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Condominiums and Renters: Does Your Condominium Association Need a Rental Cap?

With the exception of vacation condominiums or condominium hotels, residential condominiums are created with the intention that the co-owners will be owner-occupants.  However, the glut of foreclosures that occurred from 2007 to 2012 led many investors to purchase condominium units for rental purposes.  Moreover, the recovery of the housing market has also led many co-owners to move and rent their units.  Accordingly, the growing number of rentals in condominiums has made “rental caps” a hot topic for many condominium associations.

Condominium associations often adopt rental caps for a variety of reasons.  The most popular reason to adopt a rental cap is to ensure that an association remains eligible to receive FHA Certification.  FHA Certification increases the potential pool of purchasers which often results in increased unit values.  In order to be eligible for FHA Certification, at least 50% of the total units in the condominium project must be owner-occupied. Similarly, many associations adopt rental caps in order to maintain the original character of the development.  Many associations believe that landlord/co-owners do not have a vested interest in the condominium as they do not actually live there.  The same would hold true for the renters who do not have an ownership interest in the condominium.  Detractors of rental caps often claim that the rental cap forces owners into foreclosure and that they are unduly restrictive.  However, a well-drafted rental cap would grandfather existing rentals and create exceptions if co-owners are required to move for medical reasons, employment reasons or other extenuating circumstances.  Accordingly, rental caps can be drafted to prevent investors without unduly restricting co-owners that may experience hardship.

Condominium associations that desire to adopt rental caps should do so before the number of rentals becomes too high. In Michigan, MCL 559.190 requires 2/3 of the co-owners to approve an amendment to the condominium bylaws.  MCL 559.190a also requires 2/3 of mortgagees to approve an amendment to the bylaws that imposes a rental cap.  While 2/3 of the co-owners must affirmatively approve a rental cap, the failure of a mortgagee to respond to a vote to impose a rental cap constitutes a “yes” vote.  Accordingly, the enactment of a rental cap is largely dependent on whether or not 2/3 of the co-owners will affirmatively vote to institute a rental cap.  As such, once 1/3 or more of the units are rented, it is unlikely that a rental cap will be approved.  Accordingly, it is recommended that rental caps allow for no more than 20% of the units to be rented and that a rental cap be proposed well before 1/3 of the units are rented.  While every association is different, and some associations have now become largely become “rental associations” controlled by investors, condominium associations that are controlled by owner-occupants should consult with a condominium attorney to enact rental caps before it is too late.

 Kevin Hirzel is the Managing Member of Hirzel Law, PLC. He concentrates his practice on commercial litigation, community association law, condominium law, Fair Housing Act compliance, homeowners association and real estate law. Mr. Hirzel is a fellow in the College of Community Association Lawyers, a prestigious designation given to less than 175 attorneys in the country.  He has been a Michigan Super Lawyer’s Rising Star in Real Estate Law from 2013-2018, an award given to only 2.5% of the attorneys in Michigan each year. Mr. Hirzel was named an Up & Coming Lawyer by Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly in 2015, an award given to only 30 attorneys in Michigan each year. He represents community associations, condominium associations, cooperatives, homeowners associations, property owners and property managers throughout Michigan. He may be reached at (248) 480-8758 or kevin@hirzellaw.com.

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kevin@hirzellaw.com

Kevin Hirzel is the Managing Member of Hirzel Law, PLC. Hirzel Law has offices in Farmington, Grand Rapids, and Traverse City, Michigan with a fourth office location in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Hirzel focuses his practice on condominium law, homeowners association law, and real estate law. He is a fellow in the College of Community Association Lawyers (“CCAL”), a prestigious designation given to less than 175 attorneys in the country. Mr. Hirzel formerly served on the CCAL National Board of Governors and is a former member of the Community Associations Institute’s (“CAI”) Board of Trustees, an international organization with over 40,000 members worldwide that is dedicated to improving community associations. Mr. Hirzel has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Michigan by Leading Lawyers, a distinction earned by fewer than 5% of all lawyers licensed in Michigan. He has been named a Michigan “Rising Star” in real estate law by Super Lawyers Magazine, a designation is given to no more than 2.5% of the attorneys in Michigan each year. Mr. Hirzel was also named as a “Go-To-Lawyer” in condominium and real estate law by Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly. Hirzel Law was also voted the best law firm in Metro Detroit in the Detroit Free Press Best of the Best awards. He is the Co-Chairman of the State Bar of Michigan’s Real Property Law Section Committee for Condominiums, PUDs & Cooperatives. Mr. Hirzel has authored numerous articles on community association law for publications such as the Michigan Community Association News, Michigan Real Property Review, Macomb County Bar Briefs and the Washington Post. He is also the author of the first and second editions of “Hirzel’s Handbook: How to operate a Michigan Condo or HOA”, which is available for purchase on amazon.com. Mr. Hirzel has been interviewed on community association legal issues by various media outlets throughout the country, such as CBS, CNBC, Common Ground Magazine, Community Association Management Insider, the Dan Abrams Show on SiriusXM Radio, the Detroit News, Dr. Drew Midday Live on KABC Radio, Fox Business News, Fox News, HOALeader.com, the Law & Crime Network, Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly, NPR, WWJ News Radio and WXYZ. Mr. Hirzel is a dynamic speaker and frequently lectures on community association law throughout Michigan, as well as nationally at the CAI National Law Seminar, and is a two-time winner of the best manuscript award at the CAI National Law Seminar.

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