Michigan security deposit law: know your rights.
Understand the return, deduction and notice rules in Michigan. Check which conditions apply to your rental, then choose your next step.
Your deposit rights in Michigan
- Return timing
- 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.
- Accounting for deductions
- 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).
- Deposit interest
- The state deposit statute does not require interest. Check any additional lease or local rule.
Registry review: August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules, not an attorney review of your case.
Does this rule apply to your rental?
Check the type of tenancy, the lease and any local or housing-program rules before relying on the statewide summary.
Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.609, 554.613 ↗What starts the return clock?
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 ↗Check your return timing
Optional estimate from your move-out date. Read the start conditions above before treating that estimate as the return deadline. You can start the free analysis without completing this check.
Check what the landlord deducted
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.
Match each charge to the work alleged, the lease provision and the records supporting the amount. Keep refunds and charges you accept separate from those you dispute.
Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.609, 554.613 ↗What could you recover?
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.
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.613(2), including applicable notice requirements. A multiplier that already includes the deposit should not be added to that deposit again.
Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.609, 554.613 ↗Put the rules to work
See how the rules fit your deposit dispute
Free analysis
Add the refund, charges and records. Review the deductions and possible remedies with an explanation tied to your facts.
Full case package $29-$49
Turn your case into a demand letter, organized exhibits and a next-step plan. Review the analysis before deciding to buy.
Your entered dates and deposit amount carry forward. Additional timing details are saved in case notes. The next step asks for the refund and charges so you can build on this check.
Choose your next step
Small-claims limit: $7,000. Filing: $30-$70 by claim size + service. The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about Michigan deposit rights
How long does a Michigan landlord have to return a security deposit?
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 ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules 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)). Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.609, 554.613 ↗Understand the possible recovery →What accounting should I ask for in Michigan?
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). 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.
Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.609, 554.613 ↗