Livonia certificate of occupancy to sell a home
Only in some cases. Livonia does not inspect an ordinary owner-occupied resale, but it does require a rental license in these situations: Rentals only: annual rental license and inspection; rental properties with open violations cannot transfer title until inspected. No owner-occupied resale inspection found.
Verified against City of Livonia Rental License Application on October 27, 2026. Fees, forms and timelines are set by the city and change without notice. Confirm with the Building Inspection Department, 33000 Civic Center Dr 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 Livonia rule at a glance
| Required to sell? | Limited cases |
|---|---|
| What the city calls it | Rental License |
| When it applies | Rentals only: annual rental license and inspection; rental properties with open violations cannot transfer title until inspected. No owner-occupied resale inspection found. |
| Fee | Single-family rental $105 ($45 license + $60 inspection); two-family $145; $45 missed-appointment fee |
| Department | Building Inspection Department, 33000 Civic Center Dr |
| Phone | (734) 466-2580 |
Livonia requirements (official) · Application / form · City website
“Rental properties with open violations cannot transfer title until all open violations are inspected and approved” — Livonia, City of Livonia Rental License Application
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 Livonia 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 Wayne County
- Allen Park Required to sell
- Belleville Required to sell
- Brownstown Township Limited cases
- Dearborn Required to sell
- Detroit Not required
- Ecorse Required to sell
- Flat Rock Required to sell
- Gibraltar Required to sell
- Grosse Ile Township Limited cases
- Grosse Pointe Required to sell
- Grosse Pointe Farms Required to sell
- Grosse Pointe Park Required to sell
All Wayne County municipalities are on the C of O hub.
Common questions
Do I need a certificate of occupancy to sell a house in Livonia?
Not for an ordinary owner-occupied resale. Livonia requires a rental license only when: Rentals only: annual rental license and inspection; rental properties with open violations cannot transfer title until inspected. No owner-occupied resale inspection found..
What is a point-of-sale (pre-sale) inspection in Livonia?
It is the same thing as the rental license 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 Livonia's answer differs from its neighbours'.
Is this Livonia information current?
It was read from Livonia'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 Building Inspection Department, 33000 Civic Center Dr 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.