Mich. Comp. Laws § 125.1513c — MI Code / Chapter 125 / Act Act-230-of-1972 / Section 125.1513c
Definitions; minimum standards for board and room facilities; inspection; noncompliance; order; penalty; hearing; payment and recovery of civil penalty; applicability of section.
Status: in_force

Sec. 13c.

As used in this section:

"Board and room facility" means a residential building that does not provide separate cooking facilities for individual occupants and that is arranged for primarily nontransient shelter and sleeping accommodations for 3 or more adults. Board and room facility does not include any of the following:

A residential facility for students attending a college or university.

A facility operated, licensed, or regulated by the state or the federal government.

A bed and breakfast regulated under section 4b.

A hotel or motel.

A private dwelling as that term is defined in section 2 of the housing law of Michigan, Act No. 167 of the Public Acts of 1917, being section 125.402 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.

"Operator" means a person who has charge, care, control, or management of a board and room facility.

"Owner" means a person who knows that a residential building in which that person has a legal or equitable interest is being used as a board and room facility, regardless of whether the person has possession of the facility. Owner includes an executor, administrator, trustee, or guardian of the estate of an owner of a residential building if the executor, administrator, trustee, or guardian knows that the residential building is being used as a board and room facility.

"Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity, or other legal entity.

A board and room facility shall comply with the minimum property maintenance standards set forth in this act and in the BOCA national property maintenance code, 1993 edition, as published by the building officials and code administrators international, inc., or the uniform housing code, 1991 edition, as published by the international conference of building officials, which codes are adopted by reference and made a part of this section as if fully set out in this section. In addition, a board and room facility shall comply with all of the following:

Interior stairways shall be enclosed by fire separation assemblies having a 1-hour fire resistance rating with all openings protected with smoke-actuated automatic-closing or self-closing doors having a fire resistance comparable to that required for the enclosure.

Vertical openings shall be protected so that no primary exit route is exposed to an unprotected vertical opening. The vertical opening is protected if the opening is cut off and enclosed in a manner that provides a smoke and fire resisting capability of not less than 1 hour. Any doors or openings shall have fire and smoke resisting capability equivalent to that of the enclosure and shall be automatic-closing on detection of smoke or shall be self-closing.

A fire alarm system shall be installed in accordance with the building code, except in buildings that have a smoke detection system meeting or exceeding the requirements of subdivision (f) if that detection system includes at least 1 manual fire alarm station per floor arranged to initiate the smoke detection alarm.

Initiation of the required fire protective signaling system shall be by manual means as provided by the building code, except in buildings protected throughout with an approved fire suppression system installed in accordance with the building code, with initiation upon actuation of the extinguishing system operation.

Occupant notification of a fire shall be provided automatically, without delay by internal audible alarm in accordance with the building code. Presignal systems are prohibited.

Approved single station or multiple station smoke detectors powered by the building electrical service shall be installed in accordance with the building code on every level. In addition, approved single station smoke detectors powered by the building electrical service shall be provided in each sleeping room, except that existing battery powered detectors shall be accepted if, in the opinion of the code official, they are in operating condition.

Portable fire extinguishers shall bear the label of an approved agency, be of an approved type, and be installed in a visible and accessible location on each occupied floor and basement.

Fire exit drills shall be conducted at least once every 2 months in each facility. Each occupant shall be provided with a written evacuation plan filed with the local authority having jurisdiction. An egress plan shall be posted in each sleeping room showing the building diagram, the room location, and the location of exits.

The interior finish on wall and ceilings and trim materials shall be a minimum class III, tested in accordance with ASTM E-84.

An enforcing agency shall inspect a board and room facility after receiving a complaint alleging a violation by that board and room facility of the minimum standards described in subsection (2), and shall determine whether the board and room facility is in compliance with this act.

If, following an inspection described in subsection (3), an enforcing agency determines that a board and room facility is not in compliance with this act, the enforcing agency shall issue an order to remedy the noncompliance and may issue an order to vacate the premises. The enforcing agency shall serve the order or orders upon the operator of the board and room facility and, if known, the owner of the residential building in which the board and room facility is situated.

This section prescribes minimum standards for board and room facilities. It does not invalidate ordinances or regulations that impose higher standards or stricter requirements.

The enforcing agency may adopt a schedule of monetary civil penalties, not to exceed $500.00 for each violation or day that a violation continues, which may be assessed for a violation of this section. If the enforcing agency believes that an owner or operator has violated this section, it may issue a citation after discovery of the alleged violation. The citation shall be written and shall state with particularity the nature of the violation, the civil penalty established for the violation, and the right to appeal the citation pursuant to subsection (7). The citation shall be delivered or sent by registered mail to the alleged violator.

Not later than 20 days after receipt of the citation, the alleged violator may petition the enforcing agency for an administrative hearing, which shall be held within 60 days after the enforcing agency receives the petition. The administrative hearing may be conducted by a hearing officer, who may affirm, dismiss, or modify the citation. The decision of the hearing officer is final and is not subject to appeal.

A civil penalty assessed by the issuance of a citation under subsection (6) becomes final if a petition is not received within the time specified in subsection (7). A civil penalty imposed shall be paid to the governmental subdivision that has the responsibility of enforcing this section. A civil penalty may be recovered in a civil action brought by the governmental subdivision in the county in which the violation occurred or the defendant resides.

This section applies to a board and room facility constructed or converted for use as a board and room facility after the effective date of this section. Beginning 6 months after the effective date of this section, this section also applies to a board and room facility constructed or converted for use as a board and room facility before the effective date of this section.

History: Add. 1994, Act 106, Imd. Eff. Apr. 18, 1994