Michigan Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell

Q: Am I legally required to send my tenant a formal notice that I'm putting my property up for sale?

Michigan has no notice of sale on the books. What the law does pin down is reasonable notice before showings and proper notice if I want to end a month-to-month tenancy. A short written heads-up about the listing is still smart, since it keeps my tenant cooperative during viewings.

Q: Does the state provide an official form for notifying my tenant about selling the property?

There is no state-approved sale form in Michigan, so I draft my own letter. Court documents like the Notice to Quit exist only for eviction cases, and reaching for one here would send the wrong message and confuse my tenant. A plain, professional letter is the right tool.

Q: What are the rules for providing my tenant with notice before I show the property to potential buyers?

Michigan never names an exact number of hours, but it does require reasonable notice before I enter. Twenty-four hours is what most landlords and courts treat as reasonable, so that is what I give. On top of that, I follow whatever entry steps my current lease lays out.

Q: Can I terminate my tenant's fixed-term lease early just because I've decided to sell my property?

Deciding to sell does not let me cut a fixed-term lease short in Michigan. I have to ride the lease out to its end date, and my buyer is bound by those same terms once the deal closes. The agreement simply moves with the property.

Q: What happens with my month-to-month tenant if a buyer wants the property to be vacant?

If the tenant pays month to month and the buyer wants the unit empty, Michigan calls for a written 30-day notice to end that tenancy. Should the buyer be happy to keep the tenant instead, nothing changes: the monthly arrangement rolls right on under the new owner.

Q: Is the person who buys my property required to honor the remainder of my tenant's current lease?

Yes. A Michigan lease attaches to the property rather than to me, so my buyer takes it on in full. They purchase subject to the existing agreement and must honor its rent, term, and conditions until the lease runs out. The tenant keeps every right they had before.

Q: What key information must be included in a Notice of Intent to Sell?

My notice needs to make three things plain: that I intend to put the property up for sale, how I will arrange viewings so they fit my tenant's routine, and that a lease still running for a fixed term remains binding no matter who ends up owning the place.

Q: How should I deliver this notice to my tenant?

The notice reaches my tenant most reliably when I choose a channel that leaves documented confirmation it arrived. I can place it directly in their hands, ship it certified with a return receipt so the postal system logs the exchange, or use any method my signed lease specifically permits.

Q: What happens to my tenant's security deposit after the sale?

The deposit doesn't stay with me once the sale finalizes; it moves to the incoming owner right at closing. From that moment forward the buyer holds the money and carries the duty to hand it back to my tenant whenever the rental arrangement finally wraps up.

In Michigan, state law does not explicitly require a landlord to give tenants a general notice of intent to sell, so your obligations flow from the existing lease, from providing reasonable notice before entering for showings, and from delivering written notice when a security deposit transfers to a new owner. Our AI drafting tool builds a clean, personalized notice in minutes, with attorney-review available before you send it.

Introduction

Planning to sell your Michigan rental property? Here's what matters. Michigan law does not actually require you to send your tenant a general notice that you intend to sell. Your obligations come from three places instead: the terms of your existing lease, the common law rule that you give reasonable notice before entering for showings, and the specific requirement to notify your tenant in writing when a security deposit is transferred to the new owner. Our document builder can put together a clear, customized notice in moments, and you can have it reviewed by a licensed attorney to make sure it holds up.

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Key Things to Know

1
Because Michigan has no required notice form for a sale, a carefully written notice, one that points to the lease, how you'll handle entry, and what happens to the security deposit, is an essential tool for heading off disputes.
2
No Michigan statute actually requires a landlord to give tenants a general notice of intent to sell, so this kind of written notice is a professional courtesy and a smart way to manage the lease, not a legally required filing.
3
Under Michigan law the existing lease comes first. You have to honor every term in it, even after the property is listed or sold, because the sale itself does not cancel a fixed-term lease.
4
While you're marketing the property, Michigan law does not set a fixed amount of notice you must give before entering for showings. Still, the widely accepted best practice, though not confirmed by a primary statute, is to give what counts as reasonable notice, often taken to mean twenty-four hours.
5
If a tenant is on a month-to-month tenancy and the buyer wants the property empty, Michigan law generally requires a thirty-day written notice to end the tenancy.
6
When a buyer takes title, Michigan law requires the selling landlord to give the tenant written notice that the security deposit is being transferred to the new owner, which keeps a clear chain of accountability.
7
There is no official document called a "Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell" from the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO). SCAO forms like the DC 100c cover possession and unpaid rent, not sale notices.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell in Michigan, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell guide walks through them.

Open the Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell guide

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Notice to Tenant About Plan to Sell the Property (Michigan)

Date: [Date]

To (Tenant): [Tenant Full Name] Property Address: [Street, City, MI, ZIP]

From (Landlord/Owner): [Landlord Full Name] Owner's Address: [Street, City, MI, ZIP] Owner's Contact: [Contact Details]

1. What This Notice Is For

This letter is to let you know that we, the undersigned owner, plan to offer the property you currently rent at the address above for sale. We want to be upfront that the laws of the State of Michigan do not require a landlord to give a tenant a general notice of a plan to sell. Because of that, we are sending this as a matter of professional courtesy and to keep our communication with you open, transparent, and orderly throughout the sale process. We wanted you to hear about our plans directly from us, rather than being caught off guard by a for-sale sign or a call from an agent. Please be assured of this: nothing in this notice changes, amends, or modifies the terms and conditions of your current lease, and it does not affect your rent obligations or your right to remain in the property as set out in that lease.

2. Your Lease Stays in Place

Even though the property may soon change hands, we confirm that the lease you and we already signed stays in full force and effect. The sale of the property, on its own, does not end or invalidate your leasehold interest. Any buyer will, as a matter of law, take the property subject to your tenancy. All of the covenants, terms, and conditions of your lease, including but not limited to the rent amount, the payment schedule, and the set end date, will continue without change unless everyone involved signs a written modification. In short, a change of ownership does not put your housing at risk during your lease term, and you can keep living in the property just as you do now.

Type of Current Tenancy: [ ] Fixed-Term, ending on [Date] [ ] Periodic (Month-to-Month)

3. Access for Showings

6. No State-Required Form

It is worth noting that Michigan, through its State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) or any other agency, does not publish a specific official form called a "Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell." SCAO-approved forms, such as the DC 100c, deal with possession and other landlord-tenant disputes, not with the sale of a property. This notice was written to follow accepted best practices in the state. We are simply following the sensible written practices that landlords and tenants rely on when a rental is being sold. For more information and to create a document on the fly, see the resources at (/legal-document/notice-to-tenants-of-intent-to-sell).

Landlord/Owner Signature: ______________________ Date: __________

Tenant Acknowledgment of Receipt (Optional): ______________________ Date: __________

Michigan Requirements for Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell

No Statutory Notice of Intent to Sell
Michigan law does not explicitly require a landlord to give tenants a general notice of intent to sell the property, so a written sale notice is a best-practice courtesy rather than a mandated filing.
Honor the Existing Lease
Landlords must continue to comply with the existing lease agreement after listing or selling, and a sale alone does not cancel a valid fixed-term lease.
Reasonable Entry Notice for Showings
Michigan sets no fixed number of hours or days for entry to a rental. Provide reasonable advance notice, commonly cited as 24 hours, and follow any entry terms in the lease when showing the unit to buyers.
30-Day Notice for Month-to-Month
If the new owner wants a month-to-month unit vacant, Michigan generally requires a 30-day written notice to terminate that tenancy before the tenant must move.
Written Notice of Deposit Transfer
When the property is sold, landlords must give tenants written notice about the transfer of the security deposit to the new owner, including the new owner's contact information.
No Official SCAO Sale Form
Michigan does not provide a specific official form named Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell. SCAO forms such as DC 100c address possession and non-payment, so landlords use a custom notice for a sale.
Buyer Takes Subject to Tenancy
A buyer generally takes the property subject to the existing tenancy, so the tenant may remain through the fixed term under the same conditions unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.
Preserve Tenant Rights During Sale
Apply general landlord-tenant standards during the sale, preserving the tenant's rights to quiet enjoyment, proper deposit handling, and continued occupancy under the current agreement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I legally required to send my tenant a formal notice that I'm putting my property up for sale?

Does the state provide an official form for notifying my tenant about selling the property?

What are the rules for providing my tenant with notice before I show the property to potential buyers?

Can I terminate my tenant's fixed-term lease early just because I've decided to sell my property?

What happens with my month-to-month tenant if a buyer wants the property to be vacant?

Is the person who buys my property required to honor the remainder of my tenant's current lease?

What key information must be included in a Notice of Intent to Sell?

How should I deliver this notice to my tenant?

What happens to my tenant's security deposit after the sale?

Introduction

Key Things to Know

Key decisions before you file

Customize your Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell Template with DocDraft

Notice to Tenant About Plan to Sell the Property (Michigan)

1. What This Notice Is For

2. Your Lease Stays in Place

3. Access for Showings

6. No State-Required Form

Michigan Requirements for Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell

No Statutory Notice of Intent to Sell

Honor the Existing Lease

Reasonable Entry Notice for Showings

30-Day Notice for Month-to-Month

Written Notice of Deposit Transfer

No Official SCAO Sale Form

Buyer Takes Subject to Tenancy

Preserve Tenant Rights During Sale

Frequently Asked Questions