Michigan Form DC 100a is the written demand a landlord must serve on a tenant before filing a nonpayment-of-rent eviction in district court. The form, approved by the State Court Administrative Office, tells the tenant how much rent is owed and gives them seven days to pay or move out. You can download it for free from the Michigan Courts website under “Landlord Tenant and Land Contract Forms.”1Michigan Courts. Landlord Tenant and Land Contract Forms Skip this step or serve it incorrectly, and a judge will dismiss any eviction complaint you file afterward.
What to Gather Before You Fill It Out
Small errors on the demand give the tenant grounds to challenge it. Pull the lease and confirm the following before you start writing.
- Tenant names. List every adult on the lease. The demand is addressed to the “person in possession,” so if multiple adults signed, all of them should appear on the form. Include other adults you know are living in the unit as well.
- Property address and description. The statute requires “the address or other brief description of the premises.” Add a unit number, apartment letter, or descriptor like “upper flat” if the building has more than one dwelling.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.5716 – Demand for Possession or Payment; Form and Contents
- Exact rent owed. MCL 600.5716 requires the amount due “at the time of the demand” — meaning the unpaid rent as of the date you sign. Do not include accelerated rent for future months. MCL 600.5714(1)(a) expressly excludes “accelerated indebtedness because of a breach of the lease.”3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.5714 – Summary Proceedings to Recover Possession of Premises
- Who will sign. The demand must be signed by “the person entitled to possession, his attorney or agent.” If the owner is an LLC or corporation, an attorney may be required to sign and to represent the entity in court.4City of Royal Oak. Landlord – Tenant
Late Fees and “Added Rent”
The dollar figure on Form DC 100a should reflect rent only. Late fees, utility charges, and other costs generally cannot be rolled into the demand unless the lease specifically defines them as “additional rent.” Even where the lease uses that language, a late fee must be a reasonable estimate of the landlord’s actual administrative cost, not a punitive amount. When in doubt, leave the charge off and pursue it separately. Overstating the amount owed is one of the fastest ways to get a case dismissed.
How to Fill Out Each Field
The SCAO form comes as a multi-copy set: one copy for the tenant and one for you as the court copy. Follow the official instructions published alongside the form.5Michigan Courts. Instructions for Using Form DC 100a
- “To” field. Enter the full legal name of every adult tenant, plus any other adult occupant you know of.
- Property description. Full street address, city, zip code, and a unit identifier if the building has more than one dwelling.
- Rent amount. Total unpaid rent as of the date you sign. Count only months actually past due.
- Date. The date you sign the demand. The seven-day clock does not begin here; it begins when the notice is served.
- Signature. The landlord, an authorized agent, or a licensed attorney signs at the bottom.
Leave the Certificate of Service section blank for now. You fill that in after delivery. Keep the court copy in a safe place, because you will need to attach it to any eviction complaint later.
How to Serve the Demand
A demand that never reaches the tenant is legally meaningless. MCL 600.5718 recognizes four methods, and the one you choose affects the timeline.6Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.5718 – Demand for Possession or Payment; Service; Definitions
- Hand it to the tenant. Personal delivery is the cleanest option. The date of service is the day you hand it over.
- Leave it with a household member. You may deliver the form at the premises to a family or household member of suitable age and discretion, with a request that they pass it along.
- First-class mail. Mail the demand to the tenant at the rental address. The date of service is not the day you drop it in the mailbox. It is the next regular mail-delivery day after mailing. That one-day shift matters when counting the seven days.
- Electronic service. Allowed only if the tenant previously agreed to electronic service in writing and both parties confirmed the arrangement by electronic transmission. A landlord cannot refuse to enter a lease because a prospective tenant declines to consent.
Completing the Certificate of Service
As soon as you have served the notice, fill out the Certificate of Service on your court copy. Write in the date of delivery, the name of the person who received it, and check the box matching the method used. The person who actually performed service signs this section. If you later file an eviction complaint, the court copy with a completed Certificate of Service must be attached; without it, the court will not accept the filing.736th District Court. Landlord-Tenant / Summary Proceedings
The Seven-Day Waiting Period
Once served, the tenant has seven days to either pay every dollar listed on the form or move out. During that window, the landlord cannot file an eviction complaint. Filing early is grounds for dismissal.
The count starts the day after service. Under Michigan Court Rule 1.108, the day of the triggering act is not included, and if the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or a day the court is closed by order, the deadline extends to the next day the court is open.8Institute of Continuing Legal Education. Michigan Court Rules Serve on a Monday, and day one is Tuesday and day seven is the following Monday. If day seven lands on a Saturday, the tenant has until the following Monday to act.
If the tenant pays the full balance in those seven days, the demand is satisfied and you cannot proceed. A partial payment, by itself, does not stop the clock. The notice stays active unless the parties reach a separate written agreement about the remaining balance.
Be Careful With Partial Payments
Michigan courts have held that accepting rent after serving a demand for possession can be treated as reinstating the tenancy and waiving the notice. If a judge reaches that conclusion, the landlord starts over: new demand, new seven-day period, new timeline.
A landlord who wants to accept a partial payment without losing the notice should get a short written agreement signed by both parties before depositing the check. The agreement needs to state plainly that the payment is accepted out of economic necessity, that it does not waive or rescind the demand for possession, that the tenancy still terminates on the original date, and that the tenant must vacate on schedule. Without that protection, cashing even a small check can undo weeks of process.
What Happens After Seven Days
If the deadline passes and the tenant has neither paid nor moved out, the next step is filing a Complaint for Nonpayment of Rent (Form DC 102a) in the district court where the property is located. The packet must include a completed Form DC 102a, a copy of the lease or occupancy agreement, and the court copy of Form DC 100a with its completed Certificate of Service.9Michigan Courts. Complaint, Nonpayment of Rent (Landlord-Tenant) The filing fee for a claim of possession in Michigan district court is $45.10Michigan Courts. District Court Fee and Assessments Table If you also want a money judgment for the unpaid rent, the complaint has a supplemental section for that, and the fee may increase with the amount claimed. A jury demand (Form MC 22) must be filed at the same time as the complaint if you want one.
If the Property Is Federally Assisted
If your property participates in a federal housing program (public housing, project-based Section 8, or another HUD-assisted program), the seven-day demand alone may not satisfy your notice obligations. Federal regulations layer additional requirements on top of Michigan’s timeline. For public housing, 24 CFR 966.4 requires at least fourteen days’ written notice before terminating a lease for nonpayment.11Federal Register. Revocation of the 30-Day Notification Requirement Prior to Termination of Lease for Nonpayment of Rent HUD published a rule in February 2026 revoking a prior 30-day notice requirement for public housing and project-based rental assistance, then delayed the effective date indefinitely in March 2026 while converting the revocation to a proposed rule and accepting comments. Check the current status of the 30-day requirement before serving a demand on a HUD-assisted tenant. Form DC 100a is still required, but the timeline may be longer than seven days.