows that are either lockable or out of each from outside, evidence of rodents or insects, access to fire escapes and emergency exits, condition and location of smoke alarms
  • Location: convenience to school transportation, stores, other services
  • Furniture and appliances: make sure they work
  • Water: check the pressure, ask about hot water supply
  • Noise levels

Play it safe: protect yourself!

  • ASK AROUND. You might get very useful information from the tenants already there and neighbors. Remember to check the habits of surrounding neighbors.
  • Access to rental property file information is available in the Code Enforcement office at City Hall.

Over-occupancy

Be aware of legal occupancy and illegal use of space
 Rents in East Lansing are higher than in most parts of the tri-county metropolitan area due to supply and demand. Rents for one- and two-family dwellings within one mile of campus also reflect the favorable location. Maximum occupancy is restricted according to the rental housing license. Rents often exceed the real or perceived amount that a group of unrelated persons feel they can pay after assuming responsibilities for utility and other house operation costs. As a result, illegal over-occupancy becomes an attractive alternative. The fact that some homes have basement and attic rooms that appear usable for sleeping purposes may also make illegal over-occupancy attractive. However, if these are not legal habitable areas, they are not safe to use as sleeping rooms.

The legal maximum occupancy limit can be quickly determined by contacting the East Lansing Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Conservation Office, 319-6857. The office can also provide detailed information on the number and location of rooms recognized as legal sleeping rooms. A current license should be posted in the rental unit, stating the legal maximum occupancy. If it is not, you should notify the Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Conservation Department.

Rental owners are now inserting clauses in leases that hold each tenant responsible for maintaining the legal maximum occupancy limit and for using certain basement, attic and other rooms only for study or recreational purposes. By having each tenant initial these clauses, the owners seek to shed responsibility, avoid court appearance tickets, court-imposed fines and/or other sanctions and the possible revocation of a rental housing license for engaging in, or allowing, over-occupancy. Tenants who engage in over-occupancy can place themselves and the non-tenants (i.e., those not on the lease) in jeopardy because the space used for sleeping has not been properly approved for safety and other factors. If over-occupancy and/or the illegal use of space is established, a court appearance ticket can be issued for each day of the violation, to each tenant and non-tenant, resulting in a fine that may reach $500 per day. In addition, each illegal renter would have to move out immediately, and each tenant would then have to assume a higher monthly rent and household operations expense.

Civil Rights of Tenants

A property owner cannot discriminate against a prospective or present tenant because of religion, race, color, national origin, height, weight, age, handicap, sex, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, student status, or individual’s use of adaptive devices or aids.

If you feel you have been discriminated against, remember to keep accurate written records of the discriminatory incident(s) to use as evidence. This may include dates of incidents, witnesses and other people with similar problems. If you suspect that you are being discriminated against, contact one of the following resources for information and assistance:

MSU-DCL Rental Housing Clinic
Campus Town Mall
541 E. Grand River Avenue, East Lansing
336-8088

HumanRelationsCommission
East LansingCity Hall, 410 Abbot Road
319-6821

ASMSU Legal Services
329 Student Services
353-3716

Michigan Department of Civil Rights
741 N. Cedar Street - Suite 101
Lansing, MI 48913
334-9335