Report a Complaint About a Vacant House or Building

We know it's important to prevent the dangers of unsecured structures. Property owners are responsible for the security of a vacant house. You can report a complaint if a vacant house or building has:

• Windows, doors, or other openings that don't shut or lock
• Broken doors or windows
• Owners can board up windows and doors. The board must be white or the house color. 

Together, you and your neighbors form a strong community. Working together to resolve an issue can create a stronger block and neighborhood. We’ve put together optional first steps before filing a complaint with us.

• Try talking with the property owner. If you need help finding the owner of a property, contact the City Assessors' Office online or at (616) 456-3081
• Contact your Neighborhood Association to see if they're able to help the owner

We use a third party application called Citizen Access to receive complaints about vacant housing. You can submit a complaint anonymously without logging in, or create an account and log in first to make it easier for you to track the status of the complaint over time.

Haven't used Citizen Access before? Make sure to review how to create an account before starting.

We'll start a case after we review and accept your complaint. Then we send a letter to the owner for complaints we enforce. Our inspectors follow up with an on-site inspection. If timely corrections aren't completed, the process continues. If the complaint is a hazard, our inspectors inspect the condition as soon as possible. You can track this online through Citizen Access.

Check out our enforcement process(PDF) for more details. 

Want to see what's happening with the complaint you filed? Visit the Citizen Access website:

• Click the Enforcement tab. 
• Click on the Case Number for more information
• Don't see your complaint case Case Records? Search by Site Address, Parcel Number, or Case Number in the General Search section of the page
• If you logged in before submitting your complaint, you'll see the case listed under Case Records