Michigan Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Michigan's security deposit statute (MCL § 554.609, § 554.613), the 30-day return deadline, and the double-damages penalty when a landlord skips the required lawsuit. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
30 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
2× damages
if the landlord skips the 45-day suit
Statute
§ 554.613
Michigan Compiled Laws
Under MCL § 554.609, your landlord has 30 days after your tenancy ends to mail you an itemized list of any deductions and return the balance of your security deposit. This requires a written forwarding address from you.
If the landlord keeps your deposit improperly — and fails to file suit within 45 days to justify the deductions — MCL § 554.613 allows you to recover:
So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld can support a court judgment of $3,000. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Important: Michigan requires you to give your landlord a written forwarding address within 4 days of moving out to preserve your rights. Your demand letter supplies your address in writing. Deposits are capped at 1.5 months’ rent.
Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes Michigan's deadlines under § 554.609.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]
[Landlord's name and address]
RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]
I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.
Under § 554.609, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence Michigan law attaches, cited by section.]
I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
30 days after you move out.
A landlord retaining the deposit for contested damages must file suit for a money judgment within 45 days of termination; failure both waives all claimed damages AND makes the landlord liable for double the amount wrongfully retained under § 554.613.
MCL § 554.609 and MCL § 554.613. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The Michigan rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:
Last verified against primary sources on .
How we verify this →Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.
Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact Michigan statutes that apply to your situation.
MCL § 554.609, § 554.613, and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.
The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.
Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Most Michigan landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39