A Michigan Rental Application is extremely useful for landlords and property owners to screen applicants and gather essential information about their rental history, employment, prior evictions, income, criminal background, and credit history.
State Laws
Below you can find critical information about rental regulations in Michigan, covering application fees, security deposits, pet deposits, eviction record searches, and other useful resources to go through before signing a lease agreement.
Application Fees
In Michigan, there is no law to limit 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 rental 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 and must be in a reasonable amount (Mandatory and Discretionary Pet Rules).
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 details of the case.
- The documents will be linked in PDF format if they are available for viewing.
Other Landlord Resources
A detailed rental application process helps you select reliable tenants for your property. Here are some additional resources that landlords in Michigan should be aware of:
- State Fair Housing Laws: The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the grounds of 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.
Sample
Below, you can download our sample rental application form for Michigan. You can also customize it in our document builder.
