Required Disclosures for Michigan Residential Landlords

Since the enactment of the Truth in Renting Act on July 1, 1979, Michigan legislation places a heavy disclosure burden on landlords to ensure tenants are fully aware of their statutory rights. Chief among these requirements is strict compliance with the Truth in Renting Act.

Failure to provide these mandatory disclosures precisely as the law dictates can render entire sections of a lease legally void or open the landlord up to lawsuits for statutory damages in the Michigan District Court.

1. Truth in Renting Act Disclosure

The most critical disclosure in Michigan is the Truth In Renting Act Notice. Every written residential lease agreement must contain a specific, statutorily mandated 3-sentence statement.

The lease must state-in a prominent place and rendered in at least 12-point type, or in legible print with letters not smaller than 1/8 inch:

"NOTICE: Michigan law establishes rights and obligations for parties to rental agreements. This agreement is required to comply with the Truth in Renting Act. If you have a question about the interpretation or legality of a provision of this agreement, you may want to seek assistance from a lawyer or other qualified person."

If your lease lacks this exact phrasing, it essentially violates Michigan law on its face.

2. Security Deposit Location Notice

When a landlord collects a security deposit (which is capped at 1.5 months' rent), they cannot simply stay quiet about where the money is being held.

Under the Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act (MCL 554.603), the landlord must provide the tenant with written notification of the name and address of the financial institution holding the funds, or the name of the surety company issuing the bond.

• This written notice must be provided within 14 days of the tenant taking possession of the property.
• The notice MUST include the following verbatim statement in 12-point boldface type (at least 4 points larger than the body of the notice): "You must notify your landlord in writing within 4 days after you move of a forwarding address where you can be reached and where you will receive mail; otherwise your landlord shall be relieved of sending you an itemized list of damages and the penalties adherent to that failure."

3. The Inventory Checklist (Condition Report)

Landlords cannot collect a security deposit without providing an Inventory Checklist at move-in. Under MCL 554.608, the landlord must provide the tenant with two blank copies of this checklist, covering all rooms and appliances in the unit.

• The checklist MUST contain the following verbatim notice in 12-point boldface type at the top of the first page: "You should complete this checklist, noting the condition of the rental property, and return it to the landlord within 7 days after obtaining possession of the rental unit. You are also entitled to request and receive a copy of the last termination inventory checklist which shows what claims were chargeable to the last prior tenants."

4. Domestic Violence Rights Disclosure

Under MCL 554.601b, Michigan law allows victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking to break their lease early without financial penalty if they are in reasonable apprehension of present danger.

To ensure tenants know this right exists, the landlord must satisfy this disclosure requirement by:

• Including a specific clause in the lease agreement;
• Providing a separate written notice at the time the lease is signed; OR
• Posting a notice in a visible place in the landlord's property management office.

5. Standard Federal Disclosures (Lead-Based Paint)

If the rental property was built before 1978, the landlord must comply with federal law and provide the tenant with:

• An EPA-approved information pamphlet on identifying and controlling lead-based paint hazards.
• Any known information or reports concerning lead-based paint in the building.
• A Lead Warning Statement attached to the lease, which must be signed by both parties.

Perfecting Michigan Leasing Workflows

Missing the 12-point font requirement on the Truth in Renting Act disclosure, or forgetting to physically hand the tenant the 14-day security deposit notice, immediately jeopardizes a Michigan landlord's legal standing. Landager handles these complex statutory requirements dynamically. The platform natively injects the exact 12-point required phrasing into your digital leases and automatically generates and emails the 14-day Escrow Bank notifications to your tenants, removing manual administrative risk.

How Landager Helps

Landager tracks lease terms, important compliance deadlines, and security deposit details - making it easy to stay compliant with Michigan regulations.

Back to Michigan Landlord-Tenant Laws OverviewPreview unavailable.