Free Michigan Lease & Rental Agreement

Last updated September 27, 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Michigan Residential Lease Agreement

A Michigan residential lease (also called a Michigan rental agreement) sets the rent, term and house rules for a home rental. A Michigan residential lease agreement is governed by several statutes working together: the Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act (MCL 554.601 et seq.) for deposits, the Truth in Renting Act (MCL 554.631 et seq.) for lease wording, MCL 554.139 for repairs, and the summary-proceedings chapter of the Revised Judicature Act for evictions. Michigan caps deposits at one and a half months’ rent, requires specific notices in the lease, and voids a long list of one-sided clauses.

Michigan landlord–tenant law at a glance

Michigan residential lease law summary
Security deposit limit	1½ months’ rentMCL 554.602
Deposit return	Itemized damages list mailed within 30 days of move-out, or the full deposit is owedMCL 554.609
Late fees	No statutory cap; must be in the lease and reasonable
Rent-increase notice	No specific statute; month-to-month changes need the one-month termination noticeMCL 554.134
Landlord entry	No statutory notice period — set by the lease
Month-to-month termination	One month’s written notice (or one rental period if rent is paid more often)MCL 554.134
Nonpayment notice	7-day demand for possession / notice to quitMCL 600.5714; 554.134
Rent control	Prohibited statewideMCL 123.411

Security deposits in Michigan

A Michigan security deposit — any refundable money held beyond the first full rental period, whatever it is called — may not exceed one and one-half months’ rent (MCL 554.602). The Act is strict about paperwork and deadlines, and a landlord who misses them loses the right to keep any of the deposit.

Where it’s held — The deposit must be kept at a regulated financial institution. A landlord may use the deposited funds only after filing a cash or surety bond with the Secretary of State to secure them (MCL 554.604).
14-day notice — Within 14 days after the tenant moves in, the landlord must give written notice of the landlord’s name and address for receiving communications and the name and address of the bank or surety holding the deposit. It must also warn, in 12-point bold type, that the tenant must give a forwarding address within 4 days of moving out (MCL 554.603).
Inventory checklist — The landlord must provide two blank move-in inventory checklists; the tenant has 7 days after moving in to complete one and return it. A move-out checklist follows at the end of the tenancy (MCL 554.608).
Return — Within 30 days after the tenant moves out, the landlord must mail an itemized list of damages with the estimated cost of each repair, and return any balance. Missing the 30 days means the landlord agrees no damages are owed and must return the full deposit (MCL 554.609, 554.610).
Suing to keep it — If the tenant disputes the list, the landlord must file suit within 45 days of move-out to keep any disputed amount. A landlord who doesn’t follow this procedure waives the claimed damages and owes the tenant double the amount of the deposit retained (MCL 554.613).

Rent, late fees & rent increases

Late fees — Michigan has no statutory late-fee cap or mandatory grace period. A fee must be written into the lease and should reasonably reflect the landlord’s cost of late payment — a fee that works as a penalty can be struck by a court.
Rent increases — There’s no statewide notice rule for increases. Rent under a fixed-term lease can’t change mid-term unless the lease says so, and a lease can’t let the landlord change terms mid-lease without the tenant’s written consent, apart from narrow exceptions — changes required by law, reasonable health and safety rules, or pass-through of increased taxes, utility or insurance costs if the lease allows it — on at least 30 days’ notice (MCL 554.633). For month-to-month tenancies, an increase needs at least the one-month termination notice.
Rent control — Michigan prohibits cities, villages, townships and counties from controlling the rent on private residential property (MCL 123.411).
Source of income — Since April 2, 2025, the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act bars landlords with five or more units from discriminating based on source of income — such as a housing voucher or other housing assistance, Social Security, veterans’ benefits, public assistance, child support or alimony.

Landlord entry & access

Michigan has no statute setting a notice period for landlord entry, so the lease controls. Separately, a landlord who unlawfully interferes with the tenant’s possession — for example by changing the locks or cutting off utilities — is liable for actual damages or $200, whichever is greater, for each occurrence (MCL 600.2918). A written entry clause with reasonable notice (24 hours is common practice) and an emergency exception protects both sides.

Ending a Michigan tenancy

A fixed-term lease ends on its end date. A month-to-month tenancy (a “tenancy at will”) ends only with written notice, and the landlord must still go through the district court to recover possession.

Notice to end a Michigan tenancy
Month-to-month / at will	One month (or one rental period if shorter than 3 months)MCL 554.134
Nonpayment of rent	7 daysMCL 554.134; 600.5714
Illegal drug activity (lease clause + police report)	24 hoursMCL 554.134(4); 600.5714

Seniors & disabled tenants — Every lease must let a tenant who has lived in the unit more than 13 months end it on 60 days’ written notice if they become eligible for subsidized senior housing or can no longer live independently, as certified by a physician in a notarized statement (MCL 554.601a).
Domestic violence — A tenant with a reasonable fear of present danger from domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking can be released from future rent after written notice and documentation (MCL 554.601b).
Military — An active-duty servicemember with qualifying orders may terminate under the federal SCRA (50 U.S.C. §3955).
No self-help — Changing locks, removing belongings or cutting utilities to force a tenant out entitles the tenant to actual damages or $200, whichever is greater, for each occurrence; a tenant forcibly ejected can recover three times actual damages or $200, whichever is greater (MCL 600.2918).

Required notices in a Michigan lease

Truth in Renting notice — Every lease must state prominently: “NOTICE: Michigan law establishes rights and obligations for parties to rental agreements. This agreement is required to comply with the Truth in Renting Act…” and give the landlord’s address for notices (MCL 554.634).
Domestic violence notice — The lease should state that a tenant with a reasonable apprehension of present danger to the tenant or the tenant’s child from domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking may have special statutory rights to seek a release of rental obligation under MCL 554.601b. If it doesn’t, the landlord must post or hand over that notice at signing (MCL 554.601b).
Senior early-termination right — The 60-day release for tenants of 13+ months entering senior housing or unable to live independently (MCL 554.601a).
Deposit notices — The 14-day deposit-holder notice with the bolded forwarding-address warning, and the move-in inventory checklists (MCL 554.603, 554.608).
Lead-based paint — Federal lead warning and known-hazard disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. §4852d).

Habitability & repairs

In every Michigan residential lease, the landlord promises that the premises and common areas are fit for their intended use, will be kept in reasonable repair during the term, and will comply with state and local health and safety laws (MCL 554.139). The parties may modify these duties only in a lease with a current term of at least one year. Tenants remain responsible for damage they cause.

Tenant protections you can’t waive

Void lease clauses — The Truth in Renting Act voids clauses that waive tenant rights, confess judgment, excuse the landlord’s own negligence, give the landlord a lien on the tenant’s belongings, let the landlord change the lease mid-term without written consent (apart from narrow exceptions on 30 days’ notice), or require the tenant to pay the landlord’s attorney fees beyond what law allows, among others (MCL 554.633).
No retaliation — A court won’t evict a tenant in retaliation for complaining to a government agency, asserting legal rights or joining a tenant organization; a complaint within 90 days before the case raises a presumption of retaliation (MCL 600.5720).
Fitness covenant — The repair and habitability covenant can be modified only in a lease with a current term of at least one year (MCL 554.139).

Michigan lease agreement FAQs

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

No more than one and one-half months’ rent. Any refundable amount the landlord holds beyond the first full rental period counts toward that cap, whatever the lease calls it (MCL 554.602).

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

Within 30 days after the tenant moves out, the landlord must mail an itemized list of damages and return the balance. If the list isn’t sent on time, the full deposit is owed. The tenant must provide a forwarding address within 4 days of moving out to trigger the mailing duty (MCL 554.609, 554.611).

Is there a limit on late fees in Michigan?

Michigan has no statutory cap or required grace period. A late fee must be in the written lease and reasonable in amount; courts can refuse to enforce a fee that operates as a penalty rather than a fair estimate of the landlord’s cost.

How much notice does a Michigan landlord need to give before entering?

No statute sets a number — the lease controls. Including a clear entry clause with reasonable advance notice (commonly 24 hours) and an emergency exception is the safest approach.

How much notice to end a month-to-month lease in Michigan?

One month’s written notice from either side; if rent is paid more often than monthly, one rental period is enough. For unpaid rent, the landlord can serve a 7-day notice before filing in district court (MCL 554.134, 600.5714).

Does Michigan have rent control?

No. State law prohibits local governments from enacting or enforcing ordinances that control the amount of rent on private residential property (MCL 123.411).

Does a Michigan lease need to be notarized?

No. A lease is binding once signed, and a lease longer than one year should be in writing. What Michigan does require is the Truth in Renting Act notice and the landlord’s notice address in the lease itself (MCL 554.634).

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