Report a Complaint About Backyard Chickens

Residents of Grand Rapids have the right to have chickens in their yard with an approved permit. However, if your neighbor does not have a Backyard Chicken permit then you can file a complaint. Roosters are not allowed. Here are some of the rules they need to follow if they have a permit:

• Roosters are prohibited
• Chickens must live in the backyard
• Chickens must be in a fenced-in coop
• No more than six chickens
• Chicken feed should be in rodent proof container
• No butchering of chickens on the property

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. We give the owner 14 days to correct the violation(s). 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