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Free Michigan Residential Lease/Rental Agreement

Use our Michigan Lease Agreement to rent out your property.

Updated May 13, 2022 | Legally reviewed by Susan Chai, Esq.

A Michigan residential lease agreement is a legally binding contract that outlines all lease terms a landlord and tenant agree to when renting residential property.

All states are required by Federal and state law to contain specific provisions in Michigan rental and Lease Agreements, including:

  • The names and contact information of the landlord and tenant,
  • The address of the property,
  • Disclosures and information regarding health and safety hazards,
  • Pet provisions and prohibitions
  • Lease term (e.g., 12 months)
  • When to pay rent (due date) and the amount of rent (for the month’s rent)
  • Security deposit specifics
  • Any grace period for late monthly payment
  • Late Fees

However, states will often differ on some crucial issues, so familiarize yourself with Michigan’s rental laws and regulations to better protect your rights and save yourself from potential future hassle or even a lawsuit.

Other Michigan lease agreements and real estate documents you might be interested in are:

Table of Contents

Michigan Landlord-Tenant Laws

Michigan state law imposes specific and distinct landlord-tenant requirements when entering a legal contract like a rental agreement. For example, Chapter 554 of the Michigan Compiled Laws provides the following.

Security Deposit

  • State law says a landlord cannot charge a tenant more than one and a half (1.5) of the monthly rent for a security deposit (Michigan Compiled Laws § 554.602).
  • If there is damage to the rental unit, an itemized list of the damages along with the difference between the damages claimed and the security deposit must be returned to the tenant within thirty (30) days of the termination or end of the lease (Michigan Compiled Laws § 554.609).
  • If a landlord requires a security deposit, the tenant must receive written notice of the landlord’s name and address, the name of the financial institution or surety holding the deposit, and the tenant is obligated to provide the landlord with a forwarding address upon move-out. (Michigan Compiled Laws § 554.603)

Landlord Right of Entry

It is always recommended that a landlord give prior notice to a tenant before entering the premises, however, Michigan law does not require it (no statute).

How to Write a Lease/Rental Agreement

Follow the steps below to write a residential lease agreement in Michigan.

Step 1 – Fill Out the Date of Agreement 

Write the date of the Lease/Rental Agreement.

Step 2 – Enter the Parties’ Information

Provide the name and address of the parties that are signing the agreement. First is the landlord or management company and their current address. Then write in all tenants and their current address.

Step 3 – Describe the Property

Describe the type of rental property such as an apartment or house and provide the full street address of the rental property.

Step 4 – Enter the Term of the Lease

Write the term (length) of the lease in months and enter the beginning and end dates of the lease. If the lease is month-to-month, provide the start date of the lease.  

Step 5 – Enter Rent Details

Provide the monthly rental amount, the date the rent is due each month and the acceptable payment method(s). Any late fees or grace period for late payment of rent can be added.

Step 6 – Enter Security Deposit Amount

Write the amount of the security deposit the landlord will collect from the tenant, typically done at the beginning of the lease.

Step 7 – Additional Provisions

Provide additional and optional provisions such as regarding the use of a guarantor, payment of utilities, maintenance and repairs, alterations, or allowance or prohibition of pets, smoking, or sublease.

Step 8 – Signatures

The landlord and tenant(s) will sign and date the lease agreement. 

Michigan Residential Lease Agreement Example

The sample lease agreement below describes a rental contract between “Landlord” Vivian Wong and “Tenant” Nick Dennings. The tenant agrees to rent a condominium in Detroit for $900.00 per month for a fixed term beginning on June 19, 2017 and ending on December 19, 2017. The tenant agrees to pay for all utilities and services for the Premises.

This is a good example of a simple lease agreement’s provisions and how one should look in its final form.

Michigan Lease Agreement Sample

Use the free form below to document your tenant’s legally binding lease agreement. Also, review the form to understand what a typical Michigan rental agreement looks like.

Alternatively, use our document builder to easily create a customized Michigan lease agreement.

michigan rental lease agreement

 

Additional Documents

Disclosure of Lead-Based Hazards

All Michigan landlords of any building constructed before 1978 must notify all tenants of the potential existence of lead-based hazards. (Title 42 U.S. Code § 4852(d))

Notice of Rental Rights for Domestic Violence Victims

A tenant who reasonably fears for their safety or for their child due to sexual assault, stalking, or domestic violence may break their lease and be relieved from rent obligations after providing a written statement that includes; a protective order removing the abuser from a home, a probation order restricting contact with the abusive individual, or a written police report that led to the filing of charges. (§§ 554.601b)

Rental Inspection Checklist

A landlord is required to provide the tenant with two copies of an itemized move-in and move-out rental inspection checklist, after which the tenant has one week to review the list and return a copy to the landlord. (§§ 554.608)

Said checklist must include the following statement in twelve-point bold-face font:

“YOU SHOULD COMPLETE THIS CHECKLIST, NOTING THE CONDITION OF THE RENTAL PROPERTY, AND RETURN IT TO THE LANDLORD WITHIN 7 DAYS AFTER OBTAINING POSSESSION OF THE RENTAL UNIT. YOU ARE ENTITLED TO REQUEST AND RECEIVE A COPY OF THE LAST TERMINATION INVENTORY CHECKLIST WHICH SHOWS WHAT CLAIMS WERE CHARGEABLE TO THE LAST PRIOR TENANTS.“

Security Deposit Notice

A landlord must notify the tenant within fourteen (14) days from the date the tenant moves-in the name and address of the bank where the deposit will be held. (§§ 554.603)

The notice must include the following statement in twelve-point bold-face font:

“YOU MUST NOTIFY YOUR LANDLORD IN WRITING WITHIN 4 DAYS AFTER YOU MOVE OF A FORWARDING ADDRESS WHERE YOU CAN BE REACHED AND WHERE YOU WILL RECEIVE MAIL; OTHERWISE YOUR LANDLORD SHALL BE RELIEVED OF SENDING YOU AN ITEMIZED LIST OF DAMAGES AND THE PENALTIES ADHERENT TO THAT FAILURE.“

Truth in Renting Act Disclosure

A landlord must include a notification of the Michigan Truth in Renting Act, which regulates rental agreements and outlines specific disclosures and provision prohibitions in lease and rental agreements. (§§ 554.634)