§PlainStatute

Renters' Rights · Security Deposit

Security Deposit Laws in Michigan

The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Michigan.

Draft entry: figures pending statute verificationStatute §§554.601–554.616Source legislature.mi.gov
Security deposit at a glance · Michigan
1.5 months
is the most a landlord may charge for a security deposit in Michigan. It must be returned within 30 days.
Maximum deposit1.5 months' rent
Return deadline30 days
Interest to tenantNot required
Separate accountRegulated bank or bond
ItemizationRequired within 30 days
Penalty2× deposit wrongfully retained
Statute§§554.601–554.616

What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back

Enter your rent for the Michigan maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.

Deposit calculator · Michigan
Most a landlord can hold
1.5 months
Enter your monthly rent to see the dollar maximum.
Return clock: 30 days
The deadline runs after the tenancy ends (give a forwarding address within 4 days). Give your landlord a written forwarding address at move-out so the clock starts.

Estimate only, based on Michigan's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.

The full rules, with the statute

Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.

Maximum deposit
1.5 months' rent — a deposit may not exceed one and one-half months' rent (§554.602)
Return deadline
Within 30 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must mail an itemized list of damages with a check for the balance (§554.609). A related provision, §554.613, gives the landlord 45 days to either return the balance or file suit. The tenant must give a forwarding address in writing within 4 days of moving, or the landlord is relieved of the itemization duty.
Interest to tenant
Not requiredMichigan does not require a landlord to pay interest on a security deposit.
Separate account
ConditionalThe landlord must deposit the money in a regulated financial institution, or instead post a cash or surety bond with the Secretary of State (§554.604).
Itemization
Within 30 days the landlord must mail an itemized list of damages and a check for the difference. Failure to do so means no damages may be kept and the deposit must be returned. The tenant must respond within 7 days if disputing (§554.609).

Penalties & recent changes

What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.

If the landlord withholds wrongfully
A landlord who fails to comply fully with §554.613 waives any claim against the deposit and is liable for double the amount of the deposit wrongfully retained.
Recent changes

2024 PA 179 (SB 206) (effective 2025-04-02): A 2024 amendment (2024 PA 179 / SB 206, effective April 2, 2025) updated the act's title and §554.601 to add "source of income" anti-discrimination language. It did NOT change the deposit cap, deadlines, or penalty.

What Michigan renters get wrong

Michigan caps deposits at one and a half months' rent and pairs a 30-day itemization deadline with a strict tenant duty: you must give a forwarding address in writing within four days of moving out, or the landlord is off the hook for itemizing. Watch out for a common myth — some sites claimed a 2024 law raised the limit or cut the deadline to 30 from 45. It didn't. The 30-day and 45-day figures are two separate, long-standing provisions, and the 2024 amendment only added source-of-income protections.

Common questions

What is the maximum security deposit in Michigan?

One and one-half months' rent, under MCL §554.602. A 2024 amendment did not change this cap despite some online claims to the contrary.

How long does a Michigan landlord have to return my deposit?

30 days to mail an itemized list of damages and a check for the balance. A separate provision gives the landlord 45 days to return the balance or file suit over disputed damages.

Do I have to give my landlord a forwarding address in Michigan?

Yes, in writing within four days of moving out. If you don't, the landlord is relieved of the duty to send you an itemized list of damages.

What penalty applies if my Michigan landlord keeps my deposit wrongfully?

If the landlord fails to comply with the return procedure, they waive any claim against the deposit and owe double the amount wrongfully retained.

Primary source
→ MCL §§554.601–554.616
Michigan Legislature · legislature.mi.gov
Draft: pending editorial review
legislature.mi.gov refused all automated connections this session; §§554.602–554.613 were confirmed verbatim via the legislature's own search excerpts, but a human must open the official MCL pages in a browser before this page can carry a verified byline. Editorial standards →

Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.

Security deposit · other states
Arizona·California·Florida·Georgia·Illinois·Massachusetts·All states →