Renting or Occupying an Existing Commercial Property Without Changing the Use

Once you have located a space to rent or have purchased a property and would like to occupy it, you will be ready to begin the Commercial Re-Occupancy process.

Every new business is required to submit a Commercial Re-Occupancy Application Form to the City.

Once your application is accepted, you will be contacted to schedule a full inspection of the space within approximately 10 business days. The building official will use the contact name and phone number from the application to schedule your appointment.

You will be visited by a building, electrical, mechanical, sanitation and plumbing inspector. Allow approximately four hours of time for all of the inspectors to visit your location. All building utilities MUST be turned on and in working order.

If corrections are needed, you will be given a set of inspection reports outlining all necessary corrections needed to receive a Certificate of Occupancy. You may also be required to have a fire inspection and/or a Cross Connection Control (backflow) inspection. These items can vary, depending on the type of business and the condition of the space.

You will have 90 days to complete the items on the inspection reports. During that time, you may NOT occupy that space or open for business.

Your inspection reports will indicate if any permits will be required to complete any items. Permits must be pulled by a contractor who is registered with the City of Dearborn. Click here for information on permits and all applications.

Once all items on the inspection reports have been completed, you must contact each inspector by calling the number on the bottom of the inspection form for a final inspection and signoff approval. Once all approvals are granted, your Certificate of Occupancy will be mailed to your new business. Allow approximately seven business days for processing.