Rent increases in Michigan
Source: MCL 554.134; MCL 123.411; MCL 600.5720 · Checked against the statute
- Notice
- 1 month
- Statewide cap
- No statewide cap
- During a lease
- No state statute
- Local rent control
- Banned by state law
When can a rent increase start in Michigan?
Choose the state and the date the notice is given.
How much notice is required
Michigan has no rent-increase notice statute. A landlord changes the terms of a tenancy at will by ending it with 1 month's notice, or notice equal to the rent-payment interval. The notice ends the tenancy one full interval after it is given, even if the date it names does not fall at the start or end of a rental period. (MCL 554.134(1))
No separate rent-increase rule: the periods below are the notice to end a periodic tenancy.
| Applies to | When | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Month-to-month | — | 1 month |
Example: a notice handed over on November 2, 2026 in Michigan
Earliest date the new rent can start, with rent due on the 1st, worked out from the Michigan rule above:
- For a month-to-month tenant of 1 year raising rent 5% or a month-to-month tenant of 3 years raising rent 12%: Wednesday, December 2, 2026
Raising rent during a lease
No statute addresses rent increases during a fixed-term lease. (MCL 554.134)
City and county rent control
Local governments may not enact, maintain or enforce any ordinance or resolution that would control the amount of rent for private residential property. Voluntary incentive programs are still allowed. (MCL 123.411)
Retaliatory rent increases
A court may not enter an eviction judgment if the landlord tried to raise the tenant's obligations as a penalty for the tenant's lawful acts (enforcing rights, code complaints, tenant organizing) and the tenant's failure to pay them was the main reason for the eviction. A presumption of retaliation arises if the tenant took official action through a court or agency within 90 days before the eviction case. (MCL 600.5720(1)(e), (2))
Also good to know
- A year-to-year tenancy ends 1 year after service of a notice to quit (MCL 554.134(3)).
- MCL 554.134 does not itself say the notice must be in writing.
Other Michigan renting rules in numbers
- Security deposit
- No more than 1½ months' rent (MCL 554.602). Return deadline: 30 days after move-out.
- Tenant's notice to move out
- 1 month
- Notice for unpaid rent
- 7 days (pay or move out)
- How a written notice is delivered (eviction-notice rules)
- Personal delivery; delivery at the home to a family/household member or employee of suitable age and discretion with a request to pass it on; first-class mail; or e-mail only if the tenant consented in writing and replied by e-mail (MCL 600.5718).
- Notice for other lease violations
- Notice to vacate, no right to fix
- Small claims court limit
- $7,000 — where most deposit and rent disputes are filed.
- Repairs
- Time to repair: A reasonable time. Repair and deduct: allowed with limits; withholding rent: allowed with limits.
- Deposit kept wrongly
- A landlord who does not fully comply with § 13 waives all claimed damages and owes the tenant double the amount of the deposit retained (MCL 554.613).
- Lawful reasons to end a lease early
- Domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking; Age, illness or disability
Sources
- MCL 554.134 Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- MCL 123.411 Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- MCL 600.5720 Retrieved October 15, 2026.
Laws change. This page was checked against the sources above on October 15, 2026. It is legal information, not legal advice; for a dispute, contact your state's legal aid. See our methodology.