Michigan Landlord-Tenant Laws: Key Rental Rules (2026)
Security deposits, notice periods, landlord entry, and other key rental rules in Michigan, each linked to the state law it comes from.
By the ListMyHomes.com™ Editorial TeamPublished Last reviewed
This page summarizes the main landlord-tenant rules in Michigan. Each rule in the table below links to the law it comes from.
Key rules at a glance
| Rule | Michigan |
|---|---|
| Where these laws apply | Michigan's landlord-tenant laws apply statewide, with no county or population limit. The security deposit law covers rental units used as a home or residence, including apartments, boarding and rooming houses, mobile home spaces, and single and 2-family homes. The Truth in Renting Act covers written rental agreements for residential premises, other than agreements limited to basic terms such as the parties, the premises, the rental period and the rent; it excludes hotels, motels and other tourist lodging used temporarily, and an owner's main residence rented occasionally during temporary absences. MCL 554.601(c); MCL 554.632(a), (b) |
| Security deposit limit | No more than 1½ months' rent. Any required prepaid rent other than the first full rental period counts as part of the deposit. MCL 554.602; MCL 554.601(d) |
| Where deposits are held | Deposits must be kept in a regulated financial institution. The landlord may use the money for any purpose if the landlord files a cash or surety bond with the Michigan Secretary of State securing all deposits up to $50,000 plus 25% of any amount above $50,000. MCL 554.604(1) |
| Returning the deposit | If the landlord claims damages or other charges against the deposit, the landlord must mail the tenant an itemized notice of damages within 30 days after the tenant's occupancy ends, with a check or money order for the balance. The balance may instead be sent by direct deposit or electronic transfer, deposited in the tenant's account within 10 days after the notice is mailed (2026 PA 102, effective September 21, 2026). A landlord who misses the 30-day notice deadline is treated as agreeing that no damages are due and must return the full deposit immediately. The tenant must give the landlord a forwarding address in writing within 4 days after moving out; if the tenant does not, the landlord need not send the notice of damages, but the tenant keeps the right to claim the deposit. MCL 554.609(1)-(3); MCL 554.610; MCL 554.611 |
| Deposit deductions | A deposit may be used only for actual damage to the unit or its facilities caused by conduct not reasonably expected in normal living, unpaid rent (including rent due when the tenant ends the lease early) and utility bills the tenant did not pay. For a unit with a deposit, the landlord must use inventory checklists at move-in and move-out, and at move-out lists all damages claimed to be caused by the tenant. A tenant who receives a notice of damages must respond by ordinary mail within 7 days, stating agreement or disagreement in detail. Within 45 days after the occupancy ends, the landlord may sue for the damages claimed or, instead, return the balance (or an amount agreed in writing); the landlord may not keep any part of the deposit for claimed damages without a court judgment unless an exception applies, such as no forwarding address, no response to the notice, a written agreement, or a claim based entirely on unpaid rent. A landlord who does not comply fully waives all claimed damages and owes the tenant double the amount of the deposit kept. MCL 554.607; 554.608(1), (5); 554.612; 554.613 |
| Interest on deposits | Not required by MCL 554.131 to 554.139, 554.601 to 554.616 or 554.631 to 554.641. MCL 554.131-554.139, 554.601-554.616, 554.631-554.641 (no provision) |
| Landlord entry notice | No notice period in MCL 554.131 to 554.139, 554.601 to 554.616 or 554.631 to 554.641. MCL 554.131-554.139, 554.601-554.616, 554.631-554.641 (no provision) |
| Notice to end a month-to-month lease | An estate at will or by sufferance may be ended by either party with 1 month's notice; if rent is payable at intervals of less than 3 months, notice equal to the interval between rent payments is enough. A notice is not void because its end date does not match a rental period; it ends the tenancy after a period equal to the interval between payments. MCL 554.134(1) |
| Rent-increase notice | No general notice period in MCL 554.131 to 554.139, 554.601 to 554.616 or 554.631 to 554.641. A written lease may not let the landlord change its terms after it begins without the tenant's written consent, except that it may allow certain adjustments on at least 30 days' written notice, including rent changes to cover higher property taxes, charges for electricity, heating fuel, water or sewer service, or liability, fire or worker compensation insurance premiums. A court may not enter a judgment for possession if the landlord tried to increase the tenant's lease obligations as a penalty for the tenant's lawful acts, such as enforcing rights or complaining to a government authority, and the tenant's failure to meet them was the main reason for ending the tenancy. MCL 554.633(1)(l); MCL 554.632(a); MCL 600.5720(1)(e) |
| Late fees | No limit and no grace period in MCL 554.131 to 554.139, 554.601 to 554.616 or 554.631 to 554.641. MCL 554.131-554.139, 554.601-554.616, 554.631-554.641 (no provision) |
| Notice for unpaid rent | If the tenant does not pay rent, the landlord may end the tenancy with a written 7-day notice to quit. The landlord may recover possession in court if the tenant stays after failing to pay the rent due within 7 days after service of a written demand for possession. The demand must be in writing, addressed to the person in possession, describe the premises, clearly state the reasons and the time allowed to remedy them, state the amount due, and be dated and signed by the person entitled to possession or that person's attorney or agent. MCL 554.134(2); MCL 600.5714(1)(a); MCL 600.5716 |
| Rent control | Not allowed. Local governments may not enact, maintain or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would control the amount of rent charged for private residential property. They may still manage and control residential property in which they have a property interest, and use voluntary incentives and agreements to increase the supply of moderate- or low-cost private rental housing. MCL 123.411(2)-(4) |
| Required landlord disclosures | A landlord may not require a deposit unless, within 14 days after the tenant moves in, the landlord gives written notice of the landlord's name and address for communications, the name and address of the financial institution holding the deposit or of the bond's surety, and the tenant's duty to give a forwarding address in writing within 4 days after moving out, with a required statement in 12-point bold type. At the start of the lease, the landlord must give the tenant 2 blank copies of the move-in inventory checklist. A written lease covered by the Truth in Renting Act must state the name and address for notices to the landlord and must include the Truth in Renting Act notice in a prominent place, in at least 12-point type or letters at least 1/8 inch high. If the lease does not include the statutory statement on release from rent for tenants in danger from domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, the landlord must post that notice in the property management office or deliver it in writing when the lease is signed. MCL 554.603; 554.608(2); 554.634; 554.601b(1) Federal law: For housing built before 1978 (with limited exceptions): before the tenant is bound by the lease, the landlord must give the EPA lead-hazard pamphlet and disclose any known lead-based paint or hazards and any available reports. 42 U.S.C. § 4852d; 40 CFR 745.107 |
| Fair housing protected classes | Religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, marital status and disability. A landlord with 5 or more rental units in Michigan (counting related entities) also may not discriminate based on a tenant's source of income, which includes housing assistance, housing choice vouchers, public assistance, veterans' benefits and Social Security (effective April 2, 2025). Age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status and source of income appear in Michigan's law but not in the federal list. MCL 37.2502(1), (3), (4); MCL 37.1502(1); MCL 554.601c; MCL 554.601(f); 42 U.S.C. § 3604 |
What this means for renters
Before you sign, compare the lease's deposit amount, rent due date, and late-fee terms with the rules above. At move-in, record the unit's condition with dated photos. When you move out, give the written notice your lease and the rules above call for, leave a forwarding address, and keep copies of everything you send and receive.
What this means for landlords who manage their own rental
List the unit with its rent, deposit, and lease terms. Screen every applicant by the same written criteria, within fair-housing law. Collect the deposit and give notices following the rules above, and keep records of the unit's condition at move-in and move-out.
List your rental on ListMyHomes.com for one flat fee, or browse rentals in Michigan listed directly by owners.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Michigan?
No more than 1½ months' rent. Any required prepaid rent other than the first full rental period counts as part of the deposit. See the source in the table above.
How long does a Michigan landlord have to return a security deposit?
If the landlord claims damages or other charges against the deposit, the landlord must mail the tenant an itemized notice of damages within 30 days after the tenant's occupancy ends, with a check or money order for the balance. The balance may instead be sent by direct deposit or electronic transfer, deposited in the tenant's account within 10 days after the notice is mailed (2026 PA 102, effective September 21, 2026). A landlord who misses the 30-day notice deadline is treated as agreeing that no damages are due and must return the full deposit immediately. The tenant must give the landlord a forwarding address in writing within 4 days after moving out; if the tenant does not, the landlord need not send the notice of damages, but the tenant keeps the right to claim the deposit. See the source in the table above.
How much notice must a Michigan landlord give before entering?
No notice period in MCL 554.131 to 554.139, 554.601 to 554.616 or 554.631 to 554.641. See the source in the table above.
How much notice ends a month-to-month lease in Michigan?
An estate at will or by sufferance may be ended by either party with 1 month's notice; if rent is payable at intervals of less than 3 months, notice equal to the interval between rent payments is enough. A notice is not void because its end date does not match a rental period; it ends the tenancy after a period equal to the interval between payments. See the source in the table above.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Michigan?
No general notice period in MCL 554.131 to 554.139, 554.601 to 554.616 or 554.631 to 554.641. A written lease may not let the landlord change its terms after it begins without the tenant's written consent, except that it may allow certain adjustments on at least 30 days' written notice, including rent changes to cover higher property taxes, charges for electricity, heating fuel, water or sewer service, or liability, fire or worker compensation insurance premiums. A court may not enter a judgment for possession if the landlord tried to increase the tenant's lease obligations as a penalty for the tenant's lawful acts, such as enforcing rights or complaining to a government authority, and the tenant's failure to meet them was the main reason for ending the tenancy. See the source in the table above.
How much can a Michigan landlord charge for late rent?
No limit and no grace period in MCL 554.131 to 554.139, 554.601 to 554.616 or 554.631 to 554.641. See the source in the table above.
How much notice must a Michigan landlord give when rent is unpaid?
If the tenant does not pay rent, the landlord may end the tenancy with a written 7-day notice to quit. The landlord may recover possession in court if the tenant stays after failing to pay the rent due within 7 days after service of a written demand for possession. The demand must be in writing, addressed to the person in possession, describe the premises, clearly state the reasons and the time allowed to remedy them, state the amount due, and be dated and signed by the person entitled to possession or that person's attorney or agent. See the source in the table above.
Does Michigan have rent control?
Not allowed. Local governments may not enact, maintain or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would control the amount of rent charged for private residential property. They may still manage and control residential property in which they have a property interest, and use voluntary incentives and agreements to increase the supply of moderate- or low-cost private rental housing. See the source in the table above.
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