Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Michigan

truth in renting act michigan

We signed a contact back in April 2006 for lease with option to buy. In the contract the landlord stated we are obligated to take care of any problems in the home and he is not. Since we moved in my family and I have been sick every other month with respitory problems and other illness connected to black mold illness. The landlord will not pay for any testing that we ordered to be down this week. We just want out of the lease and our $5000 deposit back. The basement backs up with septic back flow and no help is offered by the landlord. Is he doing anything illegal and get we legally break this lease and get back the security deposit. We have medical records to support the illnesses we all have hard, we were all really healthy before we moved here.


Asked on 3/12/07, 7:06 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Christopher Sevick Law Office of Christopher Sevick, PLC

Re: truth in renting act michigan

Every landlord has a duty to keep a home in a reasonable standard of care. Yours may have not done this, but without seeing the lease it is hard to know.

However, the security deposit for a home can not by state law exceed 1.5 times the monthly rental amount. If your rent is not more than $3334 each month it appears that your landlord may have violated that as well. In addition, there are several items that are required by state law to be in the lease that yours may not have. Not knowing your zip code it is hard to know if other local requirements apply.

It appears that you may be able to raise these issues with you landlord, but I would advise you to seek appropriate legal advise since you are dealing with a significant dollar amount here.

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Answered on 3/12/07, 7:22 pm


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