Michigan Rental Application
The Michigan Rental Application is an official legal template that assists those that manage and own residential property in Michigan with the task of identifying qualified tenants for vacant rental units. Michigan Landlord-Tenant law (Ch. 554 “Real and Personal Property”) is favorable to the landlord in that there are no restrictions on the dollar amount of application fee charged.
With the two (2) page form, landlords obtain a comprehensive history of the tenant(s) that covers information ranging from their criminal, credit, and background history for spotting anything that would lead the landlord to believe they would not pay rent, disturb neighboring tenants, damage the rental, or break a condition in the lease.
State Laws
Maximum Application Fee: None. Those that manage rental properties in Michigan can require applicants to pay any amount for application fees.
Security Deposits (§ 554.602 & § 554.609): Landlords cannot request tenants pay security deposits greater than one and a half (1.5) months’ rent. The landlord has thirty (30) days to return the deposit in full, minus any deposits. If deductions will be taken from the tenant’s deposit, the landlord has to provide the tenant with a list of all damages, the cost to repair each, and the amount the landlord will deduct for each type of damage. In the notice, the landlord is required to provide a short statement in a minimum of twelve (12) point boldface font, which is a minimum of four (4) points larger than surrounding text. The statement is as follows:
“You must respond to this notice by mail within 7 days after receipt of same, otherwise you will forfeit the amount claimed for damages.”
Michigan Lease Law Handbook: A Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlords