Michigan landlord-tenant law at a glance
Michigan’s rules for apartment owners come mainly from three places: the Security Deposits Act (MCL 554.601 and following), the notice-to-quit section of the property law (MCL 554.134), and the summary proceedings chapter of the Revised Judicature Act (MCL 600.5701 and following), which governs evictions. Rent control is covered by a separate statute, MCL 123.411.
| Rule | Michigan law | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy | 1 month, or one rent interval if rent is paid more often than every 3 months | MCL 554.134(1) |
| Unpaid rent | 7-day written notice to quit or demand for possession | MCL 554.134(2), 600.5714(1)(a) |
| Security deposit cap | 1.5 months’ rent | MCL 554.602 |
| Where deposits are held | Regulated financial institution, unless a bond is filed with the Secretary of State | MCL 554.604 |
| Notice of damages | Mailed within 30 days after occupancy ends, with any balance by check or money order, or the balance sent electronically within 10 days after mailing | MCL 554.609 |
| Tenant forwarding address | In writing within 4 days after moving out | MCL 554.611 |
| Penalty for not following the rules | Damages waived; landlord owes double the deposit retained | MCL 554.613(2) |
| Late fees and entry notice | Not set by the statutes above; check the lease and local ordinances | n/a |
| Rent control | Banned for local governments | MCL 123.411 |
How much notice does a landlord have to give in Michigan?
To end a month-to-month tenancy in Michigan, either side gives one month’s notice under MCL 554.134(1). When rent is paid at intervals shorter than three months, notice equal to the interval between payments is enough, so a tenant paying monthly gets one rental period.
For unpaid rent, the landlord can end the tenancy with a written 7-day notice to quit under MCL 554.134(2). The summary proceedings statute uses the same 7 days: a landlord can recover possession when a tenant fails to pay rent within 7 days after service of a written demand for possession for nonpayment, under MCL 600.5714(1)(a). Rent that is only due because the lease was accelerated after a breach doesn’t count as rent due for this purpose.
Shorter and different periods apply in narrow cases. After a formal police report of illegal drug activity on the premises, a written demand allows recovery after 24 hours. Health hazards or serious property damage, and physical injury or threats reported to the police, carry 7-day periods.
Michigan security deposit law
A Michigan landlord may not take a security deposit of more than 1.5 months’ rent for a unit, under MCL 554.602. On a $1,400 unit, that caps the deposit at $2,100.
The deposit must be placed in a regulated financial institution. A landlord who wants to use the money can do so only by filing a cash or surety bond with the Secretary of State, which must cover all deposits up to $50,000 plus 25% of any amount above that, under MCL 554.604. The bond is for the benefit of tenants, who can sue on it.
Michigan’s move-out rules are where most landlords go wrong, so they get their own section below.
The 30-day notice of damages
Within 30 days after a tenant’s occupancy ends, a landlord who wants to keep any part of the deposit must mail the tenant an itemized notice of damages, with a check or money order for any balance, under MCL 554.609. Since September 21, 2026, under 2026 Public Act 102, the landlord may instead send the balance by direct deposit or electronic transfer to the tenant’s bank or payment app account, within 10 days after mailing the notice. The notice must tell the tenant to respond by mail within 7 days after receiving it or lose the amount claimed.
The tenant has a duty too. Under MCL 554.611, the tenant must give the landlord a forwarding address in writing within 4 days after moving out. If the tenant doesn’t, the landlord is relieved of the notice-of-damages requirement, though the tenant can still claim the deposit later.
The penalty for getting this wrong is steep. Under MCL 554.613(2), a landlord who does not fully comply waives all claimed damages and is liable for double the amount of the deposit retained. Section 13 also limits how a landlord can keep disputed amounts, generally requiring a money judgment unless an exception applies. Build the 30-day deadline into your move-out checklist and keep proof of mailing.
Here is what that means in dollars. A tenant leaves a unit with a $2,100 deposit, and the landlord keeps all of it for cleaning and repairs but mails the notice of damages on day 35. The landlord has waived the claimed damages and can owe the tenant double the $2,100 retained, or $4,200, even if the damage was real. Across a 40-unit building with normal turnover, a habit of late notices adds up quickly, and a buyer will ask about it.
The eviction process in Michigan
An eviction in Michigan is a summary proceeding to recover possession, filed in court under MCL 600.5701 and following. A landlord needs a court judgment and a writ of restitution before a tenant can be removed.
The court process is fast on paper. In a standard case, the summons sets an appearance within 10 days of issuance and must be served at least 3 days before the trial date, and the case is heard within 7 days after the appearance or trial date unless the parties agree in writing or on the record to adjourn, under MCL 600.5735. After a judgment for possession, the writ of restitution generally cannot issue until 10 days have passed, under MCL 600.5744(5), unless the court orders otherwise on specific grounds or an appeal with a bond pauses it.
Real timelines run longer than those minimums when tenants contest the case, ask for adjournments or appeal, and when local courts are busy. Plan any sale or renovation that needs a unit empty with that slack.
- Serve the 7-day demand for possession for unpaid rent, or the right notice for the ground you rely on.
- File the complaint with the court once the notice period ends.
- Have the summons served at least 3 days before the trial date.
- Attend the hearing with the lease, rent ledger and proof of service.
- After judgment, wait the 10 days before requesting the writ of restitution.
Does Michigan have rent control?
No. MCL 123.411 bars Michigan cities, townships and other local governments from enacting, keeping or enforcing any ordinance or resolution that would control the rent charged for private residential property. The law was passed in 1988 and last amended by 2018 Public Act 585, effective March 28, 2019.
Two exceptions matter to owners. A local government can still manage rents on residential property in which it has a property interest, and it can use voluntary incentives and agreements to expand the supply of moderate- and low-cost rental housing. If your building has an agreement like that, its rent terms can bind a buyer even though general rent control does not exist in Michigan.
Late fees, entry and lease terms
The statutes covered on this page do not set a late-fee limit or a notice period for a landlord to enter a unit. In practice, those terms come from the lease and from any local ordinance in your city.
Write both into the lease. A clear late-fee clause that states the amount and when it applies, and an entry clause that gives tenants notice before non-emergency visits, prevent most disputes. Check your city code as well before you rely on the lease alone.
Selling a Michigan apartment building with tenants in place
Leases survive a sale in Michigan, so the buyer takes the building subject to every existing lease. A sale does not end a lease unless the lease allows it.
Deposits need care because of the double-damages rule. Transfer each deposit to the buyer at closing with a ledger by unit, and have the purchase agreement say who is responsible for refunds and for the notice of damages when each tenant moves out. Because MCL 554.604 requires deposits to sit in a regulated financial institution or be covered by a bond, move the funds into the buyer’s account or bond coverage at closing, not weeks later. Give buyers copies of every lease, the rent roll, the deposit ledger and any pending eviction cases, and send tenants written notice of the new owner and where to pay rent.
Michigan landlord-tenant law changes in 2025 and 2026
One 2026 change touches this page. 2026 Public Act 102, effective September 21, 2026, amended MCL 554.609 so a landlord can pay the deposit balance electronically, within 10 days after mailing the notice of damages, instead of enclosing a check. The notice itself must still be mailed within 30 days. We found no other 2025 or 2026 change to the sections cited here: the rent control ban was last amended in 2018, and the deposit, notice and summary proceedings sections are the versions on the Michigan Legislature’s site as of October 2026.
Court rules on eviction procedure can also change without a new statute. Before you rely on any deadline here, check the current statute on the Michigan Legislature website and your local court’s rules, and ask a Michigan attorney about any change since this page was updated.
Selling to Skyline
Skyline buys apartment buildings with five or more units in Michigan, occupied or partly vacant. We buy directly, close on your timeline, and can work inside 1031 deadlines. We take over the leases and the deposits at closing, so you don’t need to empty units or settle every deposit before you sell.
For the tax side, see Michigan capital gains tax on real estate, and for the annual cost a buyer will model, the property tax rate in Michigan.
