Michigan 7-Day Demand for Possession for Unpaid Rent
For unpaid rent, MCL 600.5714(1)(a) lets a landlord use summary proceedings once the tenant has failed to pay “within 7 days from the service of a written demand for possession for nonpayment of the rent due”. The clock starts at service, not at the date written on the paper. MCL 600.5716 sets the contents and MCL 600.5718 sets the ways to serve it.
What the demand must contain (MCL 600.5716)
- It is in writing and addressed to the person in possession.
- It gives the address or another brief description of the premises.
- The reasons for the demand and the time to take remedial action are clearly stated.
- Where nonpayment of rent or other sums due under the lease is claimed, the amount due at the time of the demand is stated.
- It is dated and signed by the person entitled to possession, or that person’s attorney or agent.
The statute lists contents, not wording. This is our template, not a court form; check the figures against your lease and ledger.
DEMAND FOR POSSESSION FOR NONPAYMENT OF RENT To: [name(s) of person(s) in possession] Premises: [street address, unit, city, Michigan] Date of this demand: [date] Reason: rent due under the lease has not been paid. Amount due today: [amount] for [rental period(s)]. Time to take remedial action: pay the amount due in full within 7 days from service of this demand. If it is not paid, the landlord demands possession of the premises. Signed: [owner, attorney or agent] Date: [date] Served by: [method] on [date]
What “rent due” excludes
The statute says “rent due does not include any accelerated indebtedness because of a breach of the lease under which the premises are held”. If your lease says that after a default all remaining rent becomes due at once, that total cannot go in the amount for this demand; state only rent actually due. The statute text in these files does not say whether late fees, utilities or other charges count as rent due. Section 5716 mentions “other sums” for the amount stated, but section 5714(1)(a) turns on rent. Ask an attorney before including them.
How to serve it (MCL 600.5718)
- Personal delivery to the person in possession.
- Personal delivery on the premises to a family or household member or an employee of the person in possession, of suitable age and discretion, with a request that it be delivered to that person.
- First-class mail addressed to the person in possession. The date of service is “the next regular day for delivery of mail after the day when it was mailed”.
- Electronic service, only if the tenant has specifically consented in writing and the consent or its confirmation was sent by one party and affirmatively answered electronically by the other. A landlord may not refuse to enter a lease because the tenant declines.
The section does not say which days are regular delivery days. Mail early in the week and keep a copy, the date and the method.
Worked example, November 2026
Rent of $1,200 was due Sunday, 1 November 2026 and is unpaid. The demand states $1,200. We count the 7 days beginning the day after service.
| Method | Date of service | Day 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Handed to the tenant on Thu 5 Nov | Thu 5 Nov | Thu 12 Nov |
| Left with an adult household member on Fri 6 Nov | Fri 6 Nov | Fri 13 Nov |
| Mailed first class on Mon 9 Nov (assuming Tue is a regular delivery day) | Tue 10 Nov | Tue 17 Nov |
The other 7-day document
MCL 554.134(2) separately says that if a tenant neglects or refuses to pay rent, the landlord may end the tenancy by giving “a written 7-day notice to quit”. It lists no contents, and the text does not say whether it replaces the demand above or must be used with it. Use one clearly titled document, include every item section 5716 lists, and ask an attorney which route fits your case.
Common mistakes
- Adding accelerated rent, or any amount not yet due, to the amount stated.
- Omitting the amount, the date, the signature or the time to take remedial action.
- Counting from the date on the paper, or from the mailing date, instead of the service date.
- Sending the demand by e-mail or text without the tenant’s written consent and electronic reply.
- Relying on a spoken demand.
What happens after the 7 days (filing, summons, hearing, forms, fees) is court-rule territory that is not in these files; ask the court clerk or a Michigan attorney.
Checked against the text published on legislature.mi.gov on 5 October 2026.
Sources
- MCL 600.5714 — Michigan Legislature, Michigan Compiled Laws
- MCL 600.5716 — Michigan Legislature, Michigan Compiled Laws
- MCL 600.5718 — Michigan Legislature, Michigan Compiled Laws
- MCL 554.134 — Michigan Legislature, Michigan Compiled Laws
Related guides
- Michigan Security Deposit: The 30-Day Notice of Damages
- Michigan Security Deposit Maximum: 1 1/2 Months' Rent
- Michigan Security Deposit Written Notice: 14-Day Rule, MCL 554.603
- Michigan Landlord Inventory Checklist Requirements (MCL 554.608)
- Michigan 45-Day Deposit Rule: Sue or Return, and Double Damages
- Michigan Deposit Refunds by Direct Deposit: The 2026 Change
- Michigan Month-to-Month Notice to Quit: MCL 554.134 Explained
- Michigan Eviction Process: Summary Proceedings, Step by Step
- Michigan Landlord Lockout and Utility Shutoff: MCL 600.2918
- Michigan Lease Clauses Landlords Cannot Use (Truth in Renting)
- Michigan Source-of-Income Law and the 5-Unit Exemption
Informational only, not legal advice. Statute text checked against the Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL 554.131 to 554.139, 554.601 to 554.616, 554.631 to 554.641 and 600.2918, 600.5701 to 600.5759) as published at legislature.mi.gov on October 5, 2026. Statutes change and a court may read them differently than a summary does; for a dispute, an eviction or anything expensive to get wrong, talk to a Michigan landlord-tenant attorney.
Want the complete picture? The Michigan Small Landlord Compliance Guide puts the security deposit, lease, notice and eviction rules of the Michigan Compiled Laws in one place, with each rule cited to the statute text.
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