Michigan Notice to Vacate: 2026 Landlord Rules & 24-Hour Drug Demand
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Michigan · Last updated 2026-05-25
Michigan landlords serve a 7-day demand for possession under MCL 600.5714(1)(a) for nonpayment, a 7-day demand under MCL 600.5714(1)(d) for serious continuing health hazard or extensive physical injury to the premises discovered within 90 days, a 7-day notice to quit under MCL 600.5714(1)(e) for physical injury or threats, and a 24-hour demand under MCL 600.5714(1)(b) for controlled-substance activity when the lease contains a controlled-substance termination clause and a formal police report has been filed. Month-to-month and at-will tenancies terminate on 1 month notice under MCL 554.134(1). SCAO publishes DC 100a, DC 100b, DC 100c, and DC 102c as the universal practical templates. Service under MCL 600.5718 is by personal delivery, suitable family-member or employee delivery on the premises, first-class mail (next regular mail-delivery day rule applies), or electronic service with specific written consent. District court sets the initial hearing within 10 days of summons service under MCR 4.201(G). Michigan has no statewide just-cause requirement; Detroit (Right to Counsel) and Ann Arbor (Right to Renew) impose local overlays.
How does Michigan's 24-hour drug-activity demand work?
MCL 600.5714(1)(b) authorizes a landlord to serve a 24-hour written demand for possession when a tenant, household member, or person under the tenant's control has unlawfully manufactured, delivered, possessed with intent to deliver, or possessed a controlled substance on the leased premises. Two preconditions must be satisfied: the lease must contain a clause providing for termination on controlled-substance grounds, and a formal police report must have been filed alleging the offense. This is the fastest residential termination ground in Michigan and notably faster than the typical 3-day drug-activity timer found in other states. SCAO form DC 100c is the universal template for the 24-hour demand.
Which SCAO form does a Michigan landlord use for which ground?
Michigan does not statutorily mandate a particular notice form, but four SCAO templates are universal in district court practice. DC 100a is the 7-day Demand for Possession for nonpayment under MCL 600.5714(1)(a). DC 100b is the 7-day Demand for Possession for serious continuing health hazard or extensive physical injury to the premises under MCL 600.5714(1)(d), subject to the 90-day discovery window. DC 100c is the Notice to Quit covering month-to-month or at-will termination under MCL 554.134, the 24-hour drug-activity demand under MCL 600.5714(1)(b), the 7-day physical-injury notice under MCL 600.5714(1)(e), and lease-end terminations under MCL 600.5714(1)(c). DC 102c is the summary-proceedings complaint filed in district court after the notice period expires.
What's the difference between a Michigan 7-day nonpayment notice and a 7-day damage notice?
Both run 7 days but they sit on different statutory subdivisions and use different SCAO forms. The MCL 600.5714(1)(a) 7-day demand is for nonpayment and uses DC 100a; it states the rent claimed due and gives the tenant 7 days to pay or surrender possession. The MCL 600.5714(1)(d) 7-day demand is for willful or negligent serious continuing health hazard, or extensive and continuing physical injury to the premises, and uses DC 100b; the cause must have been discovered or reasonably should have been discovered no earlier than 90 days before filing, and the tenant may cure by delivering possession or substantially restoring or repairing the premises within the 7-day window. Selecting the wrong subdivision invalidates the demand.
When does the Michigan eviction hearing happen after a landlord files?
Under MCR 4.201(G), the Michigan district court must set the initial hearing within 10 days of service of the summary-proceedings summons on the tenant. If trial is adjourned, MCR 4.201(I) generally requires adjournment of at least 7 and not more than 14 days unless a jury demand or good cause requires otherwise. Filing fee is roughly $45 for a possession-only complaint, with graduated higher tiers (approximately $55 to $215) when a money claim is joined. A writ of restitution (order of eviction) carries an additional ~$15 filing fee plus a per-person court-officer service fee (~$45 per person at the 36th District Court in Detroit, with comparable amounts elsewhere).
Michigan notice-to-vacate framework at a glance
Michigan's notice rules sit on two statutory tracks. MCL 600.5714 governs pre-suit demands for possession that launch summary proceedings: subdivision (1)(a) is the 7-day nonpayment demand, (1)(b) is the 24-hour controlled-substance demand (the fastest residential ground in the country, requiring a controlled-substance lease clause plus a filed police report), (1)(c) is the lease-end holdover ground, (1)(d) is the 7-day demand for serious continuing health hazard or extensive physical injury to the premises subject to a 90-day discovery window, and (1)(e) is the 7-day notice to quit after a tenant or person under the tenant's control causes or threatens physical injury to an individual. MCL 554.134 governs tenancy termination at the contract layer: subsection (1) requires 1 month notice (or the rent-payment interval if rent is paid more frequently than every 3 months) for at-will or by-sufferance estates; subsection (3) requires 1 year for year-to-year tenancies. Michigan does not mandate a particular notice form, but the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) publishes the universal practical templates: DC 100a (7-day nonpayment), DC 100b (7-day damage or health hazard), DC 100c (notice to quit covering month-to-month, 24-hour drug, 7-day physical injury, and lease-end), and DC 102c (summary-proceedings complaint). Service under MCL 600.5718 permits personal delivery, suitable family-member or employee delivery on the premises, first-class mail (with the service date set as the next regular mail-delivery day after mailing), and electronic service with specific written consent. After the demand expires, the district court must set the initial hearing within 10 days of service of summons under MCR 4.201(G). The SCAO landlord-tenant forms portal at courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/LTLC-forms is the official state directory.
Landlord Resources
Michigan State Court Administrative Office (SCAO). Landlord-Tenant Forms
Official judicial branch directory for the SCAO-approved DC-series forms used in Michigan summary proceedings, including DC 100a, DC 100b, DC 100c, and DC 102c.
Property Management Association of Michigan
Statewide industry association publishing landlord compliance education on Michigan summary proceedings, demand-for-possession drafting, and fair-housing duties.
Michigan Apartment Association
Industry association representing rental-housing owners and operators across Michigan; publishes member education on MCL 600.5714 demands, MCR 4.201 court procedure, and Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act compliance.
Michigan Department of Civil Rights
State agency enforcing the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act for landlords, including protected-class compliance in housing transactions following the 2023 amendment adding sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
Relevant Laws
MCL 600.5714 (Grounds for Summary Proceedings to Recover Possession)
Sets the 7-day demand for nonpayment under (1)(a), the 24-hour demand for controlled-substance activity under (1)(b), the lease-end ground under (1)(c), the 7-day demand for health hazard or extensive damage with the 90-day discovery window under (1)(d), the 7-day notice to quit for physical injury or threats under (1)(e), and the public-housing and mobile-home-park just-cause carve-outs under (2) and (3).
MCL 554.134 (Termination of Tenancy)
Governs tenancy termination at the contract layer. Subsection (1) sets 1 month notice (or the rent-payment interval if rent is paid more frequently than every 3 months) for at-will or by-sufferance estates. Subsection (2) authorizes the 7-day notice to quit for nonpayment on a lease at will. Subsection (3) sets 1 year for year-to-year tenancies. Subsection (4) mirrors the 24-hour controlled-substance timer at the tenancy-termination layer.
MCL 600.5718 (Service of Demand for Possession)
Lists the permitted methods of service for the pre-suit demand for possession: personal delivery to the person in possession; personal delivery on the premises to a suitable family or household member or employee with a request to deliver; first-class mail addressed to the person in possession (service date is the next regular mail-delivery day after mailing); electronic service with the tenant's specific written consent.
MCL 600.5720 (Retaliation Prohibition)
Bars a judgment for possession when the tenant proves the alleged termination was intended primarily as a penalty for protected activity. Establishes a 90-day presumption of retaliatory termination if the alleged termination occurred within 90 days after the tenant attempted to enforce rights or complained to a governmental agency and the official action has not been dismissed or denied.
MCL 37.2502 (Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, Real Estate Transactions)
Bars discrimination in real estate transactions on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, or marital status. Sexual orientation and gender identity or expression were added as protected classes by Public Act 6 of 2023, effective March 16, 2024.
MCR 4.201 (Summary Proceedings; Recovery of Possession of Premises)
Michigan Court Rule governing summary proceedings. Subrule (G) requires the district court to set the initial hearing within 10 days of service of the summons on the tenant. Subrule (I) generally requires trial adjournments of at least 7 and not more than 14 days absent a jury demand or good cause.
Federal SCRA, 50 U.S.C. § 3955 (Termination of Residential Leases)
Federal protection allowing active-duty servicemembers to terminate residential leases after entry into military service or receipt of qualifying military orders. Imposes additional court-supervised stay protections in eviction actions against tenants in military service.
Regional Variances
Michigan eviction practice by metro: statewide framework plus local overlays
Detroit (36th District Court, Right to Counsel)
Detroit enacted a Right to Counsel ordinance in May 2022, effective October 1, 2022, guaranteeing appointed counsel in 36th District Court eviction proceedings to tenant households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. The program is administered by the City of Detroit Office of Eviction Defense. Landlords filing in Detroit should plan for counsel-assignment continuances as appointed counsel enters appearances. The 36th District Court publishes a court-officer service fee of approximately $45 per person for executing the writ of restitution.
Ann Arbor (Right to Renew)
Ann Arbor has a Right to Renew (just-cause) ordinance and additional tenant-protection rules under its city code. The local overlay does not change statewide notice periods under MCL 600.5714 and MCL 554.134, but it constrains the landlord's ability to decline to renew an expired lease without stating a permitted ground. Landlords serving notice on Ann Arbor properties should verify current city-code language before relying solely on the statewide framework.
Grand Rapids (61st District Court)
Grand Rapids operates under the statewide framework without a parallel city-level just-cause overlay. Filing fee for a possession-only complaint is approximately $45, consistent with the SCAO statewide schedule. Landlords should expect MCR 4.201(G) hearing windows of 7 to 10 days from filing, with available trial-adjournment windows of 7 to 14 days under MCR 4.201(I).
Lansing (54A District Court)
Lansing operates under the statewide framework. Local code enforcement is active on habitability complaints; landlords should be aware that a code-enforcement complaint filed within the 90 days preceding a demand for possession can trigger the MCL 600.5720 retaliation presumption. The 54A District Court follows MCR 4.201(G) on the 10-day initial hearing window.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Check the lease for a controlled-substance termination clause
Pre-notice planning days after startingMCL 600.5714(1)(b) gates the 24-hour drug-activity demand on a lease clause providing for termination on controlled-substance grounds. Pull the executed lease and locate the controlled-substance clause. If the clause is missing, the 24-hour ground is not available regardless of the facts, and the landlord must use a slower path (lease-end termination under MCL 554.134(1) on 1 month notice, or the 7-day physical-injury notice under MCL 600.5714(1)(e) if the conduct also involved threatened or actual physical injury).
Identify the correct cause and matching statutory subdivision
Pre-notice planning days after startingMap the situation to the correct MCL 600.5714 subdivision. Nonpayment: (1)(a) 7-day demand. Controlled-substance activity with lease clause and filed police report: (1)(b) 24-hour demand. Lease-end holdover: (1)(c). Serious continuing health hazard or extensive damage discovered within 90 days: (1)(d) 7-day demand (curable). Physical injury or threats: (1)(e) 7-day notice to quit (not curable). Month-to-month or at-will termination: MCL 554.134(1) 1 month notice. Selecting the wrong subdivision invalidates the demand.
Confirm the police report for any 24-hour drug-activity demand
Pre-notice planning days after startingMCL 600.5714(1)(b) applies only if a formal police report has been filed alleging the unlawful manufacture, delivery, possession with intent to deliver, or possession of a controlled substance on the leased premises. Schedule 1, 2, or 3 substances under MCL 333.7211 to 333.7216 qualify. Obtain a copy of the police report (or the report case number and filing date) before serving the 24-hour demand; the report is the operative precondition and will be the first item the court tests if the tenant defends.
Confirm the 90-day discovery window for any (1)(d) damage or hazard demand
Pre-notice planning days after startingMCL 600.5714(1)(d) requires that the willful or negligent serious continuing health hazard or extensive continuing physical injury to the premises was discovered, or reasonably should have been discovered, by the landlord no earlier than 90 days before the institution of proceedings. Document the discovery date in the demand and in the file. A demand served on facts older than 90 days fails this subdivision; the landlord must use a different ground.
Select the correct SCAO form (DC 100a, DC 100b, or DC 100c)
Drafting days after startingMichigan does not statutorily mandate a particular notice form, but SCAO templates are universal in district court practice. Use DC 100a for the 7-day nonpayment demand under MCL 600.5714(1)(a). Use DC 100b for the 7-day damage or health hazard demand under MCL 600.5714(1)(d). Use DC 100c (Notice to Quit) for month-to-month or at-will termination under MCL 554.134, the 24-hour drug-activity demand under MCL 600.5714(1)(b), the 7-day physical-injury notice under MCL 600.5714(1)(e), and lease-end terminations under MCL 600.5714(1)(c).
Draft the demand or notice with the statutory content elements
Drafting days after startingInclude the premises identification, the cause and statute citation, the period to vacate (7 days, 24 hours, or 1 month, as applicable), the amount of rent claimed due for nonpayment, the description of the hazard or damage for (1)(d), confirmation that a formal police report has been filed for (1)(b), and the landlord or authorized-agent signature. SCAO forms include the certificate-of-service block; statutory content elements must still be satisfied regardless of which template is used.
Serve the demand or notice per MCL 600.5718
Service days after startingPermitted methods: personal delivery to the person in possession; personal delivery on the premises to a suitable family or household member or employee with a request to deliver; first-class mail addressed to the person in possession; electronic service with the tenant's specific written consent. If served by first-class mail, the date of service is the next regular mail-delivery day after the day mailed, not the mailing date and not the actual delivery date. Document the date, time, method, and server on the SCAO certificate-of-service block. Posting on the door (without secondary mailing) is not a stand-alone authorized method under MCL 600.5718.
Wait the full statutory period before filing
Notice period days after startingDo not file the summary-proceedings complaint before the demand period expires. The statutory minimums are 24 hours for (1)(b) drug-activity, 7 days for (1)(a) nonpayment, (1)(d) damage or hazard, and (1)(e) physical injury, or 1 month under MCL 554.134(1) for at-will and month-to-month terminations. Premature filing is grounds for dismissal and forces re-service of the demand.
File the summary-proceedings complaint on SCAO form DC 102c
Post-notice filing days after startingFile DC 102c (Complaint, Nonpayment of Rent / Termination of Tenancy / Recover Possession of Property) in Michigan District Court for the district where the rental property sits (36th District Court in Detroit; one district court per geographic district statewide). Filing fee is approximately $45 for possession only, with graduated higher tiers (approximately $55 to $215) when a money claim is joined. Attach the executed demand or notice with proof of service.
Appear at the MCR 4.201(G) initial hearing within 10 days of summons service
Hearing days after startingMCR 4.201(G) requires the district court to set the initial hearing within 10 days of service of the summary-proceedings summons on the tenant. Bring the lease, the demand or notice with proof of service, the rent ledger if nonpayment is the ground, the police report if a 24-hour drug-activity demand is the ground, and documentation supporting compliance with MCL 600.5720 (no retaliation in the prior 90 days). Trial adjournments under MCR 4.201(I) generally run 7 to 14 days absent a jury demand or good cause.
Obtain and execute the writ of restitution
Post-judgment days after startingIf the landlord prevails, request the order of eviction (writ of restitution) from the clerk. The writ carries an additional ~$15 filing fee plus a per-person court-officer service fee (~$45 per person at the 36th District Court in Detroit, with comparable amounts elsewhere). A court officer or sheriff executes the writ. Attorney review is available before filing if the case involves a 24-hour drug-activity demand, a Detroit Right to Counsel matter, an Ann Arbor Right to Renew tenant, or a disputed protected-class or retaliation question.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check the lease for a controlled-substance termination clause | MCL 600.5714(1)(b) gates the 24-hour drug-activity demand on a lease clause providing for termination on controlled-substance grounds. Pull the executed lease and locate the controlled-substance clause. If the clause is missing, the 24-hour ground is not available regardless of the facts, and the landlord must use a slower path (lease-end termination under MCL 554.134(1) on 1 month notice, or the 7-day physical-injury notice under MCL 600.5714(1)(e) if the conduct also involved threatened or actual physical injury). | - | Pre-notice planning |
| Identify the correct cause and matching statutory subdivision | Map the situation to the correct MCL 600.5714 subdivision. Nonpayment: (1)(a) 7-day demand. Controlled-substance activity with lease clause and filed police report: (1)(b) 24-hour demand. Lease-end holdover: (1)(c). Serious continuing health hazard or extensive damage discovered within 90 days: (1)(d) 7-day demand (curable). Physical injury or threats: (1)(e) 7-day notice to quit (not curable). Month-to-month or at-will termination: MCL 554.134(1) 1 month notice. Selecting the wrong subdivision invalidates the demand. | - | Pre-notice planning |
| Confirm the police report for any 24-hour drug-activity demand | MCL 600.5714(1)(b) applies only if a formal police report has been filed alleging the unlawful manufacture, delivery, possession with intent to deliver, or possession of a controlled substance on the leased premises. Schedule 1, 2, or 3 substances under MCL 333.7211 to 333.7216 qualify. Obtain a copy of the police report (or the report case number and filing date) before serving the 24-hour demand; the report is the operative precondition and will be the first item the court tests if the tenant defends. | - | Pre-notice planning |
| Confirm the 90-day discovery window for any (1)(d) damage or hazard demand | MCL 600.5714(1)(d) requires that the willful or negligent serious continuing health hazard or extensive continuing physical injury to the premises was discovered, or reasonably should have been discovered, by the landlord no earlier than 90 days before the institution of proceedings. Document the discovery date in the demand and in the file. A demand served on facts older than 90 days fails this subdivision; the landlord must use a different ground. | - | Pre-notice planning |
| Select the correct SCAO form (DC 100a, DC 100b, or DC 100c) | Michigan does not statutorily mandate a particular notice form, but SCAO templates are universal in district court practice. Use DC 100a for the 7-day nonpayment demand under MCL 600.5714(1)(a). Use DC 100b for the 7-day damage or health hazard demand under MCL 600.5714(1)(d). Use DC 100c (Notice to Quit) for month-to-month or at-will termination under MCL 554.134, the 24-hour drug-activity demand under MCL 600.5714(1)(b), the 7-day physical-injury notice under MCL 600.5714(1)(e), and lease-end terminations under MCL 600.5714(1)(c). | notice-to-tenants-of-intent-to-sell | Drafting |
| Draft the demand or notice with the statutory content elements | Include the premises identification, the cause and statute citation, the period to vacate (7 days, 24 hours, or 1 month, as applicable), the amount of rent claimed due for nonpayment, the description of the hazard or damage for (1)(d), confirmation that a formal police report has been filed for (1)(b), and the landlord or authorized-agent signature. SCAO forms include the certificate-of-service block; statutory content elements must still be satisfied regardless of which template is used. | - | Drafting |
| Serve the demand or notice per MCL 600.5718 | Permitted methods: personal delivery to the person in possession; personal delivery on the premises to a suitable family or household member or employee with a request to deliver; first-class mail addressed to the person in possession; electronic service with the tenant's specific written consent. If served by first-class mail, the date of service is the next regular mail-delivery day after the day mailed, not the mailing date and not the actual delivery date. Document the date, time, method, and server on the SCAO certificate-of-service block. Posting on the door (without secondary mailing) is not a stand-alone authorized method under MCL 600.5718. | - | Service |
| Wait the full statutory period before filing | Do not file the summary-proceedings complaint before the demand period expires. The statutory minimums are 24 hours for (1)(b) drug-activity, 7 days for (1)(a) nonpayment, (1)(d) damage or hazard, and (1)(e) physical injury, or 1 month under MCL 554.134(1) for at-will and month-to-month terminations. Premature filing is grounds for dismissal and forces re-service of the demand. | - | Notice period |
| File the summary-proceedings complaint on SCAO form DC 102c | File DC 102c (Complaint, Nonpayment of Rent / Termination of Tenancy / Recover Possession of Property) in Michigan District Court for the district where the rental property sits (36th District Court in Detroit; one district court per geographic district statewide). Filing fee is approximately $45 for possession only, with graduated higher tiers (approximately $55 to $215) when a money claim is joined. Attach the executed demand or notice with proof of service. | - | Post-notice filing |
| Appear at the MCR 4.201(G) initial hearing within 10 days of summons service | MCR 4.201(G) requires the district court to set the initial hearing within 10 days of service of the summary-proceedings summons on the tenant. Bring the lease, the demand or notice with proof of service, the rent ledger if nonpayment is the ground, the police report if a 24-hour drug-activity demand is the ground, and documentation supporting compliance with MCL 600.5720 (no retaliation in the prior 90 days). Trial adjournments under MCR 4.201(I) generally run 7 to 14 days absent a jury demand or good cause. | - | Hearing |
| Obtain and execute the writ of restitution | If the landlord prevails, request the order of eviction (writ of restitution) from the clerk. The writ carries an additional ~$15 filing fee plus a per-person court-officer service fee (~$45 per person at the 36th District Court in Detroit, with comparable amounts elsewhere). A court officer or sheriff executes the writ. Attorney review is available before filing if the case involves a 24-hour drug-activity demand, a Detroit Right to Counsel matter, an Ann Arbor Right to Renew tenant, or a disputed protected-class or retaliation question. | - | Post-judgment |
Frequently Asked Questions
MCL 600.5714(1)(a) sets a 7-day Demand for Possession for nonpayment. The tenant has 7 days from service of the written demand to pay the rent due or surrender possession; if neither occurs, the landlord may file a summary-proceedings complaint in district court. Rent due does not include any accelerated indebtedness because of a breach of the lease. The SCAO form is DC 100a, which includes the statutory content elements (premises identification, amount of rent claimed due, statute citation, period to vacate, landlord or agent signature).
MCL 600.5714(1)(b) is the 24-hour Demand for Possession on controlled-substance grounds. Two preconditions must be satisfied before service: the lease must contain a clause providing for termination on controlled-substance grounds (Schedule 1, 2, or 3 under MCL 333.7211 to 333.7216), and a formal police report must have been filed alleging the offense. The notice gives the tenant 24 hours from service to vacate. SCAO form DC 100c (Notice to Quit) is the universal template for this ground; the form lets the landlord select the 24-hour drug-activity option. MCL 554.134(4) mirrors the 24-hour timer at the tenancy-termination layer.
MCL 600.5714(1)(d) is a 7-day demand for serious continuing health hazard or extensive and continuing physical injury to the premises (property damage). It is curable: the tenant may avoid possession by surrendering or by substantially restoring or repairing the premises within the 7 days. The hazard must have been discovered or reasonably should have been discovered no earlier than 90 days before filing. SCAO form DC 100b. MCL 600.5714(1)(e) is a separate 7-day notice to quit after a tenant, household member, or person under the tenant's control has caused or threatened physical injury to an individual on real property owned or operated by the landlord. It is not curable. SCAO form DC 100c handles this ground.
MCL 600.5718(1)(c) authorizes service by first-class mail addressed to the person in possession. The statute does not require or specifically authorize certified or registered mail for the pre-suit demand. Service is deemed effective the next regular mail-delivery day after the day of mailing under MCL 600.5718(2), not the mailing date and not the actual delivery date. Landlords often miscount the 7-day or 24-hour clock from this rule. Personal delivery to the tenant or to a suitable family or household member or employee on the premises is the cleanest path; electronic service is available only with the tenant's specific written consent under MCL 600.5718(1)(d).
No, not for general residential rentals. Michigan has no statewide just-cause requirement. Two statutory just-cause carve-outs exist: mobile home park tenancies under MCL 600.5775 and the Mobile Home Commission Act framework referenced in MCL 600.5714(3), and public housing under MCL 600.5714(2). Local just-cause and tenant-protection ordinances exist in Ann Arbor (Right to Renew) and shape eviction defense pathways in Detroit (Right to Counsel), but neither is a statewide overlay. Landlords serving notice on properties outside mobile home parks and public housing can rely on the statewide framework, subject to the MCL 600.5720 retaliation prohibition and the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.
Yes. MCL 600.5720 bars a judgment for possession when the tenant proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the alleged termination was intended primarily as a penalty for attempting to secure or enforce rights under the lease or applicable law, complaining to a governmental authority about a health or safety code or ordinance violation, membership in a tenants' association, or another lawful act arising out of the tenancy. If the alleged termination occurred within 90 days after the tenant exercised those rights and the official action has not been dismissed or denied, a presumption of retaliatory termination arises. Retaliation is one of the most common Michigan tenant defenses in summary proceedings.
No, not automatically. Michigan does not have an enacted statewide statute providing automatic sealing or expungement of summary-proceedings court records as of 2026-05-25. Legislation to add MCL 600.5755 to provide a sealing and expungement pathway has been introduced (SB 374 in the 2025 to 2026 session, predecessor SB 801 in 2023 to 2024) but has not been enacted. Eviction filings remain publicly accessible in district court records. Landlords reviewing applicant rental history may rely on public district court files subject to applicable fair-housing and screening-disclosure rules.
The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, 50 U.S.C. § 3955, allows an active-duty servicemember to terminate a residential lease at the lessee's option after entry into military service or after receipt of qualifying military orders. A Michigan landlord receiving an SCRA termination notice should not proceed with a demand for possession or summary-proceedings filing on the same tenancy without verifying the orders and the statutory termination effective date. SCRA also imposes a court-supervised stay in eviction actions against tenants in military service.
Michigan District Court (one district court per geographic district statewide; the 36th District Court hears Detroit cases) hears summary proceedings to recover possession of premises. The landlord files SCAO form DC 102c (Complaint, Nonpayment of Rent / Termination of Tenancy / Recover Possession of Property). Filing fee is approximately $45 for possession only, with graduated higher amounts (approximately $55 to $215) when a money claim is joined. The court must set the initial hearing within 10 days of service of the summons on the tenant under MCR 4.201(G). Trial-adjournment windows under MCR 4.201(I) generally run 7 to 14 days.
Detroit and Ann Arbor are the two cities with the most material local overlays. Detroit enacted a Right to Counsel ordinance in May 2022, effective October 1, 2022, guaranteeing appointed counsel in 36th District Court eviction proceedings to tenant households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Counsel appointment can extend trial dates as appointed counsel enters appearances. Ann Arbor has a Right to Renew (just-cause) ordinance and other tenant-protection rules under its city code. Grand Rapids and Lansing operate under the statewide framework without parallel city-level just-cause overlays, though local code enforcement and habitability complaints can trigger the MCL 600.5720 retaliation presumption. These local rules do not change statewide notice periods but materially affect the eviction litigation pathway.
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