Auburn Hills certificate of occupancy to sell a home
No. Auburn Hills does not require a city inspection or certificate of occupancy to sell an owner-occupied home. Certificate of Occupancy is issued only on completion of permitted construction; no pre-sale/resale inspection or fee exists (separate vacant-home and rental-home registration programs apply).
Verified against Building - Auburn Hills on October 27, 2026. Fees, forms and timelines are set by the city and change without notice. Confirm with the Community Development Department - Building Division before you list, sign or close; this page is general information from a licensed broker, not legal advice, and Match Realty is not responsible for decisions made in reliance on it.
The Auburn Hills rule at a glance
| Required to sell? | Not required |
|---|---|
| What the city calls it | Certificate of Occupancy |
| When it applies | Certificate of Occupancy is issued only on completion of permitted construction; no pre-sale/resale inspection or fee exists (separate vacant-home and rental-home registration programs apply). |
| Fee | No resale/pre-sale fee listed; 2026 fee schedule: Vacant Residential Home Registration $200; Rental Home Registration $200; Staff Inspection for Vacant Home or Rental Home Registration $155; Tenant Occupancy Inspection (commercial) $57 |
| Department | Community Development Department - Building Division |
| Phone | 248-364-6900 (inspection line 248-364-6949) |
Auburn Hills requirements (official) · City website
“A Certificate of Occupancy will be issued when construction is completed according to all applicable codes” — Auburn Hills, Building - Auburn Hills
What this means for your closing
Nothing is owed to the city for an ordinary resale, so the only inspection in play is the buyer's own. The seller still has Michigan's statutory disclosure duty, and any open building permit should be closed out before listing: it is the one thing a title company or lender in Auburn Hills will still ask about.
The tax bill changes hands too: after a sale the taxable value uncaps, so the buyer's bill is not the seller's. See Auburn Hills property taxes for the 2025 millage and the uncapped bill on a $350,000 home. For the state transfer tax owed at closing, use the Michigan transfer tax calculator.
Nearby in Oakland County
- Berkley Limited cases
- Bloomfield Hills Not required
- Bloomfield Township Not required
- Clawson Limited cases
- Commerce Township Not required
- Farmington Limited cases
- Farmington Hills Limited cases
- Fenton Limited cases
- Ferndale Limited cases
- Hazel Park Limited cases
- Highland Township Not required
- Huntington Woods Limited cases
All Oakland County municipalities are on the C of O hub.
Common questions
Do I need a certificate of occupancy to sell a house in Auburn Hills?
No. Auburn Hills does not inspect or certify an ordinary residential resale. Certificate of Occupancy is issued only on completion of permitted construction; no pre-sale/resale inspection or fee exists (separate vacant-home and rental-home registration programs apply).
What is a point-of-sale (pre-sale) inspection in Auburn Hills?
It is the same thing as the certificate of occupancy requirement: a city inspector checks the home against the property-maintenance code before the sale closes or the new owner moves in, and the city issues a certificate (or a temporary one with repairs escrowed) when it passes. Michigan has no statewide rule; each city or township sets its own, which is why Auburn Hills's answer differs from its neighbours'.
Is this Auburn Hills information current?
It was read from Auburn Hills's own published requirements on October 27, 2026, and that source page is re-checked automatically every week. Cities change fees and forms without notice, so confirm with the Community Development Department - Building Division before you rely on it.
Point-of-sale and certificate-of-occupancy rules are local ordinances. Match Realty LLC compiles them from each municipality's own publications and does not guarantee completeness or accuracy. Always verify with the municipality. This page is general information from a licensed broker, not legal advice.