The Overview

If you want to build a small apartment building in Michigan, you may no longer need to include two stairwells. Michigan's single-stair law, House Bill 5570, became law when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed it July 21. States have been reconsidering multi-staircase requirements as a way to lower building costs and expand housing supply, with the trade-off being fire-safety rules, according to the *New York Times*. ​

What the Law Does

The law adds a new section to Michigan's construction code allowing a multi-family dwelling with no more than four levels above ground to use a single interior exit stairway if it meets specific conditions. Those conditions include:

  • No more than four units per level and no more than 4,000 square feet of net floor area per level.
  • An exit travel distance of no more than 125 feet from the farthest point on any level to the stairway.
  • A manual fire alarm system, automatic smoke detection, and an occupant notification system, all installed to code, with smoke detectors in corridors, laundry rooms, and the stairway.
  • Sprinklers in the stairway meeting National Fire Protection Association standards, a stairway at least 48 inches wide, and no elevator opening into the stairway enclosure.

The Michigan House Fiscal Agency found the law would have no fiscal impact on state or local government.

Legislative Status

Rep. Parker Fairbairn (R-MI-107) sponsored the bill, and 14 cosponsors joined him, including Matt Longjohn, Timothy Beson, Gregory Markkanen, Curtis VanderWall, and Joseph Aragona.

The House passed the bill June 11 by 97 to 9. The bill passed 33 to 3 on July 3, 2026.

Whitmer said the law allows more homes to be built on vacant lots by permitting a single stairwell in smaller apartment buildings. Lauren Strickland, executive director of Abundant Housing Michigan, told HousingWire the bill could propel the momentum needed to change laws to make housing more affordable.

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