A Michigan Rental Application is a useful document for landlords to do background checks on applicants and gather essential information about their rental history, employment, prior evictions, income, criminal background, and credit history.
Laws
- Application Fee – Non-refundable
- Fee Limits – No limits (no statute)
- Security Deposit – Tenants can be charged up to one and a half months’ rent (§ 554.602)
State Laws
Application Fees
In Michigan, no law limits the amount of money a landlord can request as the rental application fee. Thus, you are free to ask the prospective tenant to pay any reasonable amount as a non-refundable fee to cover the expenses you will incur to process the application and run background checks.
Security Deposits
You can also charge a security deposit to cover any damage to the property during the tenant’s occupation of the rental property. The deposit is refundable if there are no deductions involved.
Pet Deposits
Landlords can also ask tenants to pay a pet deposit if applicable. The pet deposit is typically a one-time, refundable amount the tenant deposits to cover any damage the pet may cause to the property. It must be in a reasonable amount (Mandatory and Discretionary Pet Rules).
Other Resources
- State Fair Housing Laws: The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on religion, race, national origin, sex, color, familial status, age, height, weight, or marital status.
- State Sex Offender Registry: You can also conduct further background checks on the potential tenant in Michigan’s sex offender registry.
How To Conduct an Eviction Record Search
Eviction records may signal previous issues that potential tenants have had with landlords. You can access Michigan eviction records online via the court’s case system. Here’s how you can access the eviction records:
- Go to Michigan Courts Case Search.
- Select the tab that allows you to search by party name.
- Enter the prospective tenant’s name.
- If there is a record, select the case number. This will take you to a docket sheet containing the case details.
- The documents will be linked in PDF format if they are available for viewing.
Sample
