Short answer: As of our October 2026 check, Detroit has no short-term rental license. The zoning code bars using a home for paid overnight guests as a home occupation, and Council's Legislative Policy Division wrote in June 2025 that short-term rentals are currently prohibited. A short-term rental ordinance was proposed but, in City records we found, not adopted.
Sources conflict on this topic. Many websites describe a Detroit Airbnb license or a 90-day cap. Those details come from unadopted drafts (2019 and 2024), not from a law in force. Below is what the City's own records say, with links. Confirm with the City before you host.
What the official record says
| Date | Official record | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Zoning code | Sec. 50-12-492(d) | "Use of a dwelling to accommodate paid overnight guests is prohibited as a home occupation." Bed and breakfast inns are allowed outside R1 and R2 districts under separate rules. |
| 2019 to 2021 | LPD chronology | Corporation Counsel advised against enforcing the home-occupation ban on short-term rentals; Council extended its review of a repeal four times. |
| Jan 3, 2024 | LPD draft ordinance | A draft would create short-term rental licensing in Chapter 8 of the City Code. A draft is not law. |
| Oct 2024 | City Planning Commission | Recommended keeping the zoning ban until a short-term rental ordinance is ready for Council. |
| June 24, 2025 | LPD report | "Currently short-term rentals in the City are prohibited," while noting the code is expected to be amended. |
| July 3, 2025 | LPD supplement | The City does not currently have authority to impose the 2% excise tax that was discussed, including on short-term rentals. |
| Oct 8, 2025 | City public meeting | Held to "discuss the proposed Short-Term Rental Ordinance," which defines a short-term rental as 27 consecutive days or less. |
We found no adopted Detroit short-term rental ordinance or license on any City page as of October 26, 2026. Anything after October 2025 that we couldn't find is unverified.
So can I host on Airbnb in Detroit?
We can't give legal advice. The official record says the zoning code prohibits paid overnight guests as a home occupation, the City's own policy staff called short-term rentals "currently prohibited" in 2025, and enforcement has historically been limited. That's a real legal risk, especially if neighbors complain. Before you list, call BSEED or your Council member's office, read the current ordinance status, and talk to a Michigan real estate attorney. Rentals of 28 days or more are generally treated as ordinary rentals, which need Detroit's rental registration and Certificate of Compliance.
What about the suburbs?
Rules differ city by city. Ann Arbor and Ferndale publish their own short-term rental rules. See our Ann Arbor and Ferndale pages for links, and check your city's official site for others.
If you host (anywhere)
- Keep turnovers consistent and documented: our Airbnb turnover checklist.
- Know the 14-day damage window: documenting guest damage.
- Be a good neighbor: trash out on time, quiet hours, parking rules in your listing.
Sources
- Detroit City Code Sec. 50-12-492, home occupations (Municode)
- Detroit City Council Legislative Policy Division: Report on Short Term Rental Tax (PDF, June 24, 2025)
- Detroit LPD: Supplemental Report on Feasibility of Short Term Rental Tax (PDF, July 3, 2025)
- Detroit LPD: Draft Short Term Rental Ordinance (Jan 3, 2024)
- City of Detroit event: How Should Detroit handle Short-Term Rentals? (Oct 8, 2025)
- City of Ann Arbor: Rental Housing Services (incl. STR guide)
- City of Ferndale: Short-Term Rentals
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the official sources above before you rely on them.
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