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Michigan landlord-tenant law.

Updated August 2026. Local rent control ordinances are expressly banned statewide (MCL 123.411); no city or county may adopt one, and there is no state rent control either.

Deposit limit

1.5 months' rent maximum (MCL 554.602)

Deposit return

Must be returned within 30 days after the tenancy ends along with an itemized list of damages, or the landlord forfeits the right to withhold anything (MCL 554.609 and 554.613)

Notice to pay

7 days' written demand for possession after rent is due and unpaid, using the same notice to start a nonpayment eviction (MCL 600.5714(1)(a); form DC 100a)

Landlord entry

No statute sets a specific notice period for landlord entry; Michigan is one of the few states without one, so courts and standard practice expect reasonable notice, commonly treated as 24 hours, during reasonable hours

Security deposits

Deposit limit. 1.5 months' rent maximum (MCL 554.602)

Getting it back. Must be returned within 30 days after the tenancy ends along with an itemized list of damages, or the landlord forfeits the right to withhold anything (MCL 554.609 and 554.613)

Late fees and rent

No statutory dollar or percentage cap; the fee must be stated in the written lease and be reasonable, courts have generally upheld fees in the 5 to 10 percent of rent range and struck down clearly punitive ones; no grace period is required by statute unless the lease grants one

Ending a tenancy

Nonpayment of rent. 7 days' written demand for possession after rent is due and unpaid, using the same notice to start a nonpayment eviction (MCL 600.5714(1)(a); form DC 100a)

Month-to-month termination. 1 month's written notice to end a month to month tenancy, with the notice period running from delivery to the tenant (MCL 554.134)

Landlord entry

No statute sets a specific notice period for landlord entry; Michigan is one of the few states without one, so courts and standard practice expect reasonable notice, commonly treated as 24 hours, during reasonable hours

Required disclosures

  • Federal lead paint disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. 4852d; 40 CFR Part 745), alongside the state lead hazard disclosure requirement (MCL 333.5451)
  • Truth in Renting Act notice, printed in at least 12 point type, telling tenants the agreement must comply with the Act and directing them to seek legal help with questions (MCL 554.634)
  • Name and address where legal notices to the landlord must be sent (MCL 554.634)
  • Two blank commencement inventory checklists furnished at move-in so the tenant can document unit condition and return one copy within 7 days (MCL 554.608)

Lease clauses that do not hold up

  • Any lease clause waiving a tenant's rights or remedies under the Truth in Renting Act, void and unenforceable (MCL 554.633)
  • Confession of judgment clauses (MCL 554.633)
  • Waiver of the tenant's right to a jury trial or to notice and a hearing before eviction (MCL 554.633)
  • Clauses shifting the landlord's attorney fees or costs onto the tenant beyond what statute or court rule allows (MCL 554.633)

Notes for landlords

Michigan is unusual in requiring a physical move-in and move-out inventory checklist system and a mandatory Truth in Renting Act notice printed in every lease; skipping either is a common landlord compliance gap that can undercut deposit deductions later. There is no rent control anywhere in the state and none can be adopted locally.

Sources

This guide is general legal information for landlords, not legal advice. Statutes change and local ordinances can add stricter rules on top of state law. Confirm any requirement with the current statute or a licensed attorney in your state before acting on it.

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