law does not place any limits on how much or how often a landlord can increase rent prices. There are, however, requirements for when a landlord can increase rent and how much notice they must give.

Rent prices have seen unprecedented increases across the country over the past couple of years. With rent prices soaring, you might be wondering how this is possible—and if it is even legal.

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How much can a landlord raise rent in Michigan?

Unlike some other states, Michigan does not have any rent control laws. This means that there is no limit on how much your landlord can raise your rent. Moreover, Michigan law prohibits municipalities from enacting any rent control laws locally.

If your landlord wants to increase your rent from $2000 to $4000, there is nothing in the law stopping them from doing so. That being said, landlords still operate within the larger rental market.

While the market is driving rent prices up, if a landlord increases rent by substantially more than the market standard, then they risk losing the ability to find tenants—so they’re generally motivated to keep prices reasonable.

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How much notice does a landlord need to give before they raise the rent?

Michigan law requires landlords to provide tenants with written notice of any rent increases, or changes to the lease. Any notice given verbally is not legally binding. The written notice must include:

The amount of the rent increase

The date the rent increase will take effect

Methods for submitting rent payments

For fixed-term leases, rent increases cannot be made in the middle of the lease term. However, there is no legal requirement for home much notice a landlord has to give for a rent increase at the end of the term.

Landlords are required to follow the terms written in the lease, though. Some leases specify a period of notice for rent increases or other changes to the lease.

If your landlord does not provide the amount of notice stated in the lease, then you may not be required to pay the new rent price or may have a case to fight the increase in court if necessary.

For anyone renting month-to-month or week-to-week, Michigan law requires landlords to give notice of at least one payment period.

For month-to-month leases, your landlord must give at least one month’s notice of any rent increase

For week-to-week leases, landlords must give at least one week’s notice

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When is it illegal to raise rent in Michigan?

As long as landlords give the proper amount of notice, it is generally perfectly legal to increase rent. However, there are a couple of circumstances where it is illegal to raise rent:

As a form of retaliation for tenants exercising their legal rights

As a form of discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, or familial status

If you suspect your landlord is raising rent based on one of the above circumstances, then you may have a legal case against them.

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How to respond to a rent increase

There isn’t a lot that you can do to prevent a rent increase in Michigan. The two obvious options are to pay the new rent or to move out. A couple of other ways to deal with a rent hike include:

If you are unable to afford the higher rent, you can try to negotiate a lower price with your landlord.

If your landlord didn’t provide sufficient notice, you don’t have to pay the new rent until the following pay period.

If you believe your landlord raised the rent as a form of retaliation or discrimination, you can take legal action.

If you believe your landlord violated the terms of the lease, you can file a lawsuit against them.

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FAQs

What is the average rent increase per year in Michigan?

Rent increases vary depending on location and the state of the market. From 2020 to 2021, the average rent in Michigan increased by 15.7%.

Can my landlord raise my rent during the pandemic?

There was a rent freeze in 2021. Due to COVID, rent could not increase until December 31, 2021. In 2022, however, landlords are again permitted to increase rent freely.

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