Mich. Comp. Laws § § 554.609
Itemized list of damages; check or money order; contents of notice of damages.
Operative Text
Sec. 9. (1) In case of damage to the rental unit or other obligation against the security deposit, the landlord shall mail to the tenant, within 30 days after the termination of occupancy, a notice of damages that contains an itemized list of damages claimed for which the security deposit may be used as provided in section 7, including the estimated cost of repair of each damaged property item and the amounts and bases on which the landlord intends to assess the tenant. (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), the notice of damages must be accompanied by a check or money order for the difference between the damages claimed and the amount of the security deposit held by the landlord and must not include any damages that were claimed on a previous termination inventory checklist prior to the tenant's occupancy of the rental unit. (3) Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act that added this subsection, a notice of damages may not be accompanied by a check or money order as described in subsection (2) if the landlord transmits the difference between the damages claimed and the amount of the security deposit held by the landlord as described in subsection (2) to the tenant through direct deposit or electronic transfer to a bank account, or to an internet or mobile payment account or application. A landlord that complies with this subsection must deposit the amount determined in accordance with subsection (2) into the tenant's account in a financial institution or internet or mobile payment account or application within 10 days after mailing the notice of damages. (4) The notice of damages must include the following statement in 12 point boldface type that is at least 4 points larger than the body of the notice: "You must respond to this notice by mail within 7 days after receipt of the notice of damages, otherwise you will forfeit the amount claimed for damages.".
Michigan law under MCL § 554.609 sets out specific requirements for how a landlord must communicate security deposit deductions after a tenancy ends. Within 30 days of the tenant vacating, the landlord must send a written, itemized notice of damages listing each claimed item, its estimated repair cost, and the basis for each charge. That notice must be accompanied by any remaining deposit balance owed to the tenant — delivered by check, money order, or electronic transfer — and must include a bold, prominently sized statement warning the tenant that they have 7 days from receipt to respond by mail or forfeit the claimed amounts.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to MCL § 554.609 generally maintain thorough move-out documentation so that any damage notice mailed within the 30-day window can include a line-by-line breakdown of each claimed item and its estimated repair cost. The accompanying refund of any undisputed deposit balance — whether by check, money order, or electronic transfer completed within 10 days of mailing — is a required part of the notice package, not an optional step. Compliant notices also reproduce the mandatory 7-day response warning in 12-point boldface type that is at least 4 points larger than the body text, and they exclude any pre-existing damage that appeared on a prior termination inventory checklist before the tenant moved in.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under MCL § 554.609, tenants are entitled to receive an itemized damage notice within 30 days of moving out, along with any deposit balance the landlord is not claiming — and the notice must carry a bold warning that a written response is due within 7 days of receipt. Failing to respond within that 7-day window can result in forfeiture of the disputed amounts, so tenants who receive such a notice generally benefit from understanding that deadline. Tenants who believe a notice is untimely, incomplete, or improperly formatted may explore options such as raising the landlord's noncompliance as a defense in small claims court, contacting a local tenant-rights organization, or consulting an attorney familiar with Michigan's Security Deposit Act.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation