Michigan 30-Day Notice to Terminate Tenancy (No Cause)

NOTICE TO TERMINATE TENANCY (MICHIGAN — NO CAUSE)

Statutory Form Reference: SCAO Approved Form DC 100c

Statutory Authority: MCL 554.134; MCL 600.5714(1)(c); MCL 600.5716; MCL 600.5718

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. To the Person in Possession
2. Description of Premises
3. Identification of Tenancy
4. Termination of Tenancy
5. Demand for Possession
6. Notice of Tenant Rights
7. Date and Signature
8. Certificate of Service
9. Practice Notes
10. Sources and References

1. TO THE PERSON IN POSSESSION

TO: [TENANT'S FULL LEGAL NAME]

and all other adult occupants of the premises described below ("Tenant")

From: [LANDLORD'S FULL LEGAL NAME] ("Landlord"), by [LANDLORD'S ATTORNEY / AGENT NAME].

2. DESCRIPTION OF PREMISES

[STREET ADDRESS, UNIT/APARTMENT NUMBER]
[CITY], MICHIGAN [ZIP CODE]
[COUNTY] COUNTY

(the "Premises").

3. IDENTIFICATION OF TENANCY

Tenant currently occupies the Premises under (check one):

☐ A month-to-month tenancy / estate at will (oral or written) with rent of $[________] payable on the [___] day of each month.

☐ A week-to-week tenancy with rent of $[________] payable each [DAY OF WEEK].

☐ A written lease dated [__/__/____] with a fixed term ending [__/__/____], which has now expired and Tenant is holding over.

☐ A year-to-year tenancy with rent of $[________] payable annually on [DATE].

☐ Other periodic tenancy: [DESCRIBE].

4. TERMINATION OF TENANCY

Pursuant to MCL 554.134 and MCL 600.5714(1)(c), Landlord HEREBY TERMINATES the tenancy described above effective at the end of the notice period stated below.

Notice Period (check one):

☐ THIRTY (30) DAYS — month-to-month, estate at will, or estate by sufferance. MCL 554.134(1).

☐ [___] DAYS — periodic tenancy with rent payable at intervals of less than three months; notice period equals the interval. MCL 554.134(1).

☐ ONE (1) YEAR — year-to-year tenancy. MCL 554.134(2) (less common; verify).

☐ THIRTY (30) DAYS — CARES ACT COVERED DWELLING — 15 U.S.C. § 9058(c)(1).

Effective Termination Date: [__/__/____] (the last day of the tenancy).

5. DEMAND FOR POSSESSION

You must move out and deliver possession of the Premises to Landlord on or before [__/__/____].

If you fail to vacate by that date, Landlord will file a summary-proceedings complaint in the District Court for the [___] Judicial District seeking possession, costs, and any other relief allowed by law.

Rent During the Notice Period. Rent for the period through the Effective Termination Date remains due and is payable in the ordinary course at:

[LANDLORD / AGENT NAME]
[PAYMENT ADDRESS]

6. NOTICE OF TENANT RIGHTS

IMPORTANT — READ CAREFULLY:

6.1. Right to Counsel. You have the right to consult an attorney. Free or low-cost legal help:

• Michigan Legal Help: https://michiganlegalhelp.org
• Lakeshore Legal Aid: 1-888-783-8190
• Legal Aid of Western Michigan: 1-800-442-2777
• Detroit residents — Right to Counsel (effective Oct. 1, 2022, for tenants at or below 200% of the federal poverty level): Detroit Office of Eviction Defense, 313-244-0274.

6.2. Right to Defend. If a complaint is filed, you may appear and answer. Defenses to a no-cause termination include:

• Defective notice (e.g., insufficient notice period, improper service under MCL 600.5718, missing required content under MCL 600.5716);
• Retaliation under MCL 600.5720 — if within 90 days before this Notice you complained to a government agency about housing conditions, attempted to enforce rights, or organized a tenant association, a rebuttable presumption of retaliatory eviction arises;
• Discrimination under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, MCL 37.2502 (race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, familial status, height, weight), or the federal Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3604 (including disability and source of income in some localities);
• Failure to provide reasonable accommodation to a tenant with a disability under FHA § 3604(f)(3);
• Subsidized housing protections — federally assisted tenancies (Section 8, project-based, public housing, LIHTC) generally require good cause for termination and longer notice periods;
• Waiver by Landlord's acceptance of rent or other conduct inconsistent with termination after notice.

6.3. No Self-Help. Landlord may NOT lock you out, remove your property, shut off utilities, or otherwise force you out without a court order. MCL 600.2918 entitles you to treble damages or $200 (whichever is greater), plus actual damages including emotional distress.

6.4. Rental Assistance. If financial hardship is contributing, you may qualify for assistance through your local Community Action Agency, MDHHS State Emergency Relief, or city programs. Apply promptly.

7. DATE AND SIGNATURE

Date of Notice: [__/__/____]

Signature of Landlord, Attorney, or Agent:

X _______________________________________

Printed Name: [________________________________]

Title (check one):
☐ Landlord
☐ Attorney for Landlord (Michigan Bar No. [________])
☐ Authorized Agent for Landlord

Address: [STREET ADDRESS]
[CITY, STATE, ZIP]
Telephone: [(___) ___-____]
Email: [________________________________]

8. CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I certify under MCL 600.5718 that on [__/__/____] I served this Notice on the Tenant by the method(s) checked below:

☐ Personal delivery to the Tenant at the Premises.
☐ Substituted delivery on the Premises to [NAME, RELATIONSHIP], of suitable age and discretion, with a request that it be delivered to the Tenant.
☐ First-class mail addressed to the Tenant at the Premises (date of service is the next regular day for delivery of mail after mailing).
☐ Electronic service to [EMAIL/PORTAL ADDRESS], the Tenant having previously given written consent affirmatively confirmed (consent attached as Exhibit A).

Signature of Server: X _______________________________________

Printed Name: [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

9. PRACTICE NOTES

9.1. Computing the Notice Period

Under MCR 1.108, the day of service is excluded; the last day is included unless it falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. Service by first-class mail postpones the start: the date of service is the next regular mail-delivery day after mailing.

9.2. Termination Date Need Not Match Rent Period

MCL 554.134(1) expressly provides that the Notice is not void because it states a termination day that does not correspond to the conclusion or commencement of a rental period. The tenancy terminates at the end of a period equal in length to the rental interval, beginning the next regular rent day. To minimize disputes, where possible state a termination date that aligns with the natural rent cycle.

9.3. Retaliation Window — 90 Days

MCL 600.5720 creates a rebuttable presumption of retaliation if Landlord serves the Notice within 90 days after Tenant has, by official action through a court or governmental agency, attempted to secure or enforce rights or complained about Landlord. Landlord then bears the burden to show by a preponderance that termination was not retaliatory. Document legitimate, contemporaneous, non-retaliatory reasons (sale of property, family use, redevelopment) before serving.

9.4. Federal Subsidized Housing — Good Cause Required

A no-cause termination is generally INVALID for:

• HUD project-based Section 8 housing (24 C.F.R. Part 247 — good cause required).
• Public housing (24 C.F.R. § 966.4(l)).
• Section 8 voucher tenancies during the initial term and after under HUD HAP regulations.
• LIHTC properties (IRC § 42(h)(6) — extended use period prohibits no-cause eviction during the period).

Confirm subsidy status; if the property is federally subsidized, use a "good cause" termination notice instead of this template.

9.5. CARES Act Covered Dwellings

15 U.S.C. § 9058(c)(1) requires 30 days' notice to vacate for any covered dwelling (federally backed mortgage or covered housing program). Even after expiration of the eviction moratorium, the 30-day notice requirement remains in force. Verify property status by checking the property against FHA/Fannie/Freddie databases.

9.6. Local Ordinances

Some Michigan localities impose additional restrictions:

• Ann Arbor: Ordinance Chapter 105 limits when a landlord may show or re-rent a unit and imposes early-termination disclosure rules.
• Detroit: Certificate of Compliance required (Detroit City Code §§ 9-1-81 et seq.).
• East Lansing, Ypsilanti, Hamtramck, Highland Park: rental registration and inspection regimes.

Confirm local compliance before serving.

9.7. Documenting Non-Retaliatory Motive

If termination follows any tenant complaint, repair request, or government inspection within the prior 90 days, document the legitimate business reason for termination contemporaneously (board minutes, written sale agreement, notice of family member's intent to occupy, etc.). This documentation is the most effective rebuttal to the retaliation presumption.

10. SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Michigan Legislature, MCL 554.134 — https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-554-134
• Michigan Legislature, MCL 600.5714 — https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-5714
• Michigan Legislature, MCL 600.5716 — https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-5716
• Michigan Legislature, MCL 600.5718 — https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-5718
• Michigan Legislature, MCL 600.5720 (retaliation) — https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-5720
• Michigan Legislature, MCL 600.2918 (anti-lockout) — https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-2918
• Michigan Legislature, MCL 37.2502 (Elliott-Larsen — housing) — https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-37-2502
• SCAO Form DC 100c — https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/forms/scao-approved/dc100c.pdf
• SCAO Landlord-Tenant Forms — https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/LTLC-forms/
• 15 U.S.C. § 9058 (CARES Act 30-day notice) — https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/9058
• 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq. (Fair Housing Act) — https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/chapter-45
• Detroit Office of Eviction Defense — https://detroitmi.gov/departments/law-department/office-eviction-defense-right-counsel