Michigan Legislature Booklet vs Hexloom Michigan Landlord Guide
The Michigan Legislature’s booklet is free, official, 44 pages, cites the Michigan Compiled Laws and includes court forms that ours does not. Ours differs on one dated point: it cites MCL 554.609 as amended by 2026 PA 102, which the booklet predates. This page sets out both, and who should use which.
What the booklet is
A Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlords is published by the Michigan Legislature as Rev. 3/2026 and runs 44 pages (the file we read). It cites MCL; for example, it gives the deposit cap in MCL 554.602 as 1.5 times monthly rent. It also includes SCAO court forms.
What changed after the booklet
Michigan PA 102 of 2026 (SB 22) provides for electronic return of the security deposit and amends MCL 554.609. The Legislature’s bill page (the bill page) shows it approved on 2026-09-21. That is after the booklet’s March 2026 revision date, and the booklet says nothing on electronic return. A booklet revised in March cannot describe a September amendment, so this is a matter of dates, not a flaw. We do not know whether a later revision is planned.
The MCL is marked “Complete Through PA 103 of 2026” (the MCL file). We have not verified what PA 103 changes, so this page says nothing about it. Read it yourself before relying on any summary, ours included.
Side by side
| Michigan Legislature booklet | Hexloom Michigan guide | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Official booklet for tenants and landlords, 44 pages | Landlord-only web guide for self-managing owners of 1-4 units, 2026 edition |
| Price | Free | $29 one-time |
| Formats | A PDF at the linked address | Web guide delivered right after checkout, no account, no PDF promised |
| Covers which states | Michigan | Michigan (each other state is a separate guide) |
| Statute citations | Cites MCL, for example MCL 554.602 (deposit cap of 1.5 times monthly rent) | Every rule cited to the MCL, including MCL 554.609 as amended by 2026 PA 102 |
| Date or updates statement | Rev. 3/2026; predates PA 102 of 2026 and says nothing on electronic return of the deposit | States the date it was last checked against the statute text; cites PA 102 (electronic or direct deposit return) |
| Includes forms | SCAO court forms | Ready-to-copy notices and checklists; no court forms |
| What it will not do | Not stated on the page we read | Does not generate leases or forms-to-sign; not legal advice; no substitute for a landlord-tenant attorney in a dispute or eviction |
Where they are better
- Price and source. It is free and it is an official Legislature publication; ours is a private one.
- Court forms. It includes SCAO court forms. Ours includes none, and if you are heading to court that matters.
- Length. At 44 pages it is short.
- Both sides of the tenancy. Its title says it is for tenants and landlords, so it speaks to both sides.
- MCL citations. It cites the statute, and we do not claim ours cites more.
Where we are better
- The PA 102 change. Our guide cites MCL 554.609 as amended by 2026 PA 102, covering electronic or direct deposit return. The booklet says nothing on electronic return.
- A stated check date. Each guide says when it was last checked against the statute text.
- Landlord-only framing. Written only for the owner’s side.
- Checklists and notices. Ready-to-copy notices and checklists, with every rule cited to the MCL.
We have not compared the two beyond the points above, and we have not verified PA 103.
Which should you buy?
- Use the booklet alone if you want a free official overview, you need the court forms, and your question is not about how a deposit is returned.
- Buy ours if you self-manage 1-4 units in Michigan, return deposits, and want landlord-only checklists and notices tied to the current MCL text for $29.
- Use both if you want our checklists plus the SCAO court forms from the booklet.
Whichever you pick, read the current text of MCL 554.609 before you return a deposit. Ours is informational, not legal advice, and neither it nor the booklet replaces a landlord-tenant attorney in a dispute or an eviction.
Facts about other products were taken from the pages linked above on 5 October 2026; check them before you buy.
Sources
- Michigan Legislature, A Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlords (Rev. 3/2026)
- Michigan 2025 SB 22 (PA 102 of 2026) bill page
- Michigan Compiled Laws, MCL 554.601 (complete through PA 103 of 2026)
The guides:
Informational only, not legal advice. Hexloom Labs sells one of the products compared on this page; we have tried to be fair and corrections are welcome through the support page.