A Michigan eviction notice is a written demand a landlord must serve on a tenant before filing any court case to remove them. The form, the number of days the tenant gets, and how the notice is delivered all depend on why the landlord wants the tenant out. Get any of those wrong and the case can be dismissed when it reaches district court.
Michigan uses standardized forms published by the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO), and the notice periods run from 24 hours for certain drug-related violations up to a full rental period for ending a month-to-month tenancy. The most common situation, unpaid rent, gets a 7-day notice.
How Many Days the Tenant Gets
The notice period is tied to the reason for eviction. Using the wrong number of days makes the notice defective, and a defective notice can sink the later court case.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.5714 – Summary Proceedings to Recover Possession of Premises
- 7 days — nonpayment of rent. The tenant has seven days from service to pay the full amount owed or leave.
- 7 days — serious health hazard or extensive property damage. The tenant gets seven days to fix the hazard, repair the damage, or move out.2Michigan Courts. Demand for Possession Damage/Health Hazard to Property – Form DC 100b
- 24 hours — drug activity. When the lease has a drug-related termination clause and a formal police report has been filed about the manufacture, delivery, or possession of a controlled substance on the premises, the tenant has 24 hours after service.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.5714 – Summary Proceedings to Recover Possession of Premises
- One rental period — at-will or month-to-month tenancy. Either side can end the arrangement with notice equal to one full rental period. For monthly tenants, that is one month; for weekly tenants, one week.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 554.134 – Termination of Estate at Will or by Sufferance or Tenancy From Year to Year
- Other lease violations and holdovers. A general notice to quit is used for lease violations (unauthorized pets, occupancy over the limit, and similar breaches) and for tenants staying past the end of a lease term.
The clock starts on the day the tenant actually receives the notice. For notices sent by first-class mail, the date of mailing is what counts.
Which SCAO Form to Use
Three forms cover almost every residential eviction. All are free on the Michigan Courts website.4Michigan Courts. Landlord Tenant and Land Contract Forms
- Form DC 100a — Demand for Possession, Nonpayment of Rent. Used when the only issue is unpaid rent. The landlord writes in the exact dollar amount owed.5Michigan Courts. Demand for Possession, Nonpayment of Rent – Form DC 100a
- Form DC 100b — Demand for Possession, Damage/Health Hazard. Used when the tenant has caused a serious health hazard or extensive physical damage. The specific problem must be described in the explanation field.2Michigan Courts. Demand for Possession Damage/Health Hazard to Property – Form DC 100b
- Form DC 100c — Notice to Quit to Recover Possession. The general-purpose form for lease violations, holdovers, drug-related terminations, and ending month-to-month tenancies.6Michigan Courts. Notice to Quit to Recover Possession of Property – Form DC 100c
Picking the wrong form is one of the most common landlord errors and gives a tenant an easy basis to challenge the case in court.
What Has to Be on the Notice
Each form requires the tenant’s name (the person on the lease) and the property address, including any apartment or unit number. When other adults are living in the unit whose names the landlord does not know, the common practice is to list the leaseholder and add “and all other occupants.”
The reason for the notice has to be filled in as the form directs. On a DC 100a, that means the exact rent balance. On a DC 100b, it means describing the damage or hazard specifically enough that the tenant knows what to fix. On a DC 100c, the landlord marks the applicable box and, where prompted, explains the violation. The landlord or an authorized agent signs and dates the form.
How to Deliver the Notice
A correctly filled-out notice does nothing until it is delivered in an approved way. Michigan recognizes four methods, all listed on the certificate of service printed on each SCAO form:6Michigan Courts. Notice to Quit to Recover Possession of Property – Form DC 100c
- Personal service. Handing the notice directly to the tenant.
- Substitute service. Leaving it with a member of the tenant’s household who is old enough and responsible enough to accept it, with a request to pass it to the tenant.
- First-class mail. Mailing the notice to the tenant at the rental property through the U.S. Postal Service.
- Electronic service. Sending by email, but only if the tenant previously agreed in writing (which can be a clause in the lease), the landlord sent a confirmation email, and the tenant replied to it.5Michigan Courts. Demand for Possession, Nonpayment of Rent – Form DC 100a
Whoever delivers the notice then fills out the certificate of service on the form itself, recording the date, method, and person served. Without that completed certificate, the landlord cannot prove the tenant was properly notified, and the eviction case will stall before it starts.
What a Landlord Cannot Do
The notice is the start of a court process, not a substitute for one. Michigan law prohibits landlords from changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing a tenant’s belongings to force them out, and no lease clause can waive those protections.7Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.2918 – Damages for Forcible Entry and Detainer
A tenant locked out or cut off from essential services (heat, water, electricity, or gas) can sue for actual damages or $200 per incident, whichever is greater. If the landlord used force or trickery, damages triple. The court can also order the tenant restored to possession. The tenant has one year from the illegal action to file. The only exceptions are a landlord acting under a valid court order or briefly interrupting services for necessary repairs or inspections as the law allows.8Michigan Legislature. Damages for Forcible Entry and Detainer
What Happens If the Tenant Doesn’t Comply
If the tenant does not pay, cure the violation, or move out by the end of the notice period, the landlord’s next step is filing a lawsuit in the local district court using Form DC 104 (Summons, Landlord-Tenant), along with the original notice and its completed certificate of service.9Michigan Courts. Summons Landlord-Tenant – Form DC 104 A copy of the lease should be attached. Filing fees start at $45 for a possession-only case, with additional fees if the landlord also seeks a money judgment.10Michigan Courts. District Court Fee and Assessments Table
Tenants have real defenses at that stage, including retaliation (a strong presumption applies if the tenant reported a code violation or exercised another protected right within 90 days before the filing)11Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.5720 – Judgment for Possession, Retaliatory Eviction and habitability problems that reduce the rent actually owed.12Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 554.139 – Covenants in Lease of Residential Premises These have to be raised in court with evidence; they do not defeat the notice itself.
After the Court Enters a Judgment
Winning in court does not mean the tenant leaves the same day. In most cases, the writ of restitution (the order that lets a court officer physically remove the tenant) cannot issue until 10 days after the judgment.13Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.5744 – Summary Proceedings Judgment and Writ of Restitution Exceptions where the writ can issue immediately include drug activity, forcible entry, trespassing without any legal right to be there, and ongoing serious health hazards or extensive damage.
In a nonpayment case, the tenant can stop the writ during that 10-day window by paying the full judgment amount plus court costs. Once paid, the writ cannot issue. This is often called the tenant’s right of redemption and is the last chance to prevent physical eviction. If the tenant only makes a partial payment, the court cannot issue an eviction order without holding a hearing first, unless the judgment specifically states that partial payments will not stop the eviction.
Mobile Home Parks and Subsidized Housing
Two situations follow different rules and are worth flagging if either applies.
Mobile home park tenants who rent a lot (not the home itself) are protected by a “just cause” requirement, get a right to request an in-person conference with the park owner within 10 days of a demand, and, if evicted, get 90 days after judgment to sell or relocate the home. Landlords use Form DC 100d for these cases.14Michigan Courts. Demand for Possession, Termination of Tenancy – Mobile Home Park – Form DC 100d
Tenants in public housing or project-based rental assistance get additional federal notice requirements on top of Michigan law. A HUD rule that required a 30-day notice for nonpayment in these programs was revoked effective March 30, 2026, and the notice period now depends on the program: 14 days for public housing, and, for project-based Section 8, a period that satisfies both the lease and state law. Check the specific program’s rules before relying on the Michigan timelines alone.