Detroit Council urging inspections of Munoz Realty’s entire portfolio

September 23, 2026

The Detroit City Council has unanimously passed a resolution demanding comprehensive inspections of all properties owned by landlord Gaston Munoz and his company Munoz Realty, following years of complaints about substandard living conditions. This action stems from a July legal settlement that required Munoz to rehabilitate 299 properties and reduce his roughly $460,000 in blight fines by half once repairs are completed, though only about one-third of his 453 properties had required safety certifications when the lawsuit was filed. Council members who opposed the original settlement argue it was too lenient and are now pushing for stricter enforcement, including inspecting all Munoz properties beyond those covered in the settlement agreement.

Who is affected

Tenants living in properties owned or managed by Gaston Munoz and Munoz Realty
Children and seniors residing in Munoz-managed properties
Gaston Munoz and Munoz Realty/affiliates
Detroit's Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED)
Detroit City Council members (Mary Waters, Renata Miller, Denzel McCampbell, Coleman A. Young II, Gabriela Santiago-Romero, Angela Whitfield-Calloway)
Other Detroit landlords with multiple properties under limited liability corporations
Detroit residents seeking rental housing

What action is being taken

The City Council is urging BSEED to inspect all residential and commercial properties owned or managed by Munoz Realty
Munoz is required to abate 299 properties on a monthly schedule and get them re-inspected and certified by BSEED under the July settlement
Council Member Waters is talking to state lawmakers about legislative actions to regulate landlords with multiple LLCs
The city has a new online system for tenants to report building issues at www.detroitmi.gov/TenantSupport

Why it matters

This resolution matters because it addresses systemic failures in protecting Detroit renters from dangerous and substandard housing conditions, with only one-third of Munoz's properties having required safety certifications when the lawsuit was filed. The case represents a broader issue of landlord accountability in Detroit, where only about one-third of rental properties are properly registered and even fewer have passed inspections. It also highlights the challenge of balancing enforcement against negligent landlords while addressing the reality that many residents desperately need affordable housing and will accept substandard conditions just to have shelter. The outcome could set precedent for how Detroit handles other habitually noncompliant landlords and whether the city can effectively debar or restrict bad actors from operating in the rental market.

What's next

BSEED is expected to conduct comprehensive inspections of all Munoz properties beyond the 299 covered in the settlement
BSEED will provide regular written reports to the Council detailing progress toward compliance, repairs, abatements, and violations
Funding for BSEED will be prioritized during the city's next budget talks to ensure adequate staffing
Council members are exploring passing additional ordinances or implementing debarment procedures for habitually noncompliant landlords
Council Member Whitfield-Calloway is advocating for a Zillow-like dashboard showing compliance information and virtual tours for rental properties

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com