Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Michigan

Re: Leasing a House...

Make sure you fully review the lease agreement that the landlord will require him or you to sign - along with any other paperwork (such as rules, pet policies, liability clauses, etc). If you are signing the lease along with your son, you are fully responsible for all payments for the term of the lease, should he default.

Carefully review the terms to see if there are any "fees" that are non-refundable, such as a "cleaning fee," "move-in fee", "remodeling fee", etc. Security deposits are always fully refundable under Michigan law, but the landlord can keep the money under certain circumstances, such as damage to the premises, ruined carpet, etc., although the L has to notify you that he is keeping the deposit, and why, and then you can dispute it in court if you disagree.

Check out the pet policy - just in case - even if your son doesn't have or want a pet, he could in the future, or he could end up with a roommate who has a pet.

Look to see what the landlord is responsible for by way of maintenance - very important. Most people assume that the L is always responsible for everything, i.e., plumbing leaks, roof leaks, broken window, backed up pipes, etc., but this is NOT always the case and you don't want to find out too late that you are responsible for pipes clogged with tree roots (yes - I've seen this!).

Your son will likely need "renter's insurance" which covers theft and damage to his property/person inside his unit - landlord's insurance RARELY covers losses like theft, and your L may even require he have renter's insurance. It should only cost $100-300 a year, depending on the value of the premises/house he is renting. Call your auto insurance or homeowners' carrier and get a quote from them so you can get the multiple policy discount.

I draft residential lease agreements all the time - mostly for landlords - so I know the "tricks" that some of them use to put more reponsibility on the tenant. It would be worth it to pay a few hundred bucks to have a lawyer review the agreement, if nothing else, to try to have your kid's first lease go smoothly without any unfortunate surprises.

Good luck!

Thanks.