Renters

Thanks to a recent law passed by the Michigan legislature, it should be easy for a tenant to have the RRC removed from a rental house or apartment building where they reside. Typically, all you have to do is make a written request to owner of the rental property and the owner would then file a form with the Washtenaw County Register of Deeds.

If the owner of a rental property refuses to voluntarily remove the RRC, then the tenant has the right, under the new law, to file a lawsuit to repeal the covenant. But we don’t expect that to be necessary—especially given how easy it is for the owner of the property to simply file a form repealing the RRC.

The repeal process for renters consists of three parts:

  1. Find out if your home has an RRC

  2. Send your landlord a written request to repeal the RRC

  3. Consider filing a lawsuit

Step One: Find Out If Your Home Has an RRC

Not all homes in Washtenaw County have an RRC—most RRCs in Washtenaw County were added to buildings or neighborhoods between 1920 and 1950. To find out if your home has an RRC, search for your address on our Map of Neighborhoods with RRCs.

NOTE: Our current maps are incomplete, so if your home or subdivision is not marked as one with a RRC, your home still may have an RRC. We are working with Washtenaw County to obtain access to digital deeds that will permit us to create a much more complete map of both neighborhoods and individual homes with RRCs by the end of 2024.

Second, to manually search for an RRC, find and request a copy of your landlord’s deed on the Washtenaw County Register of Deeds website. To assist in their search, renters can find their landlord’s lot numbers, also called legal descriptions, online by searching for their address here. You can also consult this how-to guide for finding RRCs in Ann Arbor subdivision deeds, developed by Jared Aumen.

NOTE: This guide is not comprehensive and does not account for all subdivision-wide RRCs in all Washtenaw County. Additional research may be required to identify whether your home has an RRC.

Lastly, if you are still unsure whether your home has an RRC and would like our help, please fill out our interest form and we will get in contact with you soon.

Step Two: Send Your Landlord a Written Request

Contact your landlord in writing, informing them that you have discovered a RRC attached to their property and requesting that they repeal the RRC under the new law passed by the Michigan legislature.

For an example of a letter you can write to your landlord or owner of the house or apartment building where you live, click here.

Step Three: Consider Filing A Lawsuit

If the landlord or owner refuses to file the form repealing the RRC, you can consult a lawyer or contact Justice InDeed at JusticeInDeedMI@gmail.com. We cannot promise to represent you, but we are interested in knowing what is happening and may be able to make a referral.

Need Help?

Please contact us with questions on how to repeal a racially restrictive covenant at JusticeInDeedmi@umich.edu.