Detroit to Crack Down on 61 Apartments with Maintenance Issues

City officials vow to force landlords to make repairs and hold them accountable.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 10:05am

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A highly stylized, silkscreen-inspired illustration depicting a repeating pattern of a run-down apartment building facade in vibrant neon colors, conceptually representing the city's crackdown on substandard rental housing.A bold visual statement on the city's efforts to crack down on neglected rental properties and improve housing conditions for Detroit residents.Today in Detroit

The city of Detroit has identified 61 multi-unit apartment buildings with ongoing maintenance and compliance issues that have gone unaddressed. City officials plan to coordinate joint inspections, pursue court-enforced consent agreements, and place liens on properties with unpaid blight violations in an effort to force landlords to make necessary repairs and improve housing conditions for residents.

Why it matters

Shoddy rental housing conditions have long been a concern for Detroiters, with only 14% of rental properties in the city currently having a certificate of compliance. This crackdown aims to prevent further deterioration of buildings, protect residents from health and safety risks, and hold negligent landlords accountable.

The details

The city's departments of law, building safety, and health will work together to inspect the 61 identified buildings, monitor for structural and health issues, and require landlords to enter into court-monitored consent agreements with timelines for making repairs. If owners fail to comply, the city will pursue legal action, including potentially taking control of the properties as public nuisances. The city will also start placing liens on properties with significant unpaid blight violations until the issues are resolved.

  • On April 8, 2026, city officials announced the crackdown on the 61 apartment buildings.
  • Over the next several weeks, the city's law department will contact the owners of the 61 properties to enter into the court-monitored consent agreements.

The players

Mary Sheffield

The mayor of Detroit, who is leading the effort to improve housing conditions and hold landlords accountable.

David Bell

The director of Detroit's Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED), which will be conducting inspections and enforcing compliance.

Ali Abazeed

The chief public health officer for the city of Detroit, who emphasized the health impacts of unsafe housing conditions.

Real Token

A blockchain real estate company that the city has previously cracked down on for public nuisance violations involving hundreds of residential properties in Detroit.

Russell Woods Apartments LLC, Chapel Court, Imperial Manor and Pierre Apartment

Other apartment building owners that the city has identified as having ongoing maintenance and compliance issues.

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What they’re saying

“This is about being proactive and not reactive. It is about preventing displacement, protecting our families and holding landlords accountable before buildings reach a crisis point.”

— Mary Sheffield, Mayor of Detroit

“We know that the conditions that people live in shows up in their outcomes, whether that's asthma from mold or dampness, whether that's injuries from unsafe structures or the daily strain that families carry as a result of having that concern on their mind from unsafe structures that they live in.”

— Ali Abazeed, Chief Public Health Officer

What’s next

Over the next several weeks, the city's law department will contact the owners of the 61 properties to enter into court-monitored consent agreements with timelines for making the necessary repairs.

The takeaway

This crackdown on neglected apartment buildings in Detroit highlights the ongoing challenge of ensuring safe and habitable rental housing for residents. By taking a more proactive and coordinated approach, city officials hope to prevent further deterioration of buildings, protect public health and safety, and hold landlords accountable before issues reach a crisis point.