Michigan rent increase law

Michigan's landlord-tenant statutes set no notice period for raising rent when a lease ends. During a lease, you may not change any term, rent included, without the tenant's written consent, unless the lease itself allows certain changes on at least 30 days' written notice.

MCL 554.633(1)(l)

• The changes a lease may allow on 30 days' written notice are changes required by law, rule changes needed to protect the health, safety or peaceful enjoyment of tenants and guests, and rent increases to cover higher property taxes, higher charges for electricity, heating fuel, water or sewer used at the property, or higher liability, fire or worker compensation insurance premiums. MCL 554.633(1)(l)(i) to (iii)
• The statutes read set no separate rent increase notice for a month-to-month tenancy; ending one takes the notice described under ending a month-to-month tenancy. MCL 554.134(1) See Ending a month-to-month tenancy on the Michigan page
• If you raise a tenant's obligations as a penalty for asserting rights or complaining to a government agency, and the tenant's failure to meet the added obligations is the main reason for ending the tenancy, the tenant has a defense to eviction. MCL 600.5720(1)(e) See Retaliation on the Michigan page

Michigan bars counties, cities, villages and townships from enacting, keeping or enforcing an ordinance that controls the rent charged for private residential property.

MCL 123.411(2)

• A local government may still manage property it has an interest in and may use voluntary incentives and agreements to increase the supply of moderate or low cost rentals. MCL 123.411(3), (4)

A court may not enter judgment for possession if the termination was mainly a penalty for the tenant trying to secure or enforce rights under the lease or the law, for complaining to a government authority about a health or safety code violation, or for lawful activity such as membership in a tenant organization.

MCL 600.5720(1)(a) to (c)

• The same defense applies if you raised the tenant's obligations as a penalty for those acts and the termination was mainly for not meeting the added obligations. MCL 600.5720(1)(e)
• If the tenant took official action through a court or government agency within 90 days before you filed, and it was not dismissed or denied, retaliation is presumed unless you prove otherwise by a preponderance of the evidence. MCL 600.5720(2)
• If the action came more than 90 days before filing or ended against the tenant, the presumption runs the other way and the tenant must prove retaliation. MCL 600.5720(2)