Michigan Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
Michigan rules on subletting, lease endings & tenant death for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-23.
Short answer: A tenancy at will or by sufferance can be ended by either party with one month's notice (or notice equal to the rent interval if rent is paid more often than every 3 months), and a landlord may end it for nonpayment with a written 7-day notice to quit. MCL 554.134
The rules in Michigan
| When the lease ends | A tenancy at will or by sufferance can be ended by either party with one month's notice (or notice equal to the rent interval if rent is paid more often than every 3 months), and a landlord may end it for nonpayment with a written 7-day notice to quit. A year-to-year tenancy ends one year after a notice to quit is served. The section read does not separately address automatic-renewal clauses or a holdover rent penalty after a fixed-term lease expires. Source: MCL 554.134 |
|---|---|
| If a tenant dies | Michigan's anti-lockout law lets a landlord take back a unit after a sole tenant's death without a court order only by following a specific procedure: among other things, the landlord must have given the tenant written notice of the option to name an authorized contact, rent must be unpaid, the landlord must believe in good faith that the tenant has been dead at least 18 days with no surviving tenant, the required notices must be given, and no probate estate may have been opened. Otherwise the usual rules against self-help apply. The details of the notices required are set out in subsection (3)(d); the section does not say the lease ends automatically at death. Source: MCL 600.2918(3)(d) |
Michigan vs. neighboring states
| State | Subletting | When the lease ends | If a tenant dies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | Not verified yet | A tenancy at will or by sufferance can be ended by either party with one month's notice (or notice equal to the rent interval if rent is paid more often than every 3 months), and a landlord may end it for nonpayment with a written 7-day notice to quit. A year-to-year tenancy ends one year after a notice to quit is served. MCL 554.134 | Michigan's anti-lockout law lets a landlord take back a unit after a sole tenant's death without a court order only by following a specific procedure: among other things, the landlord must have given the tenant written notice of the option to name an authorized contact, rent must be unpaid, the landlord must believe in good faith that the tenant has been dead at least 18 days with no surviving tenant, the required notices must be given, and no probate estate may have been opened. Otherwise the usual rules against self-help apply. MCL 600.2918(3)(d) |
| Indiana | Not verified yet | Indiana's Small Claims Manual notes that many leases require the tenant to give advance written notice at the end of the lease of whether the tenant is renewing, so the lease terms control. Unless the lease says otherwise, a month-to-month lease (written or oral) generally needs at least 30 days' notice for either side to end it. Indiana Office of Court Services, Small Claims Manual (2026, updated 12/23/2025), p. 31 | If a landlord knows that a tenant who was the sole occupant under a lease has died, the landlord must notify the tenant's representative, allow the representative reasonable access to remove the tenant's belongings (the landlord may require a signed inventory), and pay the representative the tenant's security deposit and any unearned rent the tenant would have been entitled to. A landlord who willfully violates these duties is liable for actual damages to the tenant's estate. A representative can be someone the tenant named in writing or in the lease, an attorney in fact, a guardian, an heir, or a person appointed by the probate court. Indiana Office of Court Services, Small Claims Manual (2026, updated 12/23/2025), pp. 38-40 |
| Ohio | Ohio has no state law in its landlord-tenant chapter that sets a consent standard for subletting or assigning a residential lease. By statute, a landlord and tenant may include in the rental agreement any terms not inconsistent with chapter 5321 or other law. Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321 (reviewed); § 5321.06 | Ohio has no state law in its landlord-tenant chapter that regulates automatic renewal clauses or sets a holdover rent penalty for a tenant who stays after the lease ends. For periodic tenancies, either side may end or decline to renew a month-to-month tenancy with notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date, or a week-to-week tenancy with at least 7 days' notice. Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321 (reviewed); § 5321.17 | Ohio has no state law in its landlord-tenant chapter that ends a residential lease when the tenant dies or sets a notice period for the tenant's estate. Deposit return follows the general rule: the landlord must return the deposit, with an itemized list of any deductions, within 30 days after the rental agreement ends and possession is delivered. Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321 (reviewed); § 5321.16(B) |
| Wisconsin | A tenant with a tenancy at will or a periodic tenancy shorter than year-to-year (such as month-to-month) may not assign or sublet without the landlord's agreement or consent. Other tenants (for example, under a fixed-term lease) may transfer their interest unless the lease expressly restricts it. Consent to one transfer is not consent to later transfers. Wis. Stat. § 704.09(1), (5) | An automatic renewal or extension clause in a residential lease cannot be enforced against the tenant unless the landlord gives separate written notice of it 15 to 30 days before the tenant's deadline to give notice. If a residential tenant holds over after the lease expires, the landlord may remove the tenant or choose to treat the tenant as month-to-month on the same terms (accepting rent counts as that choice). If the tenant stays without consent, the landlord may recover damages of at least twice the daily rental value for each day of holdover. Wis. Stat. §§ 704.15, 704.25, 704.27; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(3) | When a residential tenant dies, the tenancy ends on the earlier of 60 days after the landlord learns of the death or the end of the lease term; a month-to-month or at-will tenancy ends 60 days after the landlord learns of the death. The tenant's estate owes no rent after that, subject to the landlord's duty to reduce its losses, and other adult tenants remain bound. The landlord may not contact the tenant's family to collect rent they do not owe. Wis. Stat. § 704.165 |
City rules that may add to state law
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Michigan Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death FAQ
What happens when my lease ends in Michigan?
A tenancy at will or by sufferance can be ended by either party with one month's notice (or notice equal to the rent interval if rent is paid more often than every 3 months), and a landlord may end it for nonpayment with a written 7-day notice to quit. A year-to-year tenancy ends one year after a notice to quit is served. (MCL 554.134)
What happens to a lease when a tenant dies in Michigan?
Michigan's anti-lockout law lets a landlord take back a unit after a sole tenant's death without a court order only by following a specific procedure: among other things, the landlord must have given the tenant written notice of the option to name an authorized contact, rent must be unpaid, the landlord must believe in good faith that the tenant has been dead at least 18 days with no surviving tenant, the required notices must be given, and no probate estate may have been opened. Otherwise the usual rules against self-help apply. (MCL 600.2918(3)(d))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.