White Lake Township certificate of occupancy to sell a home
No. White Lake Township does not require a city inspection or certificate of occupancy to sell an owner-occupied home. Certificate of Occupancy is a new-construction checklist item (blower door test, as-builts, final grade); fee ordinance has no pre-sale/resale fee, only a $200 'Change of Occupancy or New Use Inspection'; rentals are registered separately.
Verified against Notice of Adoption, Ordinance 129 Fee Ordinance (Jan 2023) - White Lake Township on October 27, 2026. Fees, forms and timelines are set by the city and change without notice. Confirm with the White Lake Township Building Department 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 White Lake Township rule at a glance
| Required to sell? | Not required |
|---|---|
| What the city calls it | Certificate of Occupancy |
| When it applies | Certificate of Occupancy is a new-construction checklist item (blower door test, as-builts, final grade); fee ordinance has no pre-sale/resale fee, only a $200 'Change of Occupancy or New Use Inspection'; rentals are registered separately. |
| Fee | No resale fee listed; Change of Occupancy or New Use Inspection $200 (Fee Ordinance 129, Sec. 16) |
| Department | White Lake Township Building Department |
White Lake Township requirements (official) · Application / form · City website
“c. Change of Occupancy or New Use Inspection $200.00” — White Lake Township, Notice of Adoption, Ordinance 129 Fee Ordinance (Jan 2023) - White Lake Township
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 White Lake Township 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 White Lake Township 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
- Ferndale Limited cases
- Hazel Park Limited cases
- Highland Township Not required
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 White Lake Township?
No. White Lake Township does not inspect or certify an ordinary residential resale. Certificate of Occupancy is a new-construction checklist item (blower door test, as-builts, final grade); fee ordinance has no pre-sale/resale fee, only a $200 'Change of Occupancy or New Use Inspection'; rentals are registered separately.
What is a point-of-sale (pre-sale) inspection in White Lake Township?
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 White Lake Township's answer differs from its neighbours'.
Is this White Lake Township information current?
It was read from White Lake Township'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 White Lake Township Building Department 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.