Michigan landlord and tenant rules

Seayora publishes 12 Michigan rules, covering security deposits, notice periods, evictions, rent regulation, fair housing, tenant protections, contractor sales tax. Every one is composed from the statute it cites and links to that statute on the state’s own code site.

Michigan at a glance

RuleMichigan
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Michigan?30 days
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Michigan?1.5 months of rent
How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Michigan?7 days
How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Michigan?30 days
How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Michigan?30 days
Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Michigan?A landlord who uses force, changes locks or removes utilities is liable for actual damages or $200 per occurrence, whichever is greater.
How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Michigan?The hearing is held within ten days of service of the summons.
What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Michigan?Serve a 7-day demand for possession for nonpayment
Is there rent control in Michigan?Prohibited by state law
Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Michigan?Protected, for landlords with 5 or more units
Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Michigan?Presumed within 90 days
Do contractors charge sales tax in Michigan?Consumer of materials

Security deposits in Michigan

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Michigan?

In Michigan, a landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to return the security deposit, together with an itemised statement of any deductions. This is MCL 554.602–554.609.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Michigan?

In Michigan, a security deposit is capped at 1.5 months of rent. One and one-half months' rent. This is MCL 554.602–554.609.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Notice periods in Michigan

How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Michigan?

In Michigan, a landlord must give 7 days written notice before starting a nonpayment case. This is MCL 554.134; MCL 600.5714.

No statute sets an entry-notice period. Late rent: 7-day demand for possession.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Michigan?

In Michigan, a landlord must give 30 days written notice before raising the rent. This is MCL 554.134; MCL 600.5714.

No statute sets an entry-notice period. Late rent: 7-day demand for possession.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Michigan?

In Michigan, a landlord must give 30 days written notice to end a tenancy or decline to renew it. This is MCL 554.134; MCL 600.5714.

No statute sets an entry-notice period. Late rent: 7-day demand for possession.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Evictions in Michigan

Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Michigan?

No. A landlord who uses force, changes locks or removes utilities is liable for actual damages or $200 per occurrence, whichever is greater. MCL 600.2918. In Michigan a tenant may be removed only through the court process, which is set by MCL 554.134, 600.5714, 600.5741, 600.5744, 600.2918.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Michigan?

In Michigan, the time a tenant has to respond to an eviction case is governed by MCL 554.134, 600.5714, 600.5741, 600.5744, 600.2918. The hearing is held within ten days of service of the summons.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Michigan?

In Michigan, an eviction for unpaid rent runs through 4 steps, each set by the statute or court rule beside it: (1) Serve a 7-day demand for possession for nonpayment — MCL 600.5714(1)(a); (2) File a summons and complaint for possession — MCL 600.5735; (3) Hearing within ten days of service — MCL 600.5735; (4) Order of eviction, ten days after judgment — MCL 600.5744. The procedure as a whole is set by MCL 554.134, 600.5714, 600.5741, 600.5744, 600.2918.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Rent regulation in Michigan

Is there rent control in Michigan?

No. Michigan has no statewide rent control, and its cities and counties cannot simply adopt their own: a county, city, village, township or other local government may not enact, maintain or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of controlling the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential property. This is MCL 123.411.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Fair housing in Michigan

Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Michigan?

No, not in most cases. In Michigan, a landlord may not deny a tenancy, set different terms, or claim a unit is unavailable, based on the source of income of an otherwise eligible tenant. The law took effect on April 2, 2025, and does not apply to a landlord who, with related entities, owns fewer than 5 rental units in Michigan. This is MCL 554.601c.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Tenant protections in Michigan

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Michigan?

No. In Michigan, a court may not enter a judgment for possession if the termination was intended as a penalty for the tenant’s attempt to enforce rights, a code complaint or tenant organizing, and the termination is presumed retaliatory if the tenant pursued those rights through a court or government agency within 90 days before the case was filed. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is MCL 600.5720.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Contractor sales tax in Michigan

Do contractors charge sales tax in Michigan?

In Michigan a contractor is treated as the CONSUMER of the materials they build into real property. That means the contractor pays sales tax when they buy the materials, and does not add sales tax to the customer's invoice for that work — the tax is already inside the price. Source: MCL 205.51 et seq.; Mich. Admin. Code R 205.71 (a contractor affixing property to realty is the consumer of that property).

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Sources

  • MCL 123.411
  • MCL 205.51 et seq.; Mich. Admin. Code R 205.71 (a contractor affixing property to realty is the consumer of that property).
  • MCL 554.134, 600.5714, 600.5741, 600.5744, 600.2918
  • MCL 554.134; MCL 600.5714
  • MCL 554.601c
  • MCL 554.602–554.609
  • MCL 600.5720

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.

This is a summary of a state’s published guidance, not tax or legal advice. Rates and rules change, local jurisdictions add their own, and the treatment of a specific job depends on the contract and the work. Check the citation and speak to a CPA or a state tax adviser before relying on it.

How Seayora uses these rules

Security deposits. Seayora computes the deadline this rule sets from the tenancy’s own dates, shows it on the deposit statement, and reminds the landlord before it falls due — so the answer above is not reference material sitting beside the product, it is the rule the product enforces.

Notice periods. Seayora computes the notice this rule requires from the tenancy’s own dates — for a renewal offer, a rent increase or a served notice — and will not serve one that is short unless the owner records a reason. The answer above is the rule the product enforces.

Evictions. Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.

Rent regulation. This page states whether the state lets its cities control rent, and any statewide limit on an increase, so a renewal can be checked before it is offered. In New York City, Seayora’s rent-increase advisor goes further: it computes the highest increase the Rent Guidelines Board order and the Good Cause standard allow for each apartment, with the law cited, and gives no number where the law is not verified.

Fair housing. This page states whether the state protects renters who pay with a housing voucher, so a listing and its screening rules can be checked against it before they are published. Seayora’s rental search assistant never filters homes by how a renter will pay the rent.

Tenant protections. When an owner prepares an eviction in Seayora, it lists any repair request opened on the unit in the last 180 days that is still open, not to stop the case but because the tenant will raise retaliation and the owner should have an answer. Every repair request keeps the date it was filed.

Contractor sales tax. Seayora resolves this rule on every invoice a contractor raises — per line, from the job site’s own address — and prints the rate, the jurisdiction and this citation on the document itself, so the estimate a customer accepts is the invoice they are billed. Where the rule is more nuanced than a single answer, Seayora refuses to guess a total rather than quoting a confident wrong one.

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