Landlord kept your deposit in Michigan? Find your next step.
No refund, only part of your money back, or charges you disagree with? Start with what you received, then build a response using your records and Michigan law.
Analysis free · Full case package $29-$49, one time · mailing optional
The deadline check is optional. See what you get
What do you need help with?
Open the situation that fits. Each route gives you something to check, something to keep, and a next step.
I received nothingNo refund and no list of deductions.
Check the trigger, then the date. Within 30 days after termination of occupancy the landlord must mail an itemized list of claimed damages together with a check for the balance (§ 554.609); no list in 30 days concedes no damages and the full deposit is due.
Keep: your deposit payment, move-out or key-return record, forwarding-address notice and any earlier written request. These establish the timeline behind your demand.
Analyze my missing refund - free →I received part of my depositSome money came back. Find out what explains the difference.
Reconcile the refund. Compare the original deposit, what was returned and each deduction. Separate charges you accept from charges you dispute.
Check the amount they kept - free →Enter the refund and deductions in the case builder. You do not need a separate worksheet first.
The Michigan accounting rule: The list must state the estimated cost of repair of each item and the bases of assessment, may not include damages already on the move-in inventory checklist, and must carry the bold statutory notice that the tenant must respond by mail within 7 days or forfeit the amounts claimed (§§ 554.609-.610).
Keep: the refund record, deduction list and notice envelope or delivery record. If money is still unexplained, identify that gap in your written request.
I disagree with the deductionsYou have a charge list, whether or not a refund arrived.
Respond to the specific charges. Note each amount, why you dispute it, and which photo, message or record supports your position. Check the notice instructions above before choosing how and when to reply.
Check my deductions - free →The records rule in Michigan: Estimated repair costs per item are required at the 30-day stage (not receipts); move-in/move-out inventory checklists under § 554.608 fix the condition baseline.
No move-in photos? Use an inventory checklist, inspection report, dated repair request, messages or witness accounts to explain the condition.
I already sent a demandThe landlord has not paid, or the dispute is still unresolved.
If you received a compliant damage notice, do not let negotiations delay your written response. Without a notice, track your demand and any reply instead. The landlord's 45-day court-action rule has exceptions; check those before claiming automatic repayment.
See the Michigan court route →Keep: your sent demand, delivery record and any reply. Use the court guide to check where to file, which forms to use, and the filing and service costs.
Turn the dispute into a documented demand
- Free: understand your dispute
- Add your refund, charges and records. Get a charge-by-charge analysis of the deposit rules and potential remedies under Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.609.
- Optional: your case documents, $29-$49
- Your demand letter, damages summary and evidence checklist, ready to review and send with your records. Mailing is optional and costs extra.
One charge, backed by a reason and records
Fictional Michigan example. Assumes coverage under the cited law; not a customer outcome.
- The charge
- Repainting ordinary wall scuffs: $900
- Records to attach
- move-in photos and move-out photos
Open PDF ↗In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Prefer to write it yourself? Use the free Michigan letter template.
Before you call the refund late
Within 30 days after termination of occupancy the landlord must mail an itemized list of claimed damages together with a check for the balance (§ 554.609); no list in 30 days concedes no damages and the full deposit is due.
Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.609, 554.613 ↗Deposit statute reviewed August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules.
Check the return timeline
Optional date estimate. Read the start conditions above; a passed date alone does not establish a violation. Your date and deposit amount carry into the free analysis.
Already know the dates? Go straight to the refund and charges.
Continue to my free analysis →Questions before your next step
What should I do first if my landlord kept my deposit in Michigan?
Check the statutory deadline. Within 30 days after termination of occupancy the landlord must mail an itemized list of claimed damages together with a check for the balance (§ 554.609); no list in 30 days concedes no damages and the full deposit is due. Save your move-out records, any refund and the itemized statement. Compare them with the deadline and deduction rules below.
Do I need a lawyer to get my deposit back in Michigan?
You can write a demand yourself. If you consider a court claim, small claims court (limit: $7,000) is designed for self-represented tenants - filing fees run $30-$70 depending on claim size plus service costs.
What happens if my landlord doesn't return my security deposit in 30 days in Michigan?
Missing the 30-day itemization/return means the full deposit is due. If the tenant disputes within 7 days, the landlord may keep disputed amounts only by winning a money judgment and must sue within 45 days of move-out - failure 'constitutes waiver of all claimed damages and makes him liable to the tenant for double the amount of the security deposit retained' (§ 554.613(2)).
What can I ask to recover in a Michigan deposit dispute?
MCL 554.613 provides double the deposit retained for failure to comply with that section. Evaluate the damage notice, tenant response, 45-day filing requirement and its exceptions separately. The four-day forwarding-address duty depends on the disclosure required by MCL 554.603. The rent-only filing exception covers qualifying accrued unpaid rent, not utility charges.
Read the full Michigan deposit-law guide for the return, deduction and remedy rules.