Michigan Landlord-Tenant Laws: Rights and Duties for Both Sides

Michigan law requires landlords to keep rental homes fit for their intended use and in reasonable repair, bans lockouts and utility shutoffs, and gives tenants a presumption of retaliation when an eviction follows soon after a complaint.

Michigan landlord-tenant rights at a glance

Rule	Michigan	Law
Tenant repair remedies	Every lease includes the landlord's promise that the home is fit for its intended use and will be kept in reasonable repair and in line with health and safety laws.	MCL 554.139
Retaliation protection	A court cannot evict a tenant mainly in retaliation for enforcing rights, reporting code violations or joining a tenant group, and a complaint made within 90 days before the case creates a presumption in the tenant's favor.	MCL 600.5720
Deadline to return the deposit	Within 30 days after occupancy ends, the landlord must mail an itemized list of damages with a check or electronic payment for any balance.	MCL 554.609

Repairs and habitability

Every residential tenancy comes with a duty to keep the home safe and livable. Put repair requests in writing and keep a dated record of each step.

Tenant repair remedies. Every lease includes the landlord's promise that the home is fit for its intended use and will be kept in reasonable repair and in line with health and safety laws. (MCL 554.139)

Entry and privacy

We could not confirm a statewide rule here. Check your county court or a local attorney.

Retaliation

Retaliation protection. A court cannot evict a tenant mainly in retaliation for enforcing rights, reporting code violations or joining a tenant group, and a complaint made within 90 days before the case creates a presumption in the tenant's favor. (MCL 600.5720)

Rent, late fees and grace periods

We could not confirm a statewide rule here. Check your county court or a local attorney.

Applications and screening

Federal fair housing law applies everywhere: apply the same written criteria to every applicant, and never screen on a protected characteristic.

Screening rules. Landlords with 5 or more units may not reject or treat applicants differently because of their source of income, and must count vouchers and subsidies when checking any income requirement. (MCL 554.601c)

Disclosures to include with the lease

Disclosures are easiest to get right at lease signing. Other disclosures may also be required by your city or by the property itself, so check before you sign.

Required disclosures. Within 14 days after the tenant moves in, the landlord gives written notice of the landlord's address, where the deposit is held and the tenant's duty to give a forwarding address within 4 days of moving out, in the bold wording the statute requires. (MCL 554.603)

Required disclosures. The landlord provides move in and move out inventory checklists so the condition of the unit is recorded. (MCL 554.608)

Required disclosures. Leases must tell tenants about the right to end the lease early because of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, or the landlord must post or hand over that notice. (MCL 554.601b)

Required disclosures. Leases also carry a Truth in Renting Act notice explaining that state law generally sets rights and duties for both sides. (Truth in Renting Act)

Required disclosures. Homes built before 1978 need the federal lead-based paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet. (Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (42 U.S.C. 4852d))

Security deposits in brief

Deposit limit. A security deposit cannot exceed one and a half months of rent. (MCL 554.602)

Deadline to return the deposit. Within 30 days after occupancy ends, the landlord must mail an itemized list of damages with a check or electronic payment for any balance. (MCL 554.609)

Mistakes to avoid

• Entering a unit without the notice the lease or the law requires.
• Letting a written repair request sit without a reply or a plan.
• Leaving required disclosures out of the lease packet.
• Applying screening criteria differently from one applicant to the next.
• Raising rent or ending a tenancy soon after a complaint without a documented, unrelated reason.