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Detroit, Michigan

Detroit Landlord-Tenant Laws

Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Detroit, 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 These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as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 Detroit

Sources last checked July 2026

Detroit landlords must hold a current Certificate of Compliance from the city's Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department before pursuing an eviction for nonpayment of rent, and a tenant may raise its absence as a defense in court. Since January 1, 2025, tenants in a non-compliant property may instead pay rent into a city-managed escrow account, and landlords may not retaliate against tenants who use it. Michigan state law still sets the 7-day nonpayment demand and the 1.5-month security deposit cap under MCL 554.602, and MCL 123.411 bars Detroit from capping rent increases.

  • 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
  • 30-day advance written notice required for rent increases
  • Security deposits capped at 1.5× monthly rent
5 rules summarized · Each linked to the law it cites

Detroit Local Rules

Eviction Notice Requirements

What are the eviction notice requirements in Detroit?

Detroit landlords must comply with Michigan state eviction notice law — including a 7-day written demand for possession for nonpayment of rent and a 30-day notice to terminate a month-to-month tenancy without cause — but face an additional local requirement: to pursue an eviction for nonpayment of rent, the landlord must hold a current Certificate of Compliance (rental registration) issued by BSEED. Tenants may raise the absence of a Certificate of Compliance as a legal defense in eviction court. Under amendments effective January 1, 2025, tenants in non-compliant properties may deposit rent into a city-managed escrow account, and landlords are prohibited from retaliating against tenants who report code violations or participate in the escrow program. Income-qualifying tenants have a right to free legal representation in eviction proceedings under Detroit's Right to Counsel ordinance.

MCL § 554.134; MCL § 600.5714; Detroit City Code §§ 9-1-36, 9-1-81
Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

What is the move-out notice requirement in Detroit?

Detroit follows Michigan state law under MCL 554.134. A tenant on a month-to-month tenancy must give at least one month's written notice to the landlord before vacating. If rent is paid more frequently than monthly, the notice period equals the payment interval. For year-to-year tenancies, one year's notice is required by either party. Fixed-term leases end automatically at the lease expiration date without additional notice. A tenant who remains past the notice date is liable for rent through the actual vacancy date. Detroit does not have any local ordinance that extends or shortens these state-mandated notice periods.

MCL § 554.134
Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Is there rent control in Detroit?

Detroit has no rent control. Michigan's statewide preemption law, MCL 123.411 (Act 226 of 1988), prohibits all local governments — including Detroit — from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any ordinance or resolution that controls the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential property. Detroit voters passed a Fair Rent Ordinance in 1988 that would have required code compliance before rent increases, but that ordinance never took legal effect because of the simultaneous state preemption. Landlords may raise rent by any amount with proper notice, subject only to anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation protections.

MCL § 123.411
Rent Increase Notice Periods

How much notice is required for rent increases in Detroit?

Detroit has no local ordinance setting a rent increase notice period. Michigan state law applies, requiring landlords to provide reasonable written notice — interpreted as at least one rental period (typically 30 days) — before a rent increase takes effect on a month-to-month tenancy. Rent may not be increased during a fixed-term lease unless the lease expressly allows it. Rent increases that follow a tenant's exercise of legal rights within 90 days are presumed retaliatory under MCL 600.5720. Detroit's 1988 Fair Rent Ordinance, which would have required landlords to be in code compliance before raising rents, was voided by the state's 1988 rent control preemption law and never took legal effect.

MCL § 554.134; MCL § 600.5720
Security Deposit Limits

What is the security deposit limit in Detroit?

Detroit follows Michigan state law, which caps security deposits at 1.5 times the monthly rent under MCL 554.602. Landlords must provide a written move-in inventory within 7 days of occupancy and return any remaining deposit balance with an itemized damage statement within 30 days of lease termination and vacancy. Under Detroit's rental ordinance, a landlord who does not hold a current Certificate of Compliance may face limitations on retaining security deposit funds. Failure to return the deposit within 30 days forfeits the right to withhold any portion, and the tenant may sue for twice the improperly withheld amount.

MCL § 554.602; Detroit City Code § 9-1-36

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