Michigan Rent Increase Laws for Landlords (2026)
What Michigan law requires
Michigan has no statute about raising rent. That surprises most landlords, and it is the single most misreported fact in this area - plenty of sites will quote you a “Michigan rent increase notice law” that does not exist.
What Michigan does have is the notice required to end or change a month-to-month tenancy, and that is the mechanism you have to use: raising the rent is legally a change of terms. The period is 30 days' notice, in writing, under MCL 554.134.
Citation: MCL 554.134 · read the source
How much can you raise it in Michigan?
There is no statutory ceiling. No cap, and local rent control is preempted.
Only four US jurisdictions cap the size of an increase - California, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia. Michigan is not one of them, so the amount is a business decision, not a legal one. The usual constraint is practical: a tenant who leaves over an increase costs you a turnover, and a turnover costs more than the increase was worth.
Can you raise rent mid-lease in Michigan?
No. A fixed-term lease fixes the rent for the term. An increase takes effect at renewal, or on a month-to-month tenancy after proper notice. The exception is a lease that contains its own escalation clause agreed at signing.
Serving the notice so it holds up
Most rent increases that fall apart fall apart on the date, not the amount: the notice went out too late, or nobody can prove when it went out. Count the days from delivery, not from the day you wrote it, and keep the proof.
LandlordPro generates the notice against the state's rule, dates it, records when it was sent, and carries the new rent onto the rent roll on the right day so the ledger and the notice agree.
Generate the notice, keep the proof
Free for 2 properties and up to 4 units. No credit card.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
How much notice does a landlord have to give to raise rent in Michigan?
30 days in writing. Michigan has no rent-increase statute, so that is the notice required to change a month-to-month tenancy under MCL 554.134.
Is there a limit on how much rent can be raised in Michigan?
No. Michigan sets no cap on the size of an increase. Only California, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia cap the amount.
Can rent be raised during a lease in Michigan?
No, unless the lease itself provides for it. A fixed-term lease fixes the rent for the term; an increase belongs at renewal or on a month-to-month tenancy after notice.
Does a Michigan rent increase notice have to be in writing?
Yes.
Do local rules change this in Michigan?
Local rent control is barred by MCL 123.411 et seq.