“Michigan law does not explicitly mention ‘bed bugs’”
That sentence is the state health department’s, from the Michigan Manual for the Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs. It continues: “However, laws that authorize the government to protect the public against vermin, rodents and insects, or nuisances or conditions detrimental to human health, also apply to protect the public against bed bugs.” Those laws are below.
The Housing Law of Michigan: MCL 125.474
“Every dwelling and every part thereof shall be kept clean and shall also be kept free from any accumulation of dirt, filth, rubbish, garbage or other matter ... The owner of every dwelling shall be responsible for keeping the entire building free from vermin. The owner shall also be responsible for complying with the provisions of this section except that the tenants shall be responsible for the cleanliness of those parts of the premises that they occupy and control.”
The Act applies to every city of 10,000 or more (MCL 125.401), so to all of Grand Rapids. Its definition of “nuisance” includes any dwelling “not sufficiently ... cleaned” and declares all such nuisances illegal (125.402(18)). The manual’s summary: “Owners are responsible for keeping the entire building free from vermin. Tenants are responsible for the cleanliness of those parts of the premises that they occupy and control.”
Enforcement and the charge-back: MCL 125.534 and 125.536
An owner or occupant may sue to enforce the Act in their own name (125.534(2)). The court can let a blameless occupant correct a violation and “deduct the cost from the rent,” or, if “the occupant is the cause,” let the owner correct it and “assess the cost against the occupant or the occupant’s security deposit” (125.534(5)). An occupant who has given notice and seen no correction “shall have an action against the owner for such damages he has actually suffered” (125.536(1)).
The lease covenant: MCL 554.139
“In every lease or license of residential premises, the lessor or licensor covenants: (a) That the premises and all common areas are fit for the use intended by the parties. (b) To keep the premises in reasonable repair during the term of the lease or license, and to comply with the applicable health and safety laws of the state and of the local unit of government where the premises are located, except when the disrepair or violation of the applicable health or safety laws has been caused by the tenants wilful or irresponsible conduct or lack of conduct.”
Paragraph (b) is what pulls the Grand Rapids Property Maintenance Code into every lease in the city. That code →
The bills that died
Bed bug bills were introduced in 2013 (HB 5199), 2015 (HB 4520 and SB 294), 2017 (HB 4719) and 2019 (HB 4777). HB 4520 passed the House 55–50 on December 8, 2016 and died in a Senate committee; the rest never left committee. The 2019 text would have required a landlord to schedule a professional inspection within seven days of written notice, begin control within seven days of confirmation, inspect adjoining units, and treat tenant-caused costs as “additional rent” — and would have barred a tenant from treating the unit. None of it is law. If a website tells you Michigan landlords “must treat within seven days,” it is quoting a dead bill.
What this means in practice
The owner carries the duty for the building; the tenant carries cleanliness of their unit and, if they caused it, the cost. MSU Extension’s reading for landlords: “Michigan law requires that landlords make a good-faith effort to provide housing that is free from bed bugs,” and once aware, a manager “should immediately arrange an inspection of the unit and if necessary, schedule treatment.” The manual’s reading for tenants: “Landlords, property managers AND residents are legally required to make a good-faith effort.” The inspection report is where good faith starts.