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Michigan Residential Lease Agreement

Michigan caps security deposits at 1.5 months rent, refundable within 30 days. Create a free Michigan lease agreement template. Attorney review available.

Introduction

A residential lease agreement is a legally binding contract between a landlord and a tenant that sets the terms under which the tenant rents the landlord's residential property, covering rent, the length of the tenancy, the security deposit, each party's responsibilities, and how the tenancy ends. In Michigan the lease is governed mainly by the Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act (MCL 554.601 to 554.616) for security deposits and MCL 554.134 for ending a tenancy. A Michigan landlord may charge a security deposit up to 1.5 months' rent (MCL 554.602) and must mail an itemized list of damages, or the balance of the deposit, within 30 days after the tenant moves out (MCL 554.609). Within 14 days of the tenant taking possession, the landlord must give written notice of the landlord's name and address and the name and address of the financial institution or surety holding the deposit (MCL 554.603), and the landlord must furnish a move-in inventory checklist that the tenant returns within 7 days (MCL 554.608). Michigan has no statute setting advance notice hours before a landlord may enter, so entry terms are set by the lease itself. Ending a month-to-month tenancy, or raising the rent on one, generally requires 1 month's notice under MCL 554.134. Attorney review is available as an option before you sign.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    A residential lease agreement is the contract that sets out rent, the length of the tenancy, the security deposit, each party's duties, and how the tenancy ends. It is the paperwork that turns an informal rental arrangement into an enforceable agreement.

  2. 2

    Michigan caps the security deposit at 1.5 months' rent (MCL 554.602), and the landlord must mail an itemized list of any damages claimed, with the balance of the deposit, within 30 days after the tenant moves out (MCL 554.609). Missing that deadline is treated as an agreement that no damages are owed.

  3. 3

    The landlord must give the tenant written notice, within 14 days of taking possession, of the landlord's name and address and the name and address of the bank or surety holding the deposit (MCL 554.603). The deposit itself must sit in a regulated financial institution or be backed by a bond with the Secretary of State (MCL 554.604).

  4. 4

    A move-in inventory checklist noting the unit's condition must be furnished at the start of the tenancy, and the tenant returns a signed copy within 7 days (MCL 554.608). This checklist is the tenant's main protection against disputed damage claims at move-out.

  5. 5

    Michigan has no statute fixing how many hours' notice a landlord must give before entering an occupied unit; entry terms come from the lease itself, so the lease should spell out how and when the landlord may enter.

  6. 6

    There is no statutory cap on late fees and no statutory grace period for late rent in Michigan. If rent goes unpaid, the landlord may serve a 7-day notice to quit before pursuing eviction (MCL 554.134).

  7. 7

    Michigan has no rent control. State law (MCL 123.411) affirmatively bars local governments from enacting or enforcing any ordinance that would control residential rent, so no Michigan city may adopt rent control or just-cause eviction rules.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Residential Lease Agreement in Michigan, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Residential Lease Agreement guide walks through them.

Open the Residential Lease Agreement guide

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MICHIGAN RESIDENTIAL LEASE AGREEMENT

  1. PARTIES & PREMISES This Residential Lease Agreement is made on [DATE] between [LANDLORD NAME] (Landlord, also called the lessor), of [ADDRESS], and [TENANT NAME] (Tenant, also called the lessee). Landlord leases to Tenant the residential property at [RENTAL ADDRESS], Michigan (the Premises), for use as a residence only.

  2. TERM The lease is either a fixed term beginning [START DATE] and ending [END DATE], or a month-to-month tenancy beginning [START DATE] and continuing until ended as described in Section 8.

  3. RENT Tenant shall pay rent of $[AMOUNT] per month, due on the [DAY] of each month. Michigan sets no statutory grace period and no statutory cap on late fees, so a late fee applies only if stated here: $[LATE FEE AMOUNT] if rent is not paid within [NUMBER] days of the due date. If rent goes unpaid, Landlord may serve a 7-day notice to quit before pursuing eviction (MCL 554.134).

  4. SECURITY DEPOSIT Tenant shall pay a security deposit of $[AMOUNT], not to exceed 1.5 months' rent (MCL 554.602). The deposit shall be held in a regulated financial institution or secured by a bond with the Secretary of State (MCL 554.604); Michigan requires no interest on the deposit. Within 14 days of possession, Landlord shall give Tenant written notice of Landlord's name and address and the institution or surety holding the deposit, and of Tenant's duty to give a forwarding address within 4 days after moving out (MCL 554.603). Within 30 days after the tenancy ends, Landlord shall mail Tenant either the full deposit or an itemized list of damages with any balance due (MCL 554.609); Landlord must sue on any disputed damages within 45 days or forfeit the claim (MCL 554.613).

  5. DISCLOSURES If the Premises were built before 1978, Landlord shall provide the federal lead-based paint disclosure and pamphlet (42 U.S.C. 4852d). Landlord shall furnish a move-in inventory checklist noting the Premises' condition, which Tenant shall review and return within 7 days of taking possession (MCL 554.608). This lease shall not include any provision made void by Michigan's Truth in Renting Act (MCL 554.633), such as a waiver of Landlord's repair duties or Tenant's deposit protections.

  6. ENTRY Michigan has no statute fixing advance notice hours for landlord entry. Landlord shall give Tenant at least [NUMBER] hours' notice before entering the Premises except in an emergency, as agreed by the parties.

  7. MAINTENANCE / USE Tenant shall keep the Premises clean and undamaged and use it only as a residence. Landlord shall keep the Premises fit for habitation and comply with applicable housing codes.

  8. TERMINATION Either party may end a month-to-month tenancy by giving 1 month's written notice, or notice equal to the rent-payment interval if rent is paid at intervals of less than 3 months (MCL 554.134). A rent increase on a month-to-month tenancy generally requires that same notice. A fixed-term lease ends on the date in Section 2 unless renewed in writing.

SIGNATURES _____________________________ Date: _______ [LANDLORD NAME], Landlord

_____________________________ Date: _______ [TENANT NAME], Tenant

Note: This is a Michigan lease skeleton governed principally by the Michigan Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act (MCL 554.601 to 554.616) and MCL 554.134. No notary or witnesses are required for a Michigan residential lease. For the complete, customizable template, see the full Residential Lease Agreement template.

Michigan Requirements for Residential Lease Agreement

Security Deposit Capped at 1.5 Months' Rent

A Michigan landlord may charge a security deposit up to 1.5 months' rent (MCL 554.602). The deposit must be maintained in accordance with the Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act; there is no additional per-unit exception that allows a higher amount.

Deposit Held in a Financial Institution or Bond

The security deposit must be held in a regulated financial institution or secured by a cash or surety bond filed with the Secretary of State (MCL 554.604). Michigan does not require the landlord to pay interest on the deposit.

14-Day Deposit Notice to the Tenant

Within 14 days of the tenant taking possession, the landlord must give written notice of the landlord's name and address, the name and address of the financial institution or surety holding the deposit, and the tenant's duty to provide a forwarding address within 4 days after moving out (MCL 554.603).

Move-In and Move-Out Inventory Checklist

The landlord must furnish an inventory checklist detailing the unit's condition at the start and end of the tenancy. The tenant reviews it and returns a signed copy within 7 days after receiving possession (MCL 554.608).

30-Day Itemized Deposit Return

Within 30 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must mail the tenant an itemized list of damages claimed against the deposit, along with any balance due, or return the full deposit if no damages are claimed (MCL 554.609). Failure to notify within 30 days is treated as agreement that no damages are owed, and the landlord must sue on any disputed claim within 45 days or forfeit it and may owe double the amount wrongfully retained (MCL 554.613).

No Statutory Entry-Notice Hours

Michigan's landlord-tenant statutes set no required number of hours' advance notice before a landlord may enter an occupied unit. Because the statute is silent, the lease itself should state the agreed entry-notice terms.

Month-to-Month Termination Notice

Either party may end a month-to-month tenancy (an estate at will) by giving 1 month's written notice, or notice equal to the rent-payment interval if rent is paid more often than every 3 months (MCL 554.134). A rent increase on a month-to-month tenancy generally requires that same 1-month notice, and nonpayment of rent may be met with a 7-day notice to quit.

No Local Rent Control; Void Lease Clauses Prohibited

Michigan law bars any local government from enacting or enforcing rent control on residential property (MCL 123.411), so no Michigan city may impose rent control or just-cause eviction rules. Separately, the Truth in Renting Act (MCL 554.633) voids certain lease provisions, such as waivers of the landlord's repair duties or the tenant's deposit protections; a lease may not include them.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Michigan residential lease should identify the landlord and tenant, describe the rental unit, state the rent amount and due date, set the security deposit (capped at 1.5 months' rent), and cover maintenance duties and how the tenancy ends. It must not include any clause the Truth in Renting Act (MCL 554.633) makes void, such as a clause waiving the landlord's repair duties or the tenant's deposit protections.

A Michigan landlord may charge up to 1.5 months' rent as a security deposit (MCL 554.602). The deposit must be held in a regulated financial institution or secured by a bond with the Secretary of State (MCL 554.604), and Michigan does not require the landlord to pay interest on it.

Yes. A free Michigan lease template is available to create and customize with your rent, deposit, and lease-term details. Because it is built for Michigan, it reflects the state's 1.5-month deposit cap and disclosure rules rather than another state's rules. Attorney review is available as an optional add-on before you sign.

No. A Michigan residential lease is a private contract between landlord and tenant and does not need to be notarized or witnessed to be valid. Both parties should sign and keep a copy, along with the move-in inventory checklist required under MCL 554.608.

Michigan's landlord-tenant statutes do not set a required number of hours' notice before a landlord may enter an occupied unit, unlike some states. Because the statute is silent, the lease itself is what governs entry, so tenants and landlords should agree on notice terms in writing rather than relying on an unwritten expectation.

Federal law requires a lead-based paint disclosure for housing built before 1978. Michigan additionally requires written notice, within 14 days of possession, of the landlord's name and address and the deposit-holding institution or surety (MCL 554.603), plus a move-in inventory checklist (MCL 554.608). Leases also may not contain any provision the Truth in Renting Act (MCL 554.633) makes void.

A Michigan month-to-month tenancy, called an estate at will, may be ended by either party giving 1 month's notice, or notice equal to the rent-payment interval if rent is paid more often than every 3 months (MCL 554.134). A rent increase on a month-to-month tenancy is treated the same way and generally requires that same 1-month notice.

Michigan sets no statutory late-fee cap and no statutory grace period, so a late fee is only enforceable if the lease itself spells it out. If rent is not paid, the landlord may serve a 7-day notice to quit before starting eviction proceedings (MCL 554.134), which is separate from any late fee the lease imposes.