Typical residential security deposit amount a landlord holds and later accounts for on a return statement in Michigan (2026)
A typical Michigan range, the local factors behind it, and the tools to price your own project.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
What drives the cost in Michigan
Michigan deposits fall below the national typical range outside Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and the Detroit suburbs, where they sit closer to it. State law caps deposits at about one and a half months' rent, requires an inventory checklist at move-in and move-out, expects the tenant to give a forwarding address within days of moving, sets a 30-day return window, and allows doubled damages, and landlords must either hold the deposit in a regulated institution or post a bond, so confirm the current rules. Long, wet winters and lake-effect snow produce ice dams, salt-tracked floors, and window seal failures that are mostly seasonal wear.
Tips for Michigan buyers
- Use the required checklist at both ends of the tenancy and keep the signed copy with the deposit records.
- If the tenant never sends a forwarding address, follow the statute's mailing rule to the last known address and document it.
- Entryway floor wear from road salt is normal Michigan winter wear, not a chargeable damage.
Ranges are hedged planning estimates derived from a national typical range and a local index, not quotes. A typical single deposit on a market-rate residential rental is commonly around one month's rent, which puts most deposits somewhere in this range; actual amounts vary widely with local rents, unit size, pets, and state caps, and this is a working reference rather than a survey figure.
Price your project
- Deposit Deduction Depreciation Calculator: Estimates how much of a carpet, paint, blind, or appliance replacement a landlord can fairly deduct from a security deposit once the item's age and normal wear are taken into account.
- Security Deposit Refund Statement Calculator: Adds up the deposit held, any interest owed, and each itemized deduction to show the exact refund due to the tenant or the balance the tenant still owes.
- Late Deposit Return Penalty Exposure Calculator: Shows landlords how many days remain before a state return deadline and what missing it could cost when a statute allows forfeited deductions or multiplied damages.