Ferndale certificate of occupancy to sell a home
Only in some cases. Ferndale does not inspect an ordinary owner-occupied resale, but it does require a certificate of occupancy (business) in these situations: Certificate of Occupancy inspection request is a business/commercial form; rentals must be registered and inspected; no residential resale inspection found on city pages.
Verified against Building Services - City of Ferndale on October 27, 2026. Fees, forms and timelines are set by the city and change without notice. Confirm with the Community & Economic Development 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 Ferndale rule at a glance
| Required to sell? | Limited cases |
|---|---|
| What the city calls it | Certificate of Occupancy (business) |
| When it applies | Certificate of Occupancy inspection request is a business/commercial form; rentals must be registered and inspected; no residential resale inspection found on city pages. |
| Department | Community & Economic Development |
| Phone | 248-546-2366 |
Ferndale requirements (official) · Application / form · City website
“All rental properties in the City of Ferndale must be registered with the Community and Economic Development Department.” — Ferndale, Building Services - City of Ferndale
What this means for your closing
For a typical owner-occupied sale nothing is owed to the city. If the home falls into one of the cases above, treat it like a required city: order the inspection the week of listing and ask about temporary certificates and repair escrows.
The tax bill changes hands too: after a sale the taxable value uncaps, so the buyer's bill is not the seller's. See Ferndale 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
- Auburn Hills Not required
- 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
- 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 Ferndale?
Not for an ordinary owner-occupied resale. Ferndale requires a certificate of occupancy (business) only when: Certificate of Occupancy inspection request is a business/commercial form; rentals must be registered and inspected; no residential resale inspection found on city pages..
What is a point-of-sale (pre-sale) inspection in Ferndale?
It is the same thing as the certificate of occupancy (business) 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 Ferndale's answer differs from its neighbours'.
Is this Ferndale information current?
It was read from Ferndale'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 & Economic Development 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.