Michigan security deposit law

What your landlord is legally required to do after you move out, how long they have, and what it costs them if they get it wrong.

The deadline

Under Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.609, a landlord in Michigan must return your security deposit — together with any required written itemization of deductions — within 30 days. Once that window closes without payment or a proper itemization, the landlord is in violation of the statute.

The tenant has 7 days to respond to the itemized list or forfeits the right to contest it. The landlord has 45 days after termination to file suit for disputed amounts or must return the balance.

What it costs your landlord

Under Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.613, a landlord who wrongfully withholds a deposit in Michigan may be liable for double the amount of the security deposit retained. That exposure is the reason a formal demand letter works: it is usually cheaper for a landlord to pay you than to argue about it.

What your landlord may deduct in Michigan

Actual damages to the rental unit or ancillary facilities that are the direct result of conduct not reasonably expected in the normal course of habitation, plus unpaid rent and utility bills (§ 554.607).

Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.609, 554.613

Ordinary wear and tear

Michigan limits deductions to damage beyond what normal habitation would produce, and separately bars the landlord from keeping disputed money at all until a court says so.

“…the direct result of conduct not reasonably expected in the normal course of habitation of a dwelling.”

What a compliant itemization has to contain

An itemized list within 30 days stating the estimated cost of repair of each property damaged item and the amounts and bases on which the landlord intends to assess the tenant, delivered together with a cheque for the difference. The list may not include damage claimed on a previous termination inventory checklist (§ 554.609).

Read it yourself: Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.609, 554.613

How to get your deposit back in Michigan

1. 1. Confirm the deadline has passed. Count from the day you moved out and returned possession. In Michigan that's 30 days.
2. 2. Put your forwarding address in writing. In several states a landlord has no obligation until they have it, and having sent it protects your claim.
3. 3. Gather your evidence. The lease, proof you paid the deposit, move-in and move-out photos, and any itemization they sent.
4. 4. Send a written demand by certified mail. Cite Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.609, state the amount owed, and give a deadline to pay. Certified mail creates the delivery record a judge will want to see.
5. 5. File in small claims if they ignore you. You don't need a lawyer. File in the county where the property is located.

Common questions

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Michigan?

Under Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.609, a Michigan landlord has 30 days to return the deposit and provide any required written itemization of deductions.

What is the penalty if my landlord keeps my deposit in Michigan?

Under Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.613, a landlord who wrongfully withholds may be liable for double the amount of the security deposit retained.

Do I have to sue to get my security deposit back?

Often not. A formal written demand sent by certified mail puts your landlord on notice of the statute, the deadline they missed and the penalty attached to it — and gives you a dated record that they received it. Small claims court is the fallback if they ignore it.