Landlord guide, Michigan (MI)
Michigan eviction process: the landlord’s steps from notice to removal
The eviction process in Michigan starts with the 7-day demand for possession: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent (MCL 600.5714(1)(a); MCL 554.134(2)). Then the landlord files in the district court, where the case is called summary proceedings to recover possession; the court hears it, and after judgment a court officer carries out the removal.
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- Notice for unpaid rent
- 7 calendar days
- MCL 600.5714(1)(a); MCL 554.134(2)
- Court
- district court
- MCL 600.5701 et seq.; MCL 600.5744; MCR 4.201
- Time to appeal
- 10 days
- MCL 600.5701 et seq.; MCL 600.5744; MCR 4.201
- Checked against the statutes
- 1 November 2026
Step by step
The eviction process Michigan landlords follow, step by step
Notice and court names are given as they read on Michigan’s own forms, and timing details are quoted from the statute.
- 1
Step 1
Serve the notice
Unpaid rent: the 7-day demand for possession, 7 calendar days (MCL 600.5714(1)(a); MCL 554.134(2)).
Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Another breach of the lease: the notice to quit, with no fixed period in the statute (MCL 600.5714(1)(b), (c); MCL 554.134).
No reason, month to month: 30 days’ notice (MCL 554.134).
What the statute adds, in English
The landlord may file only if the tenant fails to pay the rent due within 7 days of service of the written demand. Accelerated rent from a lease breach does not count as rent due.
- 2
Step 2
File the eviction in court
File in the district court, where the case is called summary proceedings to recover possession (MCL 600.5701 et seq.; MCL 600.5744; MCR 4.201).
- 3
Step 3
Go to the hearing
The statute sets no timetable for the hearing that we could confirm; the court schedules it.
- 4
Step 4
Judgment and appeal
If the court rules for you, the tenant has 10 days to appeal.
- 5
Step 5
Removal by a court officer
An officer of the court carries out the removal, on the court’s order.
In the statute, in English
writ of restitution may not issue until 10 days after the judgment for possession
Michigan eviction process timeline
- Notice before filing
- 7 calendar days
- Time to answer
- Not confirmed
- Hearing
- Not confirmed
- Time to appeal
- 10 days
- Removal
- Quoted in step 5
Only some steps have a number in the statute, so no honest total exists: after filing, the court sets the pace.
Can you change the locks yourself?
No. Michigan bans self-help eviction (MCL 600.2918), so only the court process can remove a tenant.
Removing belongings, changing locks without giving keys, or cutting heat, water, electricity or gas is unlawful interference, and the tenant recovers actual damages or $200 per occurrence, whichever is greater.
The court process is the safe course in every state.
Write the Michigan eviction notice
Fill in the notice for Michigan in the generator, then read the rest of the state’s landlord law before you serve it.
Where Dardaris comes in
Most evictions start as one late payment. Dardaris sees it on day one.
It notices the missed rent the day it is due, sends the tenant a reminder, and if nothing comes, drafts the Michigan notice with its 7 calendar days. You read it and sign; nothing goes out without you.
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Dardaris
The statutes
Michigan eviction laws, with the statute behind each step
| Step | What the law says | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Notice for unpaid rent | 7-day demand for possession7 calendar daysPaying in full within the period stops itThe landlord may file only if the tenant fails to pay the rent due within 7 days of service of the written demand. Accelerated rent from a lease breach does not count as rent due. | MCL 600.5714(1)(a); MCL 554.134(2) |
| Notice for a lease breach | notice to quitNo fixed periodTermination for a breach other than rent needs a lease clause allowing it, and the lease sets the notice; Michigan courts routinely apply 30 days. Separate statutory demands exist for drug activity backed by a police report (24 hours) and for serious health hazards or damage (7 days). | MCL 600.5714(1)(b), (c); MCL 554.134 |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy | 30 daysOne month's notice; where rent is payable at intervals under three months, notice equal to the rent interval suffices. | MCL 554.134 |
| How a notice is served | personal delivery to the tenantpersonal delivery at the premises to a household member of suitable agefirst-class mail, served the next regular mail dayelectronic service if the tenant consented in writing | MCL 600.5718 |
| Court and action | district courtsummary proceedings to recover possession | MCL 600.5701 et seq.; MCL 600.5744; MCR 4.201 |
| Time to answer | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Hearing | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Time to appeal | 10 days | MCL 600.5701 et seq.; MCL 600.5744; MCR 4.201 |
| Removal | writ of restitution may not issue until 10 days after the judgment for possession | MCL 600.5701 et seq.; MCL 600.5744; MCR 4.201 |
| Self-help (lockouts, utilities) | BannedRemoving belongings, changing locks without giving keys, or cutting heat, water, electricity or gas is unlawful interference, and the tenant recovers actual damages or $200 per occurrence, whichever is greater. | MCL 600.2918 |
Read against the official texts below on 1 November 2026. The month-to-month period was checked on 29 September 2026.
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-5714
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-5718
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-5744
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(ow3catz424h0bsio04tpjjhv))/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-554-134.pdf
- https://renderpdf.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-123-411
- https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-600-2918.pdf
- https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/forms/scao-approved/dc100c.pdf
- https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/forms/scao-approved/dc100b.pdf
- https://www.courts.michigan.gov/4a5c71/siteassets/publications/benchbooks/lltbb/lltbbresponsivehtml5.zip/LLTBB/Ch_4_Summary_Eviction_Proceedings/Bases_for_the_Initiation_of_Summary_Proceedings.htm
- https://www.courts.michigan.gov/49b89a/siteassets/educational-materials/mji/court-professional/videos-and-webinars/2014-2015/district-court-case-processing-summary-proceedings-material.pdf
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-554-602
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-554-609
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-554-134
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-554-601B
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-554-634
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-554-603
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-554-608
Questions landlords ask about eviction in Michigan
How long does an eviction take in Michigan?
The notice for unpaid rent runs 7 calendar days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.
What notice does a Michigan landlord serve for unpaid rent?
The 7-day demand for possession, which gives the tenant 7 calendar days (MCL 600.5714(1)(a); MCL 554.134(2)). Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Can a landlord change the locks in Michigan?
No. Michigan bans self-help eviction (MCL 600.2918), so only the court process can remove a tenant. The exact limits are quoted on this page.
Where is an eviction filed in Michigan?
In the district court, where the case is called summary proceedings to recover possession (MCL 600.5701 et seq.; MCL 600.5744; MCR 4.201).
How does a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy in Michigan?
With 30 days’ notice (MCL 554.134). If the tenant stays on after that, the eviction process on this page applies.
Can the tenant appeal an eviction in Michigan?
Yes. The tenant has 10 days after the judgment to appeal.
The eviction process in other states
- Louisiana: 5 business days for unpaid rent
- Maine: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Maryland: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Massachusetts: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Minnesota: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Mississippi: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Missouri: no notice before filing
- Montana: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
General information, not legal adviceEviction law changes, and a court can read a statute differently from this summary. Check the current text and your local court’s rules, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state, before you serve a notice or file.
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