Mich. Comp. Laws § § 600.5718
Demand for possession or payment; service; definitions.
Operative Text
Sec. 5718. (1) The demand provided for in section 5716 may be served by any of the following means: (a) Personal delivery to the person in possession. (b) Personal delivery on the premises to a member of the family or household or an employee of the person in possession, who is of suitable age and discretion, with a request that it be delivered to the person in possession. (c) First-class mail addressed to the person in possession. If the demand is mailed, the date of service for purposes of this chapter is the next regular day for delivery of mail after the day when it was mailed. (d) Subject to subsection (2), by electronic service, if the person in possession has in writing specifically consented to electronic service of the demand and if the consent or confirmation of the consent has been sent by 1 party and affirmatively replied to, by electronic transmission, by the other party. (2) The electronic service address used by a party in the process under subsection (1)(d) shall be considered to remain that party's correct, functioning electronic service address, unless the process under subsection (1)(d) is repeated using a different electronic service address for that party or unless that party notifies the other in writing that that party no longer has an electronic service address. A landlord shall not refuse to enter a lease because the prospective tenant declines to consent to electronic service under this section. (3) As used in this section: (a) "Document" means a digital image of a record originally produced on paper or originally created by an electronic means, the output of which is readable by sight and can be printed to paper. (b) "Electronic notification" means the notification to a person that a document is served by sending an electronic message to the electronic service address at or through which the person has authorized electronic service, specifying the exact name of the document served or providing a hyperlink at which the served document can be viewed and downloaded, or both. (c) "Electronic service" means service of a document on a person by either electronic transmission or electronic notification. (d) "Electronic service address" of a person means the electronic address at or through which the person has authorized electronic service. (e) "Electronic transmission" means the transmission of a document by electronic means to the electronic service address at or through which a person has authorized electronic service.
Michigan law under MCL § 600.5718 sets out the permissible methods for serving a demand for possession or payment on a tenant. A landlord may deliver the demand in person, leave it with a responsible household member or employee on the premises, send it by first-class mail (in which case the service date is the next regular mail-delivery day after mailing), or—under specific conditions—serve it electronically. Electronic service is only valid when the tenant has affirmatively and specifically consented to it in writing, with that consent confirmed by an exchange of electronic messages between both parties.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to MCL § 600.5718 generally ensure that any demand for possession or payment is served through one of the four recognized methods: personal delivery, delivery to a suitable household member or employee on the premises, first-class mail, or electronic transmission where written consent has been properly exchanged. When mailing a demand, compliant operators account for the fact that the service date is calculated as the next regular mail-delivery day after the mailing date, not the day the letter is sent. Importantly, § 600.5718(2) prohibits refusing to enter a lease solely because a prospective tenant declines to consent to electronic service, so operators generally keep that consent entirely voluntary.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under MCL § 600.5718, tenants have the right to receive a demand for possession or payment through a legally recognized method, and a demand served improperly may affect the validity of subsequent eviction proceedings. Tenants also have an explicit protection: a landlord cannot refuse to rent to someone who declines to consent to electronic service of demands. If a tenant believes a demand was not served in accordance with § 600.5718—for example, that electronic service was used without proper written consent—that issue can potentially be raised as a defense in court proceedings, and tenant-rights organizations or legal aid services can help evaluate whether service was proper.
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