Michigan § 333.5475a - Rental unit containing lead-based hazard; presumption of actual knowledge; violation; penalties; defense; burden of proof; definitions.

(1) A property manager, housing commission, or owner of a rental unit who rents or continues to rent a residential housing unit to a family with a minor child who is found to have 10 micrograms or more of lead per deciliter of venous blood is subject to the penalties provided under subsection (3) if all of the following apply:

(a) The property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit has prior actual knowledge that the rental unit contains a lead-based paint hazard.

(b) At least ninety days have passed since the property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit had actual knowledge of the lead paint hazard.

(c) The property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit has not acted in good faith to reduce the lead paint hazards through interim controls or abatement or a combination of interim controls and abatement.

(2) A property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit is presumed to have prior actual knowledge that a unit contains a lead-based paint hazard only if 1 of the following applies:

(a) The property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit signed an acknowledgment of the hazard as a result of a risk assessment under this chapter at the time the risk assessment was made.

(b) The property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit was served as a result of a risk assessment under this chapter with notice of the hazard by first-class mail and a return receipt of that service was obtained.

(3) A property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit convicted of violating this section is guilty of a crime as follows:

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.

(b) If the property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit was previously convicted of violating this section or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to this section, the property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $10,000.00, or both.

(4) The property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit may assert 1 or more of the following as an affirmative defense in a prosecution of violating this section, and has the burden of proof on that defense by a preponderance of the evidence:

(a) That the property manager, housing commission, or owner of the rental unit requested or contracted with a person having responsibility for maintaining the rental unit to reduce the hazard through interim controls or abatement and reasonably expected that the hazard would be reduced.

(b) That the tenant would not allow entry into or upon premises where the hazard is located or otherwise interfered with correcting the hazard.

(5) As used in this section:

(a) "Property manager" means a person who engages in property management as defined in section 2501 of the occupational code, 1980 PA 299, MCL 339.2501.

(b) "Lead-based paint hazard" means that term as defined in section 5458 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.5458.