Michigan Renter Law, in Plain English

A Michigan lease runs twenty pages of small type, but the parts that matter most are set by state law, not by the document in front of you. The deposit has a statutory cap. The move-in paperwork has statutory mechanics. Whole categories of clauses are void even if you sign them.

This is general information, not legal advice — for a specific dispute, talk to a lawyer. But before you sign anything in this state, four things are worth knowing.

The security deposit: capped at 1.5 months

Michigan's Landlord-Tenant Relationships Act (MCL 554.602) says it in one sentence: a security deposit "shall not exceed 1 1/2 months' rent." Not two months plus a fee. One and a half, at most, regardless of your credit.

Worked example: on a $2,749 two bedroom — the Hemlock at Packard Row — the maximum lawful deposit is $4,123.50. Many landlords charge less, scaled to credit. At Packard Row the deposit is based on credit, and the leasing office quotes the current amount.

If a landlord asks for a deposit above the 1.5-month cap, the statute is the entire conversation. The amount over the cap is not a lawful deposit.

The inventory checklist: your deposit's evidence

When a landlord takes a security deposit, Michigan requires inventory checklists at both ends of the tenancy (MCL 554.608). The mechanics: you get two blank copies of the commencement inventory checklist at move-in; you note every existing scuff, stain, and dent; and you return one copy within seven days of taking possession. The checklist itself must tell you — in boldface type — that you can request a copy of the unit's last termination checklist, the document showing what the previous tenants were charged.

The practical move: fill it in carefully, photograph everything on day one, and email the photos to yourself so they carry a timestamp. If a deposit dispute ever happens, the checklist and the photos are the evidence. Renters who skip this step spend move-out week arguing from memory.

What a lease can't say: the Truth in Renting Act

Michigan's Truth in Renting Act (1978 PA 454, MCL 554.631 through 554.641) lists the provisions a rental agreement may not contain — and a prohibited provision is void even if you signed the lease (MCL 554.633). In plain English, a Michigan lease cannot:

• waive your rights around repairs and habitability, or your security-deposit rights;
• excuse the landlord from their own negligence or legal duties;
• take away your right to a jury trial, or to notices and procedures the law requires;
• put a claim on your personal belongings as security;
• demand all remaining rent at once after a default without acknowledging the landlord's duty to mitigate damages;
• change the terms mid-lease without your written consent; or
• require you to give anyone a power of attorney.

The act goes one step further. Every Michigan rental agreement must carry this notice, prominently, in type at least 12 points in size (MCL 554.634):

"NOTICE: Michigan law establishes rights and obligations for parties to rental agreements. This agreement is required to comply with the Truth in Renting Act. If you have a question about the interpretation or legality of a provision of this agreement, you may want to seek assistance from a lawyer or other qualified person."

The point worth keeping: a clause being printed in the lease does not make it enforceable.

Roommates and joint liability

This one is contract practice rather than statute — and it is the clause renters miss most. Most Michigan leases make co-tenants "jointly and severally liable": every person who signs is individually responsible for the entire rent. If your roommate moves out, you owe the shortfall, and the landlord can collect it from whichever of you is easiest to find.

Read that clause before you sign with a roommate, and run the numbers honestly. The two-bedroom roommate guide walks through the cost split, including what happens when one person's name carries more risk than the other's.

Getting your deposit back

Michigan's deposit-return process runs on hard deadlines (MCL 554.609 and 554.611):

1. Within four days after you move out, give the landlord your forwarding address in writing. Skipping this does not forfeit your deposit — it relieves the landlord of the notice requirement in the next step, which only hurts you.
2. Within 30 days after your occupancy ends, the landlord must mail you an itemized list of any damage charges with estimated repair costs, plus a check or money order for the difference. They may not bill you for damage that was already recorded on the prior termination checklist.
3. That notice must tell you — in boldface — to respond by mail within seven days or forfeit the amount claimed for damages. Respond, in writing, and keep a copy.

If you dispute the charges after that exchange, the statutes lay out the court process — which is the point where a lawyer or legal aid earns their fee.

How this maps to a Packard Row lease

Leases at Packard Row run 12 months, and deposits are based on credit — the FAQ has the current policy, and the leasing office quotes the amount for your application. Because the community takes a security deposit, Michigan law requires the inventory-checklist process described above at move-in: expect the two blank copies, and use them. Every Michigan lease, ours included, carries the statutory Truth in Renting Act notice.

Moving here for a university appointment? The postdoc relocation guide and the residency Match guide cover the timing side of the same signature.

Questions about the lease itself — or about what is available — contact the leasing office.