Michigan (MI) law guide
Michigan's rental market spans a wide economic range, from Detroit's affordable urban core to the high-demand college-town market in Ann Arbor, and the law reflects that diversity with rules designed to balance landlord investment protection against meaningful tenant safeguards. The governing framework is the **Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act**, Act 348 of 1972 (MCL 554.601 through 554.616), which sets firm caps on deposits and strict procedural requirements for handling them. Overlapping statutes, including MCL 554.139 on habitability and MCL 600.5714 on summary proceedings, fill out a comprehensive code that rewards landlords who follow the process and imposes real penalties on those who do not.
Security deposit limit
1.5x monthly rent (MCL 554.602)
Deposit return deadline
30 days to mail itemized list; 45 days to return balance (MCL 554.612-613)
Statewide rent control
None, banned statewide since 1988 (MCL 123.1102)
Nonpayment eviction notice
7-day written demand for possession (MCL 600.5714)
Michigan rental market snapshot
Population
~10.1 million (2024 estimate)
Renter households
~27% of households rent
Median rent
~$1,300 (2BR)
Largest rental markets
Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint
Michigan's below-national-average rents in Detroit and Lansing make the state's tight deposit cap of 1.5 months' rent a practical ceiling that rarely constrains landlords, while the Ann Arbor college-rental market runs closer to $1,900 to $2,200 for a two-bedroom, putting maximum allowable deposits in the $2,800 to $3,300 range and making procedural compliance with deposit-return deadlines especially high-stakes.
Michigan sets a hard ceiling on security deposits at 1.5 times the monthly rent under MCL 554.602. That cap applies to the total of all deposit-type funds collected at move-in, including pet deposits and similar charges, but it does not include nonrefundable fees such as cleaning or application fees. A landlord who collects more than the statutory maximum forfeits the right to retain any portion of the deposit and may face a money judgment for double the amount wrongfully withheld.
The deposit must be held in a regulated financial institution, and the landlord is required to provide the tenant with a written receipt identifying the bank and account within 14 days of receiving the deposit. Within 30 days after the tenant vacates, the landlord must mail an itemized written statement of claimed damages along with a check covering the difference between the deposit held and the claimed deductions. If the landlord misses that 30-day window, Michigan courts treat the failure as a waiver, and the landlord must return the full deposit immediately.
The tenant then has 7 days to dispute any line items in writing. If no agreement is reached, the landlord may commence a court action to recover the claimed damages, but must do so within 45 days of move-out or permanently lose the right to keep any portion of the deposit. Normal wear and tear cannot be charged against the deposit under MCL 554.607, and landlords are also prohibited from charging for damage that appeared on the move-in checklist before the current tenant took possession.
Michigan has banned local rent control ordinances since 1988 under the State Construction Code and Preemption Act (MCL 123.1102). That statute expressly prohibits any city, township, or county from enacting rules that limit the amount a landlord may charge for residential rent. Legislative efforts to repeal or narrow the preemption have been introduced repeatedly, most recently in 2024, but none have advanced to the governor's desk. As of mid-2026, no statewide rent stabilization law exists, and no Michigan municipality may legally cap rents.
For month-to-month tenancies, a landlord must deliver a written notice of at least one full rental period (typically 30 days) before a rent increase takes effect. There is no statutory cap on the size of the increase; landlords may raise rent by any amount as long as proper notice is given, the increase is not discriminatory under the Fair Housing Act, and it is not retaliatory. Michigan law (MCL 600.5720) presumes retaliation if an eviction or rent increase follows within 90 days of a tenant exercising protected rights such as reporting a code violation.
Fixed-term leases carry their own built-in protection: a landlord generally cannot raise rent mid-lease unless the lease explicitly permits it. At renewal, the landlord may propose any new amount, but the tenant must be given adequate written notice before the prior lease expires. Starting April 2, 2025, Act 179 of 2024 amended the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to add lawful source of income as a protected class, meaning landlords may not refuse or penalize tenants who pay with housing vouchers or government assistance.
Before a landlord can file an eviction lawsuit in Michigan, the tenant must receive proper written notice. For nonpayment of rent, the required notice is a 7-day written demand for possession under MCL 600.5714(1)(a). The notice must specify the rent owed and give the tenant a full seven days to pay in full or vacate. If the tenant cures the default within that window, the landlord cannot proceed with filing. A lease violation other than nonpayment typically requires a 30-day notice to quit for month-to-month tenants, while holdover tenants after a fixed-term lease ends may receive a shorter demand depending on the lease terms.
After the notice period expires without resolution, the landlord files a Complaint to Recover Possession of Property in the district court where the property is located. Michigan uses a summary proceeding designed to move quickly: the court typically schedules a hearing within 10 to 21 days. If the judge rules in the landlord's favor, the tenant receives a judgment for possession. The court then issues an Order of Eviction, but law enforcement, not the landlord, carries out the physical removal. Self-help eviction is strictly illegal under the Anti-Lockout Act (MCL 600.2918); a landlord who changes locks, shuts off utilities, or removes a tenant's belongings without a court order may owe the tenant actual damages plus up to three times that amount in additional damages.
Tenants retain several defenses at the eviction hearing, including proof of payment, habitability failures by the landlord, procedural defects in the notice, and retaliation. An eviction judgment entered in Michigan district court becomes part of the public record and can affect a tenant's ability to rent elsewhere, which is why informal resolution and payment plans before filing are common. The entire contested process, from notice to writ, typically runs four to eight weeks when no appeals are filed.
Michigan's implied warranty of habitability is codified in MCL 554.139, which requires every landlord to keep the rental unit fit for its intended use and to make repairs throughout the tenancy that comply with applicable state and local health and safety codes. Specific obligations include functional plumbing, electrical, and heating systems, safe stairwells and common areas, and adequate heat from October 1 through May 15 under the Housing Law of Michigan. A landlord cannot waive these duties through lease language, though parties to a lease of at least one year may modify some obligations by written agreement.
When a landlord fails to make necessary repairs after receiving written notice by certified mail, a tenant may take one of two remedies: deposit unpaid rent into an escrow account and withhold it from the landlord pending court resolution, or pay for the repair directly and deduct the cost from rent. Tenants pursuing either remedy should document the condition with photographs and preserve copies of all correspondence. Michigan district courts handle small-claims disputes up to $8,000, making them a practical venue for deposit and habitability disputes without the need for an attorney.
Retaliation is expressly prohibited under MCL 600.5720. A landlord who takes adverse action, including raising rent, issuing a notice to quit, or reducing services, within 90 days after a tenant reports a code violation, joins a tenants' union, or asserts a statutory right faces a legal presumption of retaliation. The 2025 amendment to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (Act 179 of 2024, effective April 2, 2025) extended protected-class status to lawful source of income, meaning landlords across Michigan are now prohibited from rejecting applicants or retaliating against tenants solely because they rely on Section 8 vouchers, rental assistance, or government benefits such as Social Security or disability payments.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Governing statute: Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act (Act 348 of 1972). Laws change; confirm the current statute or consult an attorney before acting. Last reviewed 2026-06-04.
Michigan FAQ
Michigan law (MCL 554.602) caps the total security deposit at 1.5 times the monthly rent. That ceiling covers all deposit-type funds collected at move-in, including pet deposits, but does not include truly nonrefundable fees like application or cleaning fees that are clearly disclosed as nonrefundable.
A Michigan landlord must mail an itemized list of claimed damages within 30 days after the tenant vacates. The full deposit balance (minus any legitimate deductions) must then be returned within 45 days of move-out. Missing the 30-day deadline for the itemized list causes the landlord to forfeit any right to withhold funds, and the entire deposit must be returned immediately.
No. Michigan banned local rent control ordinances in 1988 under MCL 123.1102, and no statewide rent stabilization law has been enacted. Landlords may raise rent by any amount, but must give at least 30 days written notice for month-to-month tenants and cannot raise rent in a discriminatory or retaliatory manner.
Before filing an eviction lawsuit for nonpayment, the landlord must first serve the tenant with a written 7-day demand for possession under MCL 600.5714(1)(a). If the tenant pays the full amount owed within those seven days, the landlord cannot proceed with eviction. After the seven days expire with no payment, the landlord may file in district court.
No. Self-help eviction tactics, including changing locks, cutting off utilities, or removing a tenant's belongings, are illegal in Michigan under the Anti-Lockout Act (MCL 600.2918). A landlord who engages in self-help eviction can owe the tenant actual damages plus up to three times that amount in punitive damages, as well as attorney fees. Only law enforcement may physically remove a tenant after a court-ordered eviction.
Under MCL 554.139, Michigan tenants have the right to a habitable unit. If a landlord fails to make repairs after receiving written notice (sent by certified mail), a tenant may either withhold rent by depositing it into an escrow account pending court resolution, or pay for the repair out of pocket and deduct the cost from rent. Tenants should document conditions thoroughly and preserve all written correspondence before taking either step.
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