GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Here's a story that drives home a simple message for anyone looking for a new place to live: renters beware. Many people rent apartments or single family homes in West Michigan, and you should know what you're getting into before signing a lease.
Michael Henry learned this lesson the hard way.
After living in a rented home for four months, he discovered the home was not in certified compliance with the city. Henry gradually found that the home he was living in needed many repairs, from bubbling and chipping paint to roof leaks to shoddy vents.
“It’s not fair to us to have to uproot because somebody didn't take the time to be responsible enough to make sure that this was a usable, safe home,” said Henry.
“I do the best I can. I am just your average Joe who just tries to provide the best he can for his family."
Henry claims his landlord wasn't fixing any of the problems, and it wasn't long before a random city inspection raised the biggest red flag of all: the city told him the home was not inspected to be rented. In other words, it is not deemed safe to live in.
According to Grand Rapids city code, rental homes must pass inspection for things such as windows being secured so there are no leaks, that ventilation systems are in good condition, proper paint is used, and the list goes on. You can view the guidelines here.
The home Henry and his family was living in had never received a certification of compliance. And Henry had no documentation or promise that his house was safe for his family to live in.
Henry demanded a refund of his security deposit along with the rent he has paid the last four months.
FOX 17 News talked to the landlord, Keith Vandermale, on the phone, and he claims he didn’t know he had to get the place certified until the city told him about it. “I didn’t know it had to be inspected or registered to the city to be considered a rental property,” he said.
Vandermale also says he has agreed to return Henry's security deposit and has a city inspection scheduled for July 13. He is undecided about returning the rent money Henry has paid thus far.
Henry says he is making plans to move out. Both men admit they made some mistakes along the way; Henry is wishing he had done more research and had asked to see a compliance certificate upon moving in to the home, and Vandermale is leaving the renting to a professional.
“I’m not going to be a landlord," Vandermale said. "I am going to turn the property over to a property manager, and let professionals handle it.”
