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Free Michigan Rental Application Form - Fill Online, Sign & Download the PDF

Michigan caps security deposits at 1.5 months' rent and is one of the few states that require a move-in inventory checklist to document a unit's condition (MCL § 554.602, 554.608). Because Detroit and Ann Arbor restrict when landlords may ask about criminal history, this form leaves criminal-record questions off. Fill it out below with plain-English help on every field, then sign and download your completed PDF free.

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Michigan rental application rules to know

•Security deposit cap: a Michigan landlord may not collect more than 1.5 months' rent as a security deposit (MCL § 554.602).
•The deposit must be held in a regulated financial institution (or the landlord must post a surety bond), and within 14 days of you taking possession the landlord must give you written notice of that institution's name and address (MCL § 554.603, 554.604).
•Inventory checklist: at move-in the landlord must give you two blank copies of an itemized checklist covering the unit's condition; you fill one out and return it within 7 days, and it is used to settle any deposit deductions at move-out (MCL § 554.608).
•Deposit return: within 30 days after you move out the landlord must mail an itemized list of any deductions and refund the balance, and a landlord who fails to comply can be liable for double the amount wrongfully retained (MCL § 554.609, 554.613).
•To protect those rights you must give the landlord a written forwarding address within 4 days of moving out (MCL § 554.603).
•Application fees: Michigan sets no statutory cap on rental application or screening fees and requires no refund, so ask what the fee covers before you pay.
•Source of income: since April 2, 2025 a landlord who owns five or more rental units may not reject you because of a lawful income source such as a Housing Choice (Section 8) voucher, SSI, veterans' benefits, or child support (Public Act 178 of 2024).
•Fair housing: beyond the federal seven, Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act also bars housing discrimination based on age, marital status, and (since 2023) sexual orientation and gender identity (the Act's height and weight protections apply to employment, not housing, under MCL 37.2502).

Last reviewed 2026-07-15. General information, not legal advice.

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Desired move-in date*

Monthly rent ($)

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Frequently asked questions

How much can a Michigan landlord charge for a security deposit?

No more than 1.5 months' rent (MCL § 554.602). The money must sit in a regulated financial institution unless the landlord posts a surety bond, and you must get written notice of where it is held within 14 days of moving in.

Is there a cap on rental application fees in Michigan?

No. Michigan does not limit application or screening fees and does not require them to be refunded. Ask the landlord how much the fee is and exactly what it pays for before you hand it over.

What is the Michigan inventory checklist?

It is a required move-in condition report. The landlord gives you two blank copies, you note the condition of the unit and return one within 7 days, and the same form is compared at move-out to justify any deposit deductions (MCL § 554.608).

When do I get my security deposit back in Michigan?

The landlord has 30 days after you move out to mail an itemized list of deductions and return the balance (MCL § 554.609). A landlord who does not comply can owe double the amount wrongfully kept, but you must give a written forwarding address within 4 days of leaving.

Can a Michigan landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher?

As of April 2, 2025, landlords who own five or more rental units may not discriminate based on a lawful source of income, including Housing Choice vouchers (Public Act 178 of 2024). Landlords with four or fewer units are exempt from that rule.

Does this form ask about criminal history?

No. Detroit bars larger landlords from asking about criminal records until after a conditional approval, and Ann Arbor bars using criminal history at all, with narrow exceptions (such as the sex-offender registry for certain properties and federally mandated screening), so this statewide form leaves those questions off. A landlord may still run a separate background check where the law allows.

More free landlord & tenant forms

For landlords: the tenant application form and the rental verification form.