Michigan 7-Day Demand for Possession
Michigan's ordinary residential nonpayment path uses a written 7-day notice to quit or demand for possession. The official SCAO DC 100a form gives the tenant the choice to pay the rent owed or move out.
- Michigan's ordinary nonpayment demand is seven days, but the lease or applicable law may require longer.
- A demand must identify the tenant/premises, state the reason, time for remedial action, amount due, and be dated and signed.
- First-class-mail service has a statutory deemed-service rule; signature-required mail is not the ordinary SCAO delivery method.
Built around the requirements of MCL 554.134(2) and MCL 600.5714(1)(a).
Answers.ai
456 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
landlord@example.com
Michigan 7-Day Demand for Possession — Nonpayment of Rent
Service date: Selected delivery date
State: MI
Law reference: MCL 554.134(2); MCL 600.5714(1)(a)
123 Main Street, Apt 3
Detroit, MI 48201
Rent currently due: $1,650.00
Rent period(s): September 2026
Pay the rent owed or move out within the applicable 7-day period. If neither occurs, the landlord may file a Michigan summary proceeding for possession.
Deadline date:
Calculated from the selected service date
Mail has a special Michigan service-date rule: for Chapter 57 purposes, service by first-class mail is the next regular mail-delivery day after mailing.
The workflow checks whether the lease or another governing rule requires a longer notice period before using the ordinary seven-day path.
Service method:
Personal delivery, suitable household/employee delivery, first-class mail, or consented electronic service
Service date: Selected delivery date
Keep the completed certificate of service and a copy of the demand.
What notice does a Michigan landlord use for unpaid rent?
MCL 554.134(2) authorizes a written 7-day notice to quit for unpaid rent. MCL 600.5714(1)(a) separately authorizes summary proceedings after a tenant fails or refuses to pay within seven days after service of a written demand for possession. Michigan's official DC 100a combines the practical pay-or-vacate demand into a statewide court-approved form.
What must the demand contain?
MCL 600.5716 requires a written demand addressed to the person in possession, with the premises identified, the reason for the demand, the time allowed for remedial action, the amount due when nonpayment is claimed, and the date and signature of the person entitled to possession or that person's attorney or agent.
How can the demand be delivered?
MCL 600.5718 allows personal delivery, delivery on the premises to a suitable family/household member or employee with a request to deliver it, first-class mail, and electronic service after the tenant specifically consents in writing. Michigan SCAO instructions warn against merely leaving or attaching the demand at the premises.
What happens after the seven days?
If the applicable demand period has expired, rent remains unpaid, and no special housing rule controls, the landlord can move to Michigan's district-court summary proceeding. LandlordAnswers routes that stage to Michigan's official court forms instead of inventing a proprietary complaint.
Common mistakes to avoid
Michigan legal authority
- MCL 554.134(2)
- MCL 600.5714(1)(a)
- MCL 600.5716
- MCL 600.5718
- Michigan SCAO Form DC 100a and instructions
Legal information reviewed September 8, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Michigan's nonpayment notice seven days?
Usually. Michigan's ordinary statutory nonpayment path uses seven days, but the official SCAO instructions expressly warn that a lease or applicable law may require a longer period.
Can I email a Michigan demand for possession?
Only when the person in possession has specifically consented in writing to electronic service under MCL 600.5718 and the statutory consent/confirmation requirements are satisfied.
Can I tape the demand to the tenant's door?
Michigan SCAO instructions list leaving or attaching the demand at the property as examples of improper service for the standard demand.
Need to prepare the Michigan notice?
Use the guided LandlordAnswers workflow. It applies the state-specific rules, collects only the facts that affect the result, and keeps document generation inside the browser.
Create My Michigan 7-Day Demand