Michigan Security Deposit Rules (2026): The 4-Day Address Rule, the 30-Day Deadline and Cleaning Charges

Michigan has one of the more detailed security deposit laws in the country. The Security Deposit Act sets a cap on how much a landlord can take, a move-in checklist, a short window for you to send your forwarding address, a 30-day deadline for the landlord, and a 7-day window for you to answer any list of damages. Miss one of your own steps and you can lose rights you would otherwise have. This guide explains each step in plain English and how to leave a rental so cleaning costs you nothing.

Michigan deposit rules at a glance

• Deposit cap: no more than one and a half months’ rent
• Landlord notice: within 14 days of move-in, the landlord must give you a name and mailing address and say where the deposit is held
• Move-in checklist: the landlord should give you an inventory checklist; you have 7 days to fill it in and return it
• Forwarding address: you must give it in writing within 4 days of moving out
• Landlord deadline: 30 days after the tenancy ends to return the deposit or mail an itemized list of damages
• Your answer: 7 days to respond in writing to the itemized list
• Disputes: a landlord who keeps money you dispute must start a court case within 45 days of the tenancy ending

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, so check the current statute or ask a local legal aid office about your situation.

Start at move-in: the inventory checklist

The checklist you complete at move-in is the yardstick your landlord uses when you leave. Walk every room and write down what you see: stains in carpet, marks on walls, chips in the tub, a fridge that was not clean, dust in the vents. Take dated photos and videos of each room, including inside the oven, fridge, cabinets and closets, and the basement. Return the checklist within 7 days and keep a copy. If the landlord did not give you one, make your own list and send it in writing.

The 4-day forwarding address rule

This is the step Michigan renters miss most. Within 4 days of moving out, give the landlord your new mailing address in writing. Email may not be enough if your lease names a different method, so a dated letter or the landlord’s own form is safer. Without it, the landlord does not have to send you the itemized list, and you can lose your claim to double damages later.

The 30-day itemized list and your 7-day answer

Within 30 days of the end of the tenancy, the landlord must either return the full deposit or mail an itemized list of damages with any balance. The list must be specific, with the estimated cost of each repair. You then have 7 days to respond in writing, saying which items you agree with and which you dispute and why. Items you don’t dispute are treated as accepted. If the landlord wants to keep money you dispute, they must go to court within 45 days.

What can and cannot be deducted

A Michigan landlord can use the deposit for unpaid rent and utilities and for actual damage beyond reasonable wear and tear. Faded paint, minor scuffs, worn carpet in walkways and small nail holes are normal wear and tear. A greasy oven, a dirty fridge, a bathtub ring, pet stains, salt crust ground into carpet and a basement left full of belongings can be charged. Cleaning is charged as damage when the home is left dirtier than it was at move-in, which is why your checklist and photos matter.

If your deposit isn’t returned

Write to the landlord first, quoting the Security Deposit Act and the date you sent your forwarding address. If the landlord did not return the deposit or start a court case within 45 days, and you met your own deadlines, a court can award double the amount withheld. Small claims court handles most deposit disputes; the limit is currently $7,000, so check the current figure. Michigan Legal Help and local legal aid offices have free guides and forms.

The rooms Michigan landlords look at

Michigan rentals are often whole houses or duplexes with a basement, so inspections go further than an apartment walk-through. Expect the landlord to check:

• The basement floor, laundry area and the floor around the furnace and water heater
• Window wells and basement windows, which collect leaves and dirt
• Entry floors and mats, where road salt leaves a white crust
• Vents and cold-air returns, which fill with dust in a long heating season
• The garage, if the lease includes it

Wear and tear or damage? Common examples

How Michigan move-out problems are usually treated

What the landlord finds	Usually
Faded or lightly scuffed paint	Normal wear and tear
Small nail holes from pictures	Normal wear and tear
Carpet worn in walkways	Normal wear and tear
Greasy oven, dirty fridge, soap scum	Chargeable cleaning if it was clean at move-in
Pet stains and odor	Chargeable
Belongings left in the basement or garage	Chargeable removal
Holes, burns or broken fixtures	Chargeable repair

Every case depends on the lease, the move-in checklist and how long you lived there. A carpet that was already old when you moved in should not be charged as new.

Roommates, pets and leaving early

If you share a lease, the deposit is usually returned or itemized for the whole unit, not per person, so agree with roommates in writing who cleans what and how any refund is split. Pet deposits and pet fees depend on the lease: a refundable pet deposit counts toward the deposit, while a fee that is clearly non-refundable usually does not. If you leave before the lease ends, the landlord may apply the deposit to rent owed under the lease, so check the lease terms and talk to the landlord before you go. In every case the same timing rules apply: forwarding address within 4 days, your reply to any itemized list within 7.

Your own photos are your best evidence

Michigan law does not require landlords to take photos, so your own record matters. On the day you move in and the day the clean is finished, walk each room in the same order and take wide shots, then close-ups of anything that could be disputed: the oven interior, the fridge shelves, tub and shower, the basement floor, window wells and carpets. Keep them with the move-in checklist and your lease until the deposit is settled.

A move-out plan that protects your deposit

• Two to three weeks out: find your move-in checklist and photos, and book your clean
• The day before: defrost and empty the fridge and freezer
• Moving day: remove everything, including the basement, garage and storage
• Cleaning day: kitchen, bathrooms, basement, entries, vents and floors, then photograph each room
• Within 4 days: send your forwarding address in writing and keep a copy
• Within 7 days of any itemized list: reply in writing to every item you dispute

Our move-out cleaning starts at $190 and follows the checklist Michigan landlords use, basement included when booked. See what Michigan move-out cleans actually cost, find move-out cleaning in your Michigan town, such as Grand Rapids or Rochester, or get a free quote.