City Place Detroit says it pays a pest-control contractor to assess and treat reported problems, arrange preventive treatment in neighboring units, and address shared areas. In a statement reported by WXYZ, vice president of property management Jamie-Lynn Huitema disputed calling the situation an infestation. She said the company may address housekeeping problems or residents’ failure to follow treatment directions, including with formal notices or further enforcement when warranted and legally appropriate.
What Michigan law says about pest problems
Michigan law requires residential landlords to covenant that rental premises and common areas are fit for their intended use, kept in reasonable repair, and in compliance with applicable health and safety laws. The law provides an exception for conditions caused by tenants’ wilful or irresponsible conduct or lack of conduct, according to the Michigan Legislature.
Tenant accounts reported by WXYZ raise questions about how effective treatment has been. Micha Nunn told the station she moved into a one-bedroom apartment on October 19 and found roaches that first night, including in the bathroom and on her bathmat. She said she could not use the shower and left four days after moving in.
Nunn told WXYZ that after a pest-control crew treated her apartment, she saw roaches again the next morning in the bathroom and on her bedroom walls. She also said a neighbor reported finding roaches in his kitchen and refrigerator. A current tenant who spoke to the station off camera said treatment in their unit had little effect beyond perhaps a day. WXYZ reported seeing a pest-control worker at the property on Thursday.
The complaints arise amid wider questions about rental inspections in Detroit, though the citywide figures do not establish conditions at City Place. Outlier Media reported that 10% of Detroit rental properties had a certificate of compliance when City Council approved updated rental rules in late 2024; that figure had reached 14% by the time of its report. The update reduced required inspections to one visit focused on essential health and safety issues and removed lead-testing requirements for most properties. Outlier also reported that a city rent-escrow program, expected to be fully operating by spring 2025, was not yet running when the outlet published its report.
