Michigan Late Rent Fee Rules

What Michigan law says

• Legislature guide (Question 12): the amount charged for a late fee must be reasonable and proportionate to the actual damages suffered.
• The pages we read give no grace period or fixed cap.
• The guide frames this as a limit on the amount, so check the lease terms.

Steps for a landlord

• Put the late fee terms in the written lease.
• Set the fee in line with actual costs of late payment.
• Charge it only as the lease describes.
• Keep records of the costs behind the fee.

What to put in the notice

• The lease clause that allows the late fee
• The rent due date and any grace period
• The late fee amount and the total now owed
• How and where the tenant can pay
• The date and your signature

Things to watch

• The pages we read do not set a grace period or dollar cap.
• Check the statute or a local attorney on what is reasonable.
• Cities and counties can add their own rules, including rent control and extra notice requirements. Check your local rules too.

About this page

We checked this page against the official sources listed below in November 2026. Where an official page did not say something, we say so. Laws change and courts read them differently, so confirm the current rule with the statute, the court or a local attorney before you act. This is general information, not legal advice.