How long does a landlord in Michigan have to return a security deposit?
30 calendar days
The thirty days themselves run from the termination of occupancy, not from the forwarding address — MCL 554.609 says the landlord must mail the itemized list of damages 'within 30 days after the termination of occupancy'. What the forwarding address changes is whether the landlord owes that notice at all. Under MCL 554.611 the tenant must notify the landlord in writing, at the address the landlord gave under section 4, within four days after termination of occupancy, of an address at which communications under the act may be received; failure to do so 'relieves the landlord of the requirement of notice of damages but does not prejudice a tenant's subsequent claim for the security deposit'. So a tenant who misses the four-day window loses the benefit of the thirty-day notice duty and its automatic consequences, but does not lose the deposit claim itself.
In plain terms, the statute says
A landlord who does not meet the thirty-day notice-of-damages requirement is treated as agreeing that no damages are due and must immediately remit the full security deposit, and a landlord who does not comply fully with the disposition section waives all claimed damages and becomes liable to the tenant for twice the amount of the security deposit retained. Neither consequence requires a finding of bad faith, willfulness or wrongful intent (MCL 554.610, 554.613(2)).
Who this covers
The act reaches residential rental units broadly — MCL 554.601(c) defines a rental unit to include apartment units, boarding houses, rooming houses, mobile home spaces, and single and two-family dwellings, with no owner-occupied or small-landlord carve-out. The limits are definitional rather than structural: under MCL 554.601(d) a 'security deposit' does not include an amount paid for an option to purchase under a lease with an option to purchase, unless the intent was shown to be evasion of the act, and does not include an amount paid as a subscription for or purchase of a membership in a cooperative housing association incorporated under Michigan law. A resident paying either of those is outside the scheme.
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Questions people ask
How long does a landlord in Michigan have to return a security deposit?
Michigan: 30 calendar days. The thirty days themselves run from the termination of occupancy, not from the forwarding address — MCL 554.609 says the landlord must mail the itemized list of damages 'within 30 days after the termination of occupancy'. What the forwarding address changes is whether the landlord owes that notice at all. Under MCL 554.611 the tenant must notify the landlord in writing, at the address the landlord gave under section 4, within four days after termination of occupancy, of an address at which communications under the act may be received; failure to do so 'relieves the landlord of the requirement of notice of damages but does not prejudice a tenant's subsequent claim for the security deposit'. So a tenant who misses the four-day window loses the benefit of the thirty-day notice duty and its automatic consequences, but does not lose the deposit claim itself.
Who does Michigan's security-deposit law cover?
The act reaches residential rental units broadly — MCL 554.601(c) defines a rental unit to include apartment units, boarding houses, rooming houses, mobile home spaces, and single and two-family dwellings, with no owner-occupied or small-landlord carve-out. The limits are definitional rather than structural: under MCL 554.601(d) a 'security deposit' does not include an amount paid for an option to purchase under a lease with an option to purchase, unless the intent was shown to be evasion of the act, and does not include an amount paid as a subscription for or purchase of a membership in a cooperative housing association incorporated under Michigan law. A resident paying either of those is outside the scheme.
What happens if a landlord in Michigan is late?
A landlord who does not meet the thirty-day notice-of-damages requirement is treated as agreeing that no damages are due and must immediately remit the full security deposit, and a landlord who does not comply fully with the disposition section waives all claimed damages and becomes liable to the tenant for twice the amount of the security deposit retained. Neither consequence requires a finding of bad faith, willfulness or wrongful intent (MCL 554.610, 554.613(2)).
Where can I read Michigan's security-deposit law?
Michigan's rule is in Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.609. The link on this page goes to the official text, so you can read the section yourself rather than take our word for it.
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