Michigan Eviction Process: A Step-by-Step Guide for Landlords (2026)

The Michigan eviction process has four stages: you serve the right written notice, file a case in your local district court, win a judgment at a hearing, and then ask the court for an order of eviction that a court officer carries out. Only a court officer can remove a tenant, and a nonpayment case that runs smoothly usually takes at least several weeks from the first notice to getting the keys back.

This guide walks through each step in order, with the official forms and the law behind them. It's written for owners of single-family homes and small multifamily buildings, including out-of-state investors with rentals in Detroit.

This is general information, not legal advice. Eviction rules change, and the details of your lease and your case matter. Talk to a Michigan attorney before you file.

What are the steps to evict a tenant in Michigan?

Here's the full process at a glance. Each step is covered in detail below.

1. Serve a written notice. Usually a 7-day demand for possession (nonpayment) or a notice to quit (ending the tenancy).
2. Wait out the notice period. If the tenant pays or moves out, the case ends here.
3. File a complaint and summons in the district court for the area where the property sits.
4. Attend the hearing. The judge may enter a judgment, or the case may be adjourned for trial.
5. Wait out the post-judgment window. In most cases, at least 10 days.
6. Apply for an order of eviction if the tenant hasn't paid or moved.
7. A court officer executes the order and restores possession to you.

What notice do you need to give a tenant in Michigan?

The notice depends on why you want the tenant out. Michigan law sets the minimum periods, and the Michigan Judicial Institute's Residential Landlord-Tenant Law Benchbook lists each one with its statute.

The 7-day notice for nonpayment

The 7 day notice in Michigan is the one most landlords use. When rent is late, you serve a Demand for Possession, Nonpayment of Rent (form DC 100a). It tells the tenant how much is owed and that they have 7 days to pay or move out. If they pay in full within that window, you can't file for possession based on that notice.

The Michigan notice to quit

A Michigan notice to quit (form DC 100c) ends a tenancy for reasons other than unpaid rent. The most common use is ending a month-to-month tenancy. Under MCL 554.134(1), the notice must be at least one month, or equal to the interval between rent payments when rent is due more often than every three months. Note the wording: the statute says "1 month," not "30 days." Give yourself extra margin rather than counting to the exact day.

If a fixed-term lease has simply ended and the tenant stays, MCL 600.5714(1)(c)(ii) lets a landlord seek possession after the lease term. Check your lease language and ask your attorney whether to serve a notice to quit anyway.

The 24-hour notice for drug activity

Michigan allows a 24-hour notice when the lease has a clause allowing termination for drug activity on the property and a formal police report has been filed. Without the police report, this short notice doesn't apply. The state's instructions point landlords to form DC 100e for these cases (DC 100c instructions).

How do you serve an eviction notice in Michigan?

Service matters as much as the notice itself. A notice delivered the wrong way can sink your case. According to the state's instructions for DC 100c, you can serve the tenant's copy in one of four ways:

1. Hand it to the tenant personally.
2. Hand it, at the property, to a member of the tenant's household who can understand that they need to pass it on.
3. Mail it by first-class mail to the tenant's last known address.
4. Email it, but only if the tenant agreed in writing to electronic service.

The same instructions list what does not count: slipping it under the door, leaving it outside the door, taping it to the property, or mailing it in a way that requires a signature. Fill out the certificate of service on your copy and keep it. You'll file it with the court later.

How do you file an eviction case in Michigan?

If the notice period passes and the tenant hasn't paid or moved, you file a "summary proceeding" in the district court that covers the property's location. For Detroit rentals, that's the 36th District Court at 421 Madison Street.

The 36th District Court lists these filing documents:

1. The court copy of your notice (DC 100c) or demand for possession (DC 100a)
2. A Summons, Landlord-Tenant (DC 104)
3. A Complaint: DC 102a for nonpayment of rent, or DC 102c to recover possession for other reasons
4. For Detroit properties, a copy of the City of Detroit Certificate of Compliance (more on this below)
5. The filing fee

Filing fees vary by court and by the amount you're claiming, so check with your court's clerk for the current amount.

Do Detroit landlords need a certificate of compliance to evict?

The 36th District Court's landlord-tenant page says landlords "will be asked to provide" a copy of the City of Detroit Certificate of Compliance under Detroit City Code Section 8-15-82, and that not having one could hurt your case. Tenants can also raise property conditions as a defense under the same section.

This area is in flux. In 2026, the Detroit Tenants Union sued the 36th District Court, arguing judges shouldn't allow nonpayment evictions on properties without a certificate. A Wayne County judge dismissed that lawsuit in September 2026, and the union said it plans to appeal. Meanwhile, Michigan Public reported that only about 14% of Detroit rentals hold a valid certificate.

The practical takeaway: get your certificate before you ever need to evict. It protects your case and your rent. Our guide to Detroit rental registration and the certificate of compliance explains the process.

Detroit also has a Right to Counsel ordinance, passed in 2022, that provides free lawyers to many low-income tenants facing eviction. Expect that your tenant may have an attorney, and plan to have one yourself.

What happens at the eviction hearing?

Court rules changed in late 2023, and the first court date now works differently than many older guides describe. Under amendments to MCR 4.201 that took effect in November 2023 (SCAO FAQ), here's what typically happens, per the Michigan Judicial Institute's summary proceedings flowchart:

• If the tenant doesn't show up, the court may enter a default judgment, as long as service requirements were met.
• If both sides appear, the judge explains the tenant's rights. Unless the case is resolved (for example, by a consent judgment or dismissal), the court adjourns the trial for 7 to 14 days, or up to 56 days for good cause.
• If the tenant has applied for rental assistance and shows proof within 5 days, the court can't proceed to judgment in a nonpayment case. That stay lasts 14 days and can extend to a maximum of 28 days if the application is still pending or approved.
• At trial, the judge (or a jury, if the tenant demanded one) decides the case and enters a judgment. The court can also order the tenant to pay rent into escrow while the case is pending.

Bring the lease, your rent ledger, the notice with your certificate of service, photos if property condition is an issue, and any communication with the tenant.

What does the judgment mean, and what is the 10-day window?

If you win, the court enters a Judgment, Landlord-Tenant (DC 105). For nonpayment, the judgment lists the rent the tenant must pay to keep possession, plus other money due and court costs.

In most cases you can't get an order of eviction until at least 10 days after the judgment (MCL 600.5744). In a nonpayment case, if the tenant pays the full judgment amount plus taxed costs within that time, the court won't issue the eviction order and the tenancy continues.

There are narrow exceptions where the court can issue an immediate eviction order, such as drug activity with a police report, a serious health hazard, or forcible entry, when the landlord gave proper notice of the request (MCL 600.5744(3)).

One trap to watch: the DC 105 judgment form has a box stating whether accepting partial payment will or won't stop the court from issuing an eviction order. Read your judgment before you take any money from the tenant.

How do you get an order of eviction in Michigan?

After the post-judgment window passes, you file an application for an order of eviction, usually on SCAO form DC 107 (available on the Michigan Courts forms site). Per the benchbook and MCR 4.201(M):

1. The application must be verified and state whether the tenant has paid anything since the judgment, and whether you've complied with the judgment's terms.
2. The order must be issued no later than 56 days after the judgment, unless the court holds a hearing first.
3. Once issued, the order must be executed within 56 days, again unless there's a hearing.

The order directs a court officer, bailiff, or sheriff to remove the occupants and their belongings. In Detroit, the 36th District Court says the order must be carried out by a 36th District Court officer designated by the landlord. You don't change the locks or move anything until that officer executes the order.

How long does an eviction take in Michigan?

There's no fixed number, because it depends on your court's calendar, whether the tenant contests, and whether rental assistance stays apply. Here's a rough sequence for a nonpayment case, built from the deadlines above:

An uncontested case where the tenant doesn't appear can move in a matter of weeks. A contested case with an adjournment, a rental assistance stay, or a jury demand can take two months or more. Plan your cash flow for the longer version.

How much does it cost to evict a tenant in Michigan?

Budget for these categories rather than a single number:

• Court filing fee, which varies by court and claim amount. Your clerk has the current figure.
• Service costs for the summons and complaint.
• Attorney fees. Some Michigan landlord attorneys handle routine nonpayment cases for a flat fee. Contested cases cost more.
• Court officer fees to execute the order of eviction.
• Lost rent for every month the case runs, plus turnover and repair costs afterward.

The lost rent usually dwarfs the court costs. That's why screening and early action matter more than how cheaply you can file.

What counts as an illegal eviction in Michigan?

Michigan's anti-lockout law, MCL 600.2918, makes "self-help" evictions costly. Even if the tenant owes you months of rent, don't:

1. Change the locks without giving the tenant a key
2. Remove doors, windows, or locks
3. Take or remove the tenant's belongings
4. Shut off or interrupt heat, running water, hot water, electricity, or gas
5. Physically remove the tenant or keep them out by force

A tenant who is unlawfully locked out or has essential services cut off can sue for damages, with minimums and multipliers set by the statute, and can ask the court to restore possession. A lease clause can't waive these protections. The only legal way to remove a tenant is the court process above.

How can landlords avoid evictions in the first place?

Most evictions start long before the 7-day notice. They start with the screening decision. A consistent tenant screening and management process (income verification, rental history, references) filters out many of the situations that end up in court.

A few habits make a real difference:

• Screen every applicant the same way, using written criteria.
• Collect rent on a set schedule and act on late rent quickly, before the balance gets too big to catch up on.
• Keep the property compliant. In Detroit, a missing certificate of compliance can complicate both rent collection and eviction. If you rent to voucher holders, our Section 8 landlord guide for Detroit covers the inspection side.
• Handle security deposits by the book. Michigan's deposit rules are strict. See our guide to Michigan landlord-tenant laws on security deposits.
• Document everything: lease, ledger, notices, repair requests, and photos.

If you'd rather not run this process yourself, professional property management covers tenant screening, rent collection, and the day-to-day work that keeps small problems from becoming court cases. Here's a rundown of what a property manager does, and what property management costs in Detroit.

Get help with your Detroit rental

Great Lakes PMG is a licensed Michigan real estate brokerage based at 16554 Wyoming in Detroit, managing rentals since 2006. Our full-service Detroit property management includes tenant screening and rent collection for 10% of the rent we actually collect, and tenant placement is one month's rent. If you're dealing with a problem tenant or want to avoid the next one, get in touch.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the eviction process take in Michigan?

It depends on the court and whether the tenant contests. A nonpayment case starts with a 7-day demand, then filing, a hearing, and at least 10 days after judgment before you can get an order of eviction. Uncontested cases can finish in a few weeks. Contested cases with adjournments or rental assistance stays can take two months or more.

What is a 7 day notice in Michigan?

It's a Demand for Possession for Nonpayment of Rent (form DC 100a). It gives the tenant 7 days to pay the rent owed or move out before the landlord can file an eviction case in district court.

How much notice do you have to give a month-to-month tenant in Michigan?

At least one month, under MCL 554.134(1). If rent is paid more often than every three months, notice equal to the rental period is enough. Landlords use a notice to quit (form DC 100c).

Can a Michigan landlord change the locks on a tenant who doesn't pay?

No. Changing the locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities to force a tenant out violates MCL 600.2918 and exposes the landlord to damages. Only a court officer executing an order of eviction can remove a tenant.

Can a tenant stop an eviction by paying after the judgment?

In a nonpayment case, yes, in most situations. If the tenant pays the full amount in the judgment plus court costs before the deadline, the court won't issue the order of eviction. Read your judgment carefully before accepting partial payments.

Where do you file an eviction in Detroit?

At the 36th District Court, 421 Madison Street, Detroit. The court asks landlords to provide a City of Detroit Certificate of Compliance with the filing.