Michigan · application fee law
Are Rental Application Fees Legal in Michigan?
What Michigan lets a landlord charge to apply — and how that compares to what screening actually costs.
The legal line in Michigan
no cap — Michigan doesn't cap application fees. They're landlord-set; your protection is whether the fee is reasonable against the actual cost of the screening report.
What screening actually costs
A full tenant screen costs a landlord about $30. Landlords typically charge applicants $55 — so any fee well above ~$30 is mostly markup.
| Cap type | No cap |
|---|---|
| The legal line | no cap |
| Refund rights | No statutory refund right. |
| Receipt required | Not specified |
| Reusable screening report | Not specified |
| Statute | No specific application-fee statute |
Check your Michigan application fee
We'll compare it to the law and the real cost of screening.
How Michigan compares
See every state's cap, the real cost of screening, and the markup landlords add — the full picture in one place.
Informational only, not legal advice — verify No specific application-fee statute and current screening costs before acting.