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Michigan

Michigan Landlord-Tenant Laws

Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Michigan.

How we research these summaries

Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.

What to Know in Michigan

Sources last checked July 2026

Michigan law caps security deposits at 1.5 times monthly rent and requires an itemized accounting within 30 days of lease termination under MCL 554.602. A 1988 statute, MCL 123.411, bars every Michigan city, township, and county from enacting any rent-control ordinance, so no local government anywhere in the state may cap rent increases. Eviction for nonpayment requires only a 7-day demand for possession, and Michigan sets no statutory notice period for rent increases — landlords typically apply the one-month termination-notice standard by analogy rather than following a specific law.

  • 7-day notice required before eviction for nonpayment of rent
  • 30-day move-out notice required for month-to-month tenancies
  • No rent control — no statutory cap on rent increases
  • Michigan has no statute and no reported case law setting a specific notice period for rent increases on a month-to-month tenancy.
  • Security deposits capped at 1.5× monthly rent
5 rules summarized · Each linked to the law it cites

Security Deposit Limits

Security Deposit Limits

What is the security deposit limit in Michigan?

A landlord may not require or receive a security deposit exceeding 1.5 times the monthly rent under Michigan's Security Deposit Act. Upon receiving a deposit, the landlord must provide the tenant with a written inventory of the premises within 7 days of occupancy. Within 30 days of lease termination and vacancy, the landlord must mail an itemized list of damages and any deductions together with a check or money order for the remaining balance. Failure to provide the itemized statement within 30 days forfeits the landlord's right to retain any portion of the deposit, and the landlord may owe double the withheld amount plus attorney fees.

MCL § 554.602

Eviction Notice Requirements

Eviction Notice Requirements

What are the eviction notice requirements in Michigan?

Michigan requires different written notice periods depending on the grounds for eviction. For nonpayment of rent, a landlord must serve a 7-day demand for possession stating the amount owed; the tenant may pay in full within that period to avoid proceedings (MCL 600.5714(1)(a)). For ordinary material lease violations — unauthorized occupants, pets, or damage short of a serious continuing hazard — Michigan sets no fixed statutory notice period; termination proceeds under a power to terminate reserved in the lease itself, or, if the lease is silent, under the general notice-to-quit periods in MCL 554.134 (MCL 600.5714(1)(c)). For a serious and continuing health or safety hazard, or extensive and continuing physical injury to the premises caused willfully or negligently, a 7-day notice applies and the tenant DOES have a right to cure: within those 7 days the tenant may either vacate or substantially restore or repair the premises (MCL 600.5714(1)(d)). For month-to-month tenancies terminated without cause, at least one rental period of notice (typically 30 days) is required under MCL 554.134. For controlled-substance activity with a filed police report, a 24-hour notice to quit is permitted (MCL 600.5714(1)(b)). Self-help eviction is illegal.

MCL § 554.134; MCL § 600.5714

Rent Increase Notice Periods

Rent Increase Notice Periods

How much notice is required for rent increases in Michigan?

Michigan has no statute and no reported case law setting a specific notice period for rent increases on a month-to-month tenancy. Landlords commonly apply the one-month notice standard from MCL 554.134 — which governs termination of at-will and periodic tenancies — by analogy, on the reasoning that raising rent without agreement functionally requires ending the existing terms and offering new ones. That is customary practice rather than a codified or judicially established requirement. Rent may not be increased during a fixed-term lease unless the lease expressly permits it. Michigan does separately presume retaliation where a landlord raises rent within 90 days of a tenant exercising a protected right (MCL 600.5720).

MCL § 554.134 (termination notice; no rent-increase provision in Michigan law)

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Is there rent control in Michigan?

Michigan has no statewide rent control and expressly prohibits any local governmental unit — cities, counties, townships, and villages — from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any ordinance or resolution that controls the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential property. This statewide preemption, enacted in 1988 and codified at MCL 123.411, means no Michigan municipality may legally impose rent stabilization or rent increase caps. Landlords may raise rent to any amount with proper notice, subject only to lease terms, anti-discrimination laws, and the anti-retaliation provisions of MCL 600.5720.

MCL § 123.411

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

What is the move-out notice requirement in Michigan?

Under MCL 554.134, either a landlord or a tenant may terminate an estate at will or by sufferance by giving the other party one month's written notice. If rent is paid at intervals shorter than one month, the required notice period equals that interval (e.g., weekly tenants require one week's notice). For year-to-year tenancies, one year's notice to quit is required from either party. Fixed-term leases expire automatically at the end of the lease term without additional notice unless the lease provides otherwise. A tenant who fails to vacate after proper notice is liable for rent owed through the actual date of vacancy.

MCL § 554.134

Local Jurisdictions with Additional Rules

Detroit City

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