Matt Helms

Detroit Free Press

The city of Detroit is warning apartment building owners that they face tickets and fines if they don’t maintain proper heating in their buildings.

With temperatures dipping into the single digits overnight this week, Detroit’s Building Safety, Engineering and Environmental Department said today that it’s targeting 143 apartment buildings that in the last year have been cited for issues with heating and cooling systems.

BSEED inspectors have been visiting the buildings that have been issued corrective orders to assess whether the buildings are in compliance. If not, owners will be ticketed and fined, the department said.

“Inspectors try to visit buildings annually and will respond immediately to complaints of heating problems,” BSEED director David Bell said in a news release.

BSEED has hired seven additional inspectors to improve the department’s ability to inspect all apartment buildings properties, in addition to taking inspection reports from two private inspection companies that check on multi-family family dwellings.

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“Renters are often at the mercy of their landlords and so this is part of a stepped up effort to make sure the owners of these buildings are in compliance with their heating and cooling systems, as well as other important code and safety issues,” Bell said. “Our goal is to work with every property owner and to get them into compliance without tickets or fines. But if conditions warrant, we will take whatever steps are necessary to protect the occupants of a rental property.”

Residents in rental properties may report heating problems and other issues by calling 313-628-2451 or emailing propertymaintenance@detroitmi.gov. BSEED said that it will have online reporting forms available for residents in January, along with a searchable database of properties that are registered with the city and have been issued certificates of compliance.

Contact Matt Helms: mhelms@freepress.com or on Twitter: @matthelms.