What a Landlord Cannot Do in Michigan
The main limits Michigan law puts on landlords — lockouts and utility shutoffs, entering without notice, retaliation, deposits, fees and discrimination — each with the statute or official source.
In short: a Michigan landlord cannot evict without a court order, cannot punish a tenant for asserting legal rights where state law protects them, and must follow the state's rules on entry, deposits and fees shown below.
| Lockouts & utility shutoffs | Self-help eviction is prohibited. Landlord may not use force or threats, remove/retain/destroy the tenant's property, change locks without immediately providing keys, board up, remove doors/windows/locks, interrupt essential services (heat, running water, hot water, electric, gas) amounting to constructive eviction, or introduce noise/odor/nuisance. Tenant may recover actual damages or $200, whichever is greater, for each occurrence, plus possession; unlawful forcible ejection allows 3 times actual damages or $200, whichever is greater. Exceptions: acts under court order; temporary interference for needed repairs/inspection; good-faith belief after diligent inquiry that the tenant abandoned with current rent unpaid; a detailed deceased-tenant procedure (10-day notice, 18 days after death). Rights cannot be waived. Tenant may recover possession via summary proceedings under MCL 600.5714(1)(f) or seek an injunction in circuit court; possession action must be commenced within 90 days and damages action within 1 year. Last amended 2019 PA 41. Source: MCL 600.2918(1)-(2) |
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| Landlord entry notice | No statute — no Michigan statute sets a notice period or rules for landlord entry; entry is governed by the lease. The anti-lockout statute allows only a temporary interruption of possession for necessary repairs or inspection 'as provided by law' (MCL 600.2918(3)(b)); other interference with a tenant's possession can cost the landlord actual damages or $200, whichever is greater, for each occurrence (600.2918(2)). Check the lease for entry terms. |
| Landlord retaliation | Defense to eviction: no judgment for possession if termination was intended primarily as a penalty for the tenant's attempt to enforce lease or legal rights, complaint to a government authority about a health/safety code violation, or other lawful tenancy-related act (including joining a tenant organization), or if the landlord added lease obligations as such a penalty. Presumption of retaliation if the tenant's protected action through a court or government agency occurred within 90 days before the eviction case began and was not dismissed/denied. Within the 90-day window the landlord must prove by a preponderance that the termination was not retaliatory; if the protected act was more than 90 days before filing (or was decided against the tenant), the presumption runs the other way and the tenant bears the burden. Michigan's statute is a defense in summary proceedings rather than a separate damages remedy. |
| Security deposit limit | 1.5 months' rent Security deposit 'shall not exceed 1 1/2 months' rent.' A 'security deposit' includes any refundable fee or deposit and any prepaid rent other than the first month's rent (MCL 554.601(d), per the Legislature's Practical Guide, Rev. 3/2026). Landlord must give a written notice within 14 days after the tenant takes possession (landlord's name/address, where the deposit is held or bond info, and the 4-day forwarding-address warning) or the tenant is relieved of the forwarding-address duty (MCL 554.603). Source: MCL 554.602 |
| Penalty for withholding | Double the amount of the deposit retained, and the landlord waives all claimed damages, if the landlord fails to comply fully with MCL 554.613 Generally the landlord may not keep any disputed part of the deposit without first obtaining a money judgment (or filing proof of inability to serve the tenant), except where the tenant gave no forwarding address, did not respond to the notice of damages, agreed in writing, or the claim is solely for unpaid rent for a period the tenant had possession (MCL 554.613(1)). Source: MCL 554.613(2); MCL 554.610 |
| Late fees | No statutory cap The Legislature's Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlords (Rev. 3/2026, Q12): a landlord may generally charge a late fee, but it must be reasonable and proportionate to the actual damages suffered from the late payment. No statutory grace period. Source: None (common law) |
| Rent control / increase limits | Statewide preemption: local governments may not adopt, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of controlling rent on private residential property. No statewide rent cap. Exceptions: property in which the local unit has an ownership interest, and plans using voluntary incentives/agreements to increase the supply of moderate- or low-cost private housing. Last amended 2018 PA 585 (eff. Mar. 28, 2019). Source: MCL 123.411 |
| Statewide ban on refusing Section 8 / source of income | Yes, effective Apr. 2, 2025. A landlord may not deny or end a tenancy, set different terms, fees or rent, misstate availability, advertise a preference, or try to discourage a tenant because of source of income, including vouchers and subsidies. If the landlord has an income threshold, it must count vouchers and subsidies when applying it (this does not cover emergency rental assistance). Exempt: landlords who, together with related entities, own fewer than 5 rental units in Michigan. The definition of 'source of income' (in the definitions section of Act 348 of 1972) was not separately reviewed. Source: MCL 554.601c (2024 PA 178) |
| Cameras & privacy | No landlord-specific statute, but Michigan law is strict. It is a felony to install, place or use in any private place, without the consent of the people entitled to privacy there, a device for observing, recording, transmitting, photographing or eavesdropping. The penalty is up to 2 years and/or $2,000, or up to 5 years for repeat offenses or for distributing the images. A 'private place' is one where a person can reasonably expect to be safe from casual or hostile intrusion or surveillance; places with public access are excluded. Security monitoring in a residence by its owner or principal occupant is allowed unless done for a lewd purpose. Eavesdropping means overhearing or recording private conversation without the permission of ALL participants. Trespassing to conduct surveillance is a misdemeanor. MCL 750.539a: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-750-539a. Courts have differed on whether a participant may record their own conversation; the all-party definition applies to 'the private discourse of others.' |
Can I sue my landlord in Michigan? · All Michigan tenant rights
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.