Move-in dashboard

Move-in dashboard

What Will a Detroit Address Cost You?

Enter your monthly rent and household income. The gauges show the largest security deposit Michigan law allows and what the city income tax adds, for living in Detroit and for commuting in.

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Largest deposit allowed

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City tax a year, living in Detroit

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City tax a year, commuting in

Security Deposits and Tenant Rights in Michigan →Detroit’s City Income Tax →

Deposit cap from MCL 554.602 as quoted in the Michigan Judicial Institute’s Landlord-Tenant Benchbook; rates and exemption from the City of Detroit’s income tax page; medians from U.S. Census QuickFacts. An estimate, not tax advice.

Owner’s manual

Five Sections Before You Drive Off the Lot

What the guides have in common, laid out like the manual in a glove box: short sections, in the order you will need them.

Check the address before the house

Detroit covers 139 square miles, and conditions change block by block. Before you fall for a porch, look the address up: the city’s rental map shows whether a rental is registered and compliant, DWSD’s tools show lead service lines and drainage, and the Land Bank’s listings show city-owned property nearby. All of these are free and open to anyone. Choosing a Detroit Neighborhood: The Free City Maps to Check Before You Rent or Buy walks through each map.

Read the lease against the law

Michigan’s Landlord-Tenant Relationships Act sets the terms that matter most to a renter: a deposit of no more than 1.5 months’ rent, a move-in checklist you return within 7 days, a forwarding address within 4 days of moving out, and an itemized damage list from the landlord within 30 days. Put those dates in your phone the day you sign. Security Deposits and Tenant Rights in Michigan: The Deadlines That Protect Detroit Renters has the full text.

Know what you are buying

A Land Bank house can start at a $1,000 bid, but the deed comes with a duty to rehab the house and get it occupied, and closing costs on top. Down payment assistance of up to $25,000 is open to people who already live in the city. Repairs usually need permits from the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department, and a home needs the Principal Residence Exemption to avoid paying 18 extra mills. Buying a Detroit Land Bank Home: Auctions, Own It Now and the Rehab Rules starts the list.

Budget for the city, not just the rent

Living in Detroit adds a city income tax of 2.4 percent, and working in the city as a nonresident adds 1.2 percent. A water account in your name and bus fares come on top. The Census puts Detroit’s median gross rent at $1,074 and median household income at $39,938, which is where the Move-in dashboard starts. Water Service in Detroit: Starting an Account, the Drainage Charge and the Lifeline Plan covers the water side.

Plan for the winter and the basement

NOAA’s normals give Detroit about 45 inches of snow and about 120 nights at or below freezing a year, and heavy rain can back sewage into basements. DWSD advises disconnecting downspouts from the sewer and, where needed, a backwater valve or sump pump, and damage claims must be filed within 45 days of finding a backup. Detroit Weather for Newcomers: 45 Inches of Snow, Cold Nights and Basement Backups explains how.

The plate wall

Plates for Every Step of the Move

Each guide hangs on the wall as a plate: renting, buying and neighborhoods. The number on the plate is its place in the row.

Row 1RentingThe rental Certificate of Compliance, deposits and tenant rights, lead-safe homes and opening a water account.
DETROITRENT 1Rental certificate checkBefore You Rent in DetroitDetroit requires rental homes to be registered and to pass a city inspection. How the Certificate of Rental Registration and the Certificate of Compliance work, how to look up any address on the city’s rental map, and what tenants can do when a home is not compliant.4 min readDETROITRENT 2Deposits and tenant rightsSecurity Deposits and Tenant Rights in MichiganMichigan’s Landlord-Tenant Relationships Act caps deposits at 1.5 months’ rent and sets strict deadlines: 7 days for your move-in checklist, 4 days for your forwarding address, 30 days for the landlord’s damage list. Plus Detroit’s free eviction lawyers and how to spot rental scams.4 min readDETROITRENT 3Lead-safe housingLead-Safe Housing in DetroitMost Detroit homes were built before 1978, when lead paint was common. What renters and buyers with young children should check, how to find out if a home has a lead water service line, and the city’s free LeadSafe repair program for owners and landlords.4 min readDETROITRENT 4Water bills and helpWater Service in DetroitHow to open a Detroit water account as a renter or owner, what the drainage charge on your bill is, and the help available: the income-based Lifeline Plan, the EasyPay plan for past-due balances and free plumbing repairs for low-income households.4 min read
Row 2BuyingLand Bank homes, property taxes and the exemptions, down payment assistance, and permits for fixing up an older house.
DETROITBUY 1Land Bank homesBuying a Detroit Land Bank HomeThe Detroit Land Bank Authority sells city-owned houses through daily online auctions and fixed-price Own It Now listings, starting at $1,000. How bidding works, who is eligible, the deposits and closing costs, and the rehab and occupancy obligations that come with the deed.4 min readDETROITBUY 2Property taxes and exemptionsDetroit Property Taxes for New HomeownersHow Detroit property taxes are calculated in mills, why every new homeowner must file Michigan’s Principal Residence Exemption by June 1 or November 1, and how the HOPE poverty exemption can reduce or eliminate a year’s taxes for eligible households.4 min readDETROITBUY 3Down payment helpDetroit Down Payment AssistanceDetroit’s Down Payment Assistance Program offers up to $25,000 toward down payment, closing costs and rate buy-downs. Who qualifies, including the 12-month Detroit residency rule, the steps in order, what the money can cover and the three-year residence requirement.4 min readDETROITBUY 4Permits and inspectionsFixing Up a Detroit HomeRenovating an older Detroit house usually means permits from the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department. How the online permit process works, which work needs separate water, sewer or right-of-way permits, how inspections end in a Certificate of Acceptance, and where free repair help exists.4 min read
Row 3NeighborhoodsChoosing a neighborhood with the city’s free maps, getting around by bus, the city income tax and Detroit winters.
DETROITHOOD 1Choosing a neighborhoodChoosing a Detroit NeighborhoodDetroit spans 139 square miles, and conditions can change block by block. Census figures for the city as a whole, and the free official map tools that show rental compliance, Land Bank property, lead service lines, drainage and basement backup history for any address.4 min readDETROITHOOD 2Getting aroundGetting Around Detroit by BusThe Detroit Department of Transportation is Michigan’s largest public transit provider. How to pay with the Token Transit app and the Dart regional pass, who qualifies for reduced fares and how to apply, where the main transit centers are, and what to know about accessibility and reporting problems.4 min readDETROITHOOD 3City income taxDetroit’s City Income TaxLiving or working in Detroit means a city income tax on top of Michigan’s. The current rates, the $600 personal exemption, how nonresidents who work partly outside the city allocate their income, the April 15 and quarterly deadlines, and the 2027 move to Michigan Treasury’s online system.4 min readDETROITHOOD 4Winters and basementsDetroit Weather for NewcomersWhat NOAA’s climate normals say about Detroit’s winters and summers, and why basement flooding is the weather risk homeowners and renters most need to plan for, with DWSD’s advice on backwater valves, sump pumps and downspouts and how to file a damage claim.4 min read

Warning lights

Lights to Check Before You Move

The questions newcomers ask most, each answered from the rule or program that applies.

How do I know a Detroit rental is legal?

A Certificate of Compliance is required for all residential rental properties in Detroit except owner-occupied single-family homes, and you can look up any address on the city’s rental map. In 2026 only about 14 percent of the city’s 1-2 family rentals were in compliance. See Before You Rent in Detroit: How to Check a Home’s Certificate of Compliance.

What can I do if my rental is not compliant?

Tenants in non-compliant properties can pay their rent into escrow, and can arrange a city inspection at no cost to them by calling (313) 224-2733. The steps are in Before You Rent in Detroit: How to Check a Home’s Certificate of Compliance.

How big can a security deposit be?

In Michigan a security deposit may not exceed 1.5 months’ rent. A landlord who wants to keep part of it must mail an itemized damage list within 30 days after you move out. The full set of deadlines is in Security Deposits and Tenant Rights in Michigan: The Deadlines That Protect Detroit Renters.

Can I get a free lawyer if I face eviction?

Detroit’s Right to Counsel law created an Office of Eviction Defense, which works with local legal services so that eligible tenants going to 36th District Court for an eviction case can get free legal help. If you have a court date, go to the hearing. See Security Deposits and Tenant Rights in Michigan: The Deadlines That Protect Detroit Renters.

What does the Detroit income tax cost me?

The rate has been 2.4 percent for residents and 1.2 percent for nonresidents who work in the city since 2013, after a $600 personal exemption. The Move-in dashboard on this page does the sum; the rules are in Detroit’s City Income Tax: 2.4 Percent for Residents, 1.2 Percent for Commuters.

I just bought a home. What must I file?

File Michigan’s Principal Residence Exemption, Form 2368, with the city assessor on or before June 1 or November 1. It removes 18 mills from an owner-occupied home’s tax bill. Details in Detroit Property Taxes for New Homeowners: Mills, the Principal Residence Exemption and HOPE.

Is there help with a down payment?

The city’s Down Payment Assistance Program offers up to $25,000, capped at 50 percent of the purchase price, to buyers who have lived in Detroit for the past 12 months. The home must stay your principal residence for three years. See Detroit Down Payment Assistance: Up to $25,000 for Buyers Who Already Live in the City.

Should I worry about lead?

Homes built before 1978 likely contain lead-based paint, and lead can enter drinking water through lead service lines and old household plumbing. DWSD’s map shows service line material by address. See Lead-Safe Housing in Detroit: Paint, Water Service Lines and Free Help for Families.