Michigan Landlord-Tenant Laws: A 2026 Guide for Landlords and Tenants
Quick Answer
Michigan's rental relationships are governed primarily by the Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act (Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.601–554.616), the Truth in Renting Act (§§ 554.631–554.641), and the summary-proceedings provisions of the Revised Judicature Act (§§ 600.5714–600.5720). A security deposit cannot exceed one and one-half months' rent, and a landlord must mail an itemized list of damages within 30 days of move-out or forfeit the entire deposit (Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.602, 554.609, 554.610). Before filing an eviction for nonpayment of rent, a landlord must serve a 7-day demand for possession; other grounds carry their own notice periods (24 hours for drug activity, 7 days for a health or safety hazard or a threat of physical harm), and Michigan's anti-lockout law bans self-help evictions such as changing locks or shutting off utilities (Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 600.5714, 600.2918). Since April 2, 2025, Michigan law also bars most landlords from denying housing based on a tenant's source of income, such as a housing voucher (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.601c). This guide summarizes these and other core landlord-tenant rules, with links to the primary Michigan statutes.
Michigan's rental relationships are governed primarily by the Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act (Title 554, Act 348 of 1972), the Truth in Renting Act (Act 454 of 1978), the Housing Law of Michigan (Act 167 of 1917), and the summary-proceedings and anti-lockout provisions of the Revised Judicature Act (Chapter 600). This guide summarizes those statutes' core rules on security deposits, rent, entry and self-help eviction, landlord and tenant duties, disclosures (including Michigan's new source-of-income protection), retaliation, eviction, and adverse possession, with links to the primary Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL) sections for each point.
This guide is not comprehensive, is not legal advice, and does not warrant the accuracy of third-party information. Michigan statutes change, and counties and cities may impose additional local regulations. If you are dealing with a landlord-tenant dispute, consult a qualified Michigan attorney.
Where Michigan's Landlord-Tenant Rules Come From
Michigan's core landlord-tenant statutes are:
Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.601–554.616 — the Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act, covering security deposits, source-of-income nondiscrimination, and related landlord obligations.
Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.131–554.139 — general provisions on tenancy termination notice and the statutory habitability covenants.
Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.631–554.641 — the Truth in Renting Act, which requires certain mandatory disclosures in rental agreements.
Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 125.401–125.543 — the Housing Law of Michigan, including the rent-escrow remedy for uncorrected health and safety hazards.
Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 600.5714–600.5741 — the Revised Judicature Act's summary-proceedings chapter, covering eviction grounds, notice, retaliation defenses, and rent abatement.
Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2918 — the anti-lockout law prohibiting self-help eviction.
Michigan Legislature — Michigan Compiled Laws, the official source for the current text of every section cited in this guide.
Michigan Security Deposit Rules
A security deposit cannot exceed one and one-half months' rent (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.602). Michigan has no statute requiring the deposit to earn interest, but it must be deposited in a regulated financial institution (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.604). No later than 14 days after the tenant takes possession, the landlord must give the tenant written notice of the landlord's name and address and the name and address of the financial institution or surety holding the deposit (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.603).
A landlord must use inventory checklists at both move-in and move-out, and must give the tenant two blank copies of the checklist at move-in; unless the parties agree otherwise, the tenant then has 7 days after taking possession to note the unit's condition and return one copy (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.608). A deposit may be used only to reimburse the landlord for actual damage from conduct not reasonably expected in the normal course of habitation, or to cover unpaid rent, rent owed for a tenant's premature termination, or unpaid utility bills the tenant owed (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.607).
Within 30 days after the tenant's occupancy ends, the landlord must mail an itemized list of claimed damages — including the estimated repair cost for each item — along with a check or money order for the balance of the deposit, and the notice must include a specific 12-point boldface statement telling the tenant to respond within 7 days or forfeit the right to dispute the claimed damages (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.609). A landlord who misses this 30-day deadline is treated as having agreed that no damages are due and must immediately refund the entire deposit (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.610).
Rent, Fees, and Rental Agreement Terms
Michigan has no rent control law, no statute requiring a particular rent payment method, and no statute capping late fees or application fees. Michigan law also does not require landlords to give tenants advance notice of a rent increase between lease terms, though a landlord cannot raise rent during a fixed lease term. A landlord may charge a returned-check fee of $25 if paid within 7 days (excluding weekends and holidays) after a written demand, or $35 if paid within 30 days (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2952).
Landlord Entry and Self-Help Eviction Protections
Michigan has no statute setting a specific notice period for routine landlord entry to inspect or repair the unit. What Michigan law does regulate in detail is self-help eviction. A person forcibly and unlawfully ejected from — or kept out of — premises may recover 3 times actual damages or $200, whichever is greater, plus recovery of possession (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2918(1)). Separately, a tenant whose possessory interest is unlawfully interfered with may recover actual damages or $200, whichever is greater, for each occurrence; "unlawful interference" specifically includes force or threats of force, removing or destroying the tenant's property, changing locks without immediately providing keys, boarding up the unit, removing doors or windows, cutting off an essential service such as heat or water, and introducing noise, odor, or another nuisance (§ 600.2918(2)).
An owner's actions do not count as unlawful interference if they are done under court order, are a temporary interference necessary for repairs or inspection as otherwise allowed by law, or reflect a good-faith belief — after diligent inquiry — that the tenant has abandoned the unit and current rent is unpaid (§ 600.2918(3)(a)–(c)). A 2019 amendment added a detailed procedure for re-entering the unit of a tenant the landlord believes has died, which requires waiting at least 18 days, attempting to contact any authorized person the tenant named in advance, posting a notice of intent to re-enter, and notifying the county's public administrator at least 10 days before re-entry (§ 600.2918(3)(d)). These anti-lockout protections cannot be waived by lease provision (§ 600.2918(7)).
Landlord and Tenant Duties Under Michigan Law
Every lease or license of residential premises includes statutory covenants that the landlord will ensure, at move-in, that the premises and all common areas are fit for the parties' intended use, and will keep the premises in reasonable repair and comply with applicable state and local health and safety laws throughout the lease term — except where the disrepair or violation is caused by the tenant's willful or irresponsible conduct (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.139(1)). Parties may modify these obligations only where the lease has a term of at least one year, and the statute is to be liberally construed in the tenant's favor (§ 554.139(2)–(3)). Michigan's landlord-tenant statutes do not separately enumerate tenant duties; a tenant's principal obligations are the ones stated in the lease itself.
Definition
Michigan tenants facing an uninhabitable rental actually have two distinct remedies, and they are easy to confuse. A rent escrow account is a formal process under the Housing Law of Michigan: once a local enforcing agency withholds or suspends a certificate of compliance because a hazard to health or safety exists, the tenant's rent is suspended and must instead be paid into an escrow account until the hazard is corrected (Mich. Comp. Laws § 125.530). Repair-and-deduct/rent withholding, by contrast, is not a statutory procedure at all — it comes from case law. In Rome v. Walker, 38 Mich. App. 458, 196 N.W.2d 850 (1972), the Michigan Court of Appeals held that a landlord's breach of the statutory covenants to repair the premises and comply with health and safety laws (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.139) is not independent of the tenant's covenant to pay rent, so a tenant may raise the landlord's breach as a defense to withhold or reduce rent in an eviction case, and a court may deduct the amount excused by the landlord's breach from any judgment (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5741). Because the case-law remedy has no fixed procedure or notice period, tenants relying on it should document the defect and the landlord's failure to act before withholding any rent.
Required Landlord Disclosures
A rental agreement must state the name and address at which the landlord will accept notices (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.634(1)), and must include a specific Truth in Renting Act notice, in type at least 12-point or 1/8-inch letters, reading: "NOTICE: Michigan law establishes rights and obligations for parties to rental agreements. This agreement is required to comply with the Truth in Renting Act. If you have a question about the interpretation or legality of a provision of this agreement, you may want to seek assistance from a lawyer or other qualified person." (§ 554.634(2)).
Before renting pre-1978 housing, federal law requires landlords to disclose known lead-based paint hazards and provide tenants an EPA-approved lead hazard information pamphlet as an attachment to the written lease (42 U.S.C. § 4852d).
Since April 2, 2025, Michigan landlords with 5 or more rental units (counting related entities) may not deny or terminate a tenancy, impose different terms or fees, or otherwise discriminate against a prospective or current tenant based on the tenant's source of income — including a housing choice voucher, public assistance, veterans' benefits, Social Security, or similar benefit or subsidy programs (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.601c). A landlord may not exclude a rent voucher or subsidy when calculating whether a tenant meets an income threshold, and may not advertise a preference or limitation based on source of income (§ 554.601c(1)).
Renters' Rights and Repair Remedies
If a local enforcing agency withholds or suspends a certificate of compliance because conditions constitute a hazard to health or safety, the duty to pay rent is suspended and the rent must instead be paid into an escrow account until the hazard is corrected (Mich. Comp. Laws § 125.530). Separately, in Rome v. Walker, 38 Mich. App. 458, 196 N.W.2d 850 (1972), the Michigan Court of Appeals held that the statutory habitability covenants in § 554.139 are mutual with, rather than independent of, the tenant's covenant to pay rent — meaning a landlord's breach of those covenants can excuse all or part of the rent as a defense in an eviction case, and a court may deduct the excused amount from any judgment (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5741).
Retaliation Protections
A court will not enter a judgment for possession based on an alleged termination of tenancy if the tenant establishes that the termination was intended primarily as a penalty for the tenant's attempt to secure or enforce lease or legal rights, for complaining to a governmental authority about a health or safety code violation, or as retribution for lawful tenant-organization activity (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5720(1)(a)-(c)). If the tenant shows that a protected activity occurred within 90 days before the eviction case began, a presumption of retaliation arises unless the landlord proves otherwise by a preponderance of the evidence (§ 600.5720(2)).
Key Insight
Michigan's anti-lockout statute, Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2918, is broader today than many summaries suggest. Beyond the original rule that a person forcibly and unlawfully put out of possession may recover 3 times actual damages or $200, whichever is greater (§ 600.2918(1)), the statute separately defines "unlawful interference with a possessory interest" to include changing locks without providing keys, boarding up the unit, removing doors or windows, cutting off essential services, and even introducing noise, odor, or another nuisance (§ 600.2918(2)). A 2019 amendment also added a detailed, multi-step procedure a landlord must follow before re-entering the unit of a tenant the landlord believes has died — including waiting at least 18 days, attempting to contact any authorized person the tenant named, posting notice on the door, and notifying the county's public administrator at least 10 days before re-entry (§ 600.2918(3)(d)). Guides that describe only a simple "good faith belief the tenant is deceased" exception are describing an older version of the law; confirm the current subsection text before relying on it.
Michigan Eviction Laws
A landlord may recover possession by summary proceedings for several distinct grounds, each with its own notice requirement (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5714):
Nonpayment of rent — a 7-day written demand for possession after the rent was due (§ 600.5714(1)(a)).
Unlawful manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance on the premises, where a formal police report has been filed — a 24-hour written demand for possession (§ 600.5714(1)(b)).
Holding over after lease termination, expiration of the lease term, or a valid notice to quit under § 554.134 (§ 600.5714(1)(c)).
Willfully or negligently causing a serious and continuing health hazard, or extensive and continuing physical damage — a demand for possession, with 7 days after service to restore or repair the premises or vacate (§ 600.5714(1)(d)).
Causing or threatening physical injury to another individual on property owned or operated by the landlord, where the police have been notified — a 7-day written notice to quit, with exceptions where the injured person is the tenant or a household member (§ 600.5714(1)(e)).
Forcible entry, holding possession by force, or trespass without color of title — no notice required (§ 600.5714(1)(f)).
To terminate a tenancy at will or a periodic tenancy generally, either party must give one month's notice, or notice equal to the rental interval if rent is paid more often than every 3 months; a tenancy from year to year may be ended by notice given at any time, terminating the lease one year after service (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.134). Self-help eviction is illegal at every stage of a tenancy or after its termination — a landlord must obtain a court order and have a court officer execute it (see Landlord Entry and Self-Help Eviction Protections, above).
Squatters and Adverse Possession in Michigan
Michigan has no separate squatters'-rights statute. A person occupying property without permission can acquire title only through adverse possession under Michigan's general limitations statute (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5801). The general limitation period is 15 years (§ 600.5801(4)), and title acquired through a devise in a will is likewise subject to a 15-year period running from probate of the will (§ 600.5801(3)). Two shorter, narrower periods apply only to specific deed types: 5 years where the claimed title traces to a sale by an executor, administrator, guardian, or testamentary trustee, or to a sheriff's deed from a court-ordered sale or mortgage foreclosure sale (§ 600.5801(1)); and 10 years where title traces to a tax deed issued by an authorized state or federal officer (§ 600.5801(2)).
Where to Get Help
Key Takeaways
- A Michigan security deposit cannot exceed one and one-half months' rent, and a landlord who misses the 30-day deadline to mail an itemized list of damages forfeits the entire deposit (Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.602, 554.609, 554.610).
- Eviction notice periods vary by ground: 7 days for nonpayment of rent, 24 hours for unlawful drug activity, and 7 days for a serious health/safety hazard or a threat of physical harm (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5714).
- Self-help eviction — changing locks, shutting off utilities, removing doors, or boarding up a unit without a court order — is illegal, and a tenant can recover 3 times actual damages or $200, whichever is greater (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2918).
- Since April 2, 2025, most Michigan landlords (those with 5 or more rental units) may not deny or restrict tenancy based on a prospective or current tenant's source of income, including housing vouchers (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.601c).
- Every residential lease includes statutory covenants that the landlord will deliver a fit premises and keep it in reasonable repair; a landlord's breach of these covenants can excuse rent under Rome v. Walker, 38 Mich. App. 458 (1972) (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.139).
- Landlords may not retaliate against tenants for asserting lease or legal rights, reporting code violations, or joining a tenant organization (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5720).
- Squatters can acquire Michigan property only through adverse possession, which generally requires 15 years of continuous possession (5 or 10 years apply only to specific deed types) (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5801).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum security deposit a Michigan landlord can charge?
A Michigan security deposit cannot exceed one and one-half months' rent (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.602). The deposit must be held in a regulated financial institution, and within 14 days of the tenant taking possession, the landlord must disclose in writing the landlord's name and address and the name and address of the financial institution or surety holding the deposit (Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.603, 554.604).
How long does a Michigan landlord have to return a security deposit?
Within 30 days after the tenant's occupancy ends, the landlord must mail an itemized list of claimed damages, along with a check or money order for the difference between the damages claimed and the deposit held (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.609). The tenant then has 7 days to respond and dispute the claimed damages. If the landlord misses the 30-day deadline, the landlord is considered to have agreed that no damages are due and must immediately return the full deposit (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.610).
How much notice must a Michigan landlord give to evict a tenant for nonpayment of rent?
A landlord must serve a written demand for possession giving the tenant 7 days to pay the rent due or vacate before filing a summary proceeding for nonpayment of rent (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5714(1)(a)). This 7-day period does not include any accelerated indebtedness resulting from a lease breach — only the rent actually due.
Can a Michigan landlord change the locks or shut off utilities to remove a tenant?
No. Except under a court order, a landlord may not unlawfully interfere with a tenant's possessory interest by changing or adding to locks without immediately providing keys, removing doors or windows, boarding up the unit, or interrupting an essential service such as heat, water, or electricity (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2918(2)). A tenant subjected to a forcible and unlawful ouster may recover 3 times actual damages or $200, whichever is greater, in addition to recovering possession (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2918(1)).
Can Michigan landlords refuse to rent to a tenant because they use a housing voucher?
Generally, no, as of April 2, 2025. Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.601c prohibits a landlord from denying tenancy, imposing different terms or fees, or otherwise discriminating against a prospective or current tenant based on the tenant's source of income, which includes housing choice vouchers, public assistance, veterans' benefits, Social Security, and similar benefits or subsidy programs. This protection does not apply to a landlord who, together with related entities, owns fewer than 5 rental units in Michigan (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.601c(2)).
Can squatters obtain ownership of property in Michigan?
Only through adverse possession, and Michigan has no separate squatters'-rights statute. The general limitation period for an action to recover possession of land is 15 years of continuous possession (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5801(4)). Shorter periods of 5 years and 10 years apply only in narrow circumstances — for example, where the possessor claims title through a sheriff's deed from a court-ordered or mortgage foreclosure sale (5 years), or through a tax deed (10 years) (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5801(1)-(2)).
This article is provided by PayRent for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Michigan laws change, and how they apply can depend on your specific circumstances — always confirm current requirements with the official Michigan Compiled Laws or a licensed attorney before acting. Learn more about how PayRent helps landlords track rent, security deposits, and lease compliance at payrent.com.
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