Michigan Landlord Lockout and Utility Shutoff: MCL 600.2918
Under MCL 600.2918(2), a Michigan owner who unlawfully interferes with a tenant's possession owes the tenant actual damages or $200, whichever is greater, for each occurrence, plus possession if it was lost. Changing locks without handing over keys, shutting off heat, water or electricity, and removing belongings are all on the statute's list, and the section cannot be waived in a lease. Forcible ejection costs more under MCL 600.2918(1).
What counts as unlawful interference
Subsection (2) says unlawful interference "includes 1 or more of the following", so the list may not be complete:
| MCL 600.2918 | Act |
|---|---|
| (2)(a) | Force or threat of force |
| (2)(b) | Removal, retention or destruction of the tenant's personal property |
| (2)(c) | Changing, altering or adding to locks or security devices "without immediately providing keys or other unlocking devices to the person in possession" |
| (2)(d) | Boarding that prevents or deters entry |
| (2)(e) | Removal of doors, windows or locks |
| (2)(f) | Causing, by action or omission, the end or interruption of a service the tenant procured or the landlord must furnish, if so essential that its loss would be constructive eviction: heat, running water, hot water, electric or gas |
| (2)(g) | Introducing noise, odor or other nuisance |
"Owner" means the owner, lessor or licensor or an agent of any of them (MCL 600.2918(9)), so a manager or other agent acting for you may count as you. Whether a particular helper is an agent is a question for an attorney.
What it costs
Subsection (2) gives the tenant "the amount of his or her actual damages or $200.00, whichever is greater, for each occurrence" and possession if lost. Subsection (1) covers anyone put out "in a forcible and unlawful manner" and awards "3 times the amount of his or her actual damages or $200.00, whichever is greater, in addition to recovering possession". The text can be read two ways on whether the $200 floor is also tripled, and it does not define occurrence; ask a Michigan attorney how courts read both. Our examples use invented figures:
| Scenario | Actual damages | Subsection (2) amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lock changed, no key left; tenant pays 3 hotel nights at $120 | $360 | $360, plus possession |
| Heat off for one evening | $50 | $200 |
| Lock changed and water shut off in one week, $50 each | $100 | $400 if a court counts two occurrences |
The statute text prints $45.00 to file a possession case and $15.00 for a writ (MCL 600.5756, MCL 600.5757): $60, against at least $200 for one occurrence here; confirm current fees with the clerk. A tenant who does not peacefully regain possession may bring an action for possession under MCL 600.5714(1)(f) or a claim for injunctive relief in the appropriate circuit court, with damages joined or filed separately (MCL 600.2918(6)). A possession action must start "within 90 days after the time the cause of action arises or becomes known to the plaintiff"; a damages action "within 1 year after the time the cause of action arises" (MCL 600.2918(8)). A lockout in October 2026 therefore carries exposure into October 2027.
Belongings carry a separate risk. MCL 600.2919a(1) lets a person damaged by another's "converting property to the other person's own use" recover "3 times the amount of actual damages sustained, plus costs and reasonable attorney fees". Whether handling a tenant's property is conversion is for a court, not this guide.
The exceptions in subsection (3)
- Court order. After a judgment, the writ of restitution is carried out by an officer, not the landlord (MCL 600.5744(1)).
- Repairs or inspection. Temporary interference "only as necessary to make needed repairs or inspection and only as provided by law". The statute text in these files sets no entry-notice period; check the lease and ask an attorney.
- Abandonment. The owner, or the court officer, bailiff or sheriff the text names in connection with a court order, "believes in good faith that the tenant has abandoned the premises", has reason to believe after diligent inquiry that the tenant does not intend to return, and current rent is not paid. All three are required; the text does not define diligent inquiry.
- Deceased tenant. All of these: the owner told the tenant in writing of the option to name a contact; current rent is unpaid; the owner believes in good faith the tenant has been dead at least 18 days with no surviving tenant; and at least 10 days before reentry if the tenant named a contact, the owner tries to reach that person (asking that a probate estate be opened within 28 days of death); the owner also posts a door notice, and notifies the public administrator, with access on request; and no probate estate has been opened in the county or reported to the owner in writing from another county (MCL 600.2918(3)(d)).
Subsection (5) also excludes occupants who took possession by forcible entry, hold by force, or entered by trespass without color of title.
Do this
- Leave keys, locks and utilities alone; if you must change a lock, hand over a key immediately.
- Never remove or keep belongings; wait for the officer, or follow (3)(c) or (3)(d) exactly.
- If you already locked out or cut a service, restore access now and call a Michigan attorney.
Common mistakes
- Relying on a lease clause: "The provisions of this section may not be waived" (MCL 600.2918(7)).
- Treating unpaid rent alone as a reason for a shutoff; subsection (3) lists no such exception (unpaid rent is only one element of the abandonment and deceased-tenant exceptions).
- Assuming abandonment from unpaid rent or a messy unit alone.
- Using a contractor to do it; the statute’s definition of owner includes an agent of the owner.
Checked against the text published on legislature.mi.gov on 5 October 2026.
Sources
- MCL 600.2918 — Michigan Legislature, Michigan Compiled Laws
- MCL 600.2919a — Michigan Legislature, Michigan Compiled Laws
- MCL 600.5714 — Michigan Legislature, Michigan Compiled Laws
- MCL 600.5744 — Michigan Legislature, Michigan Compiled Laws
- MCL 600.5756 — Michigan Legislature, Michigan Compiled Laws
- MCL 600.5757 — 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 7-Day Demand for Possession for Unpaid Rent
- Michigan Month-to-Month Notice to Quit: MCL 554.134 Explained
- Michigan Eviction Process: Summary Proceedings, Step by Step
- 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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