Free Michigan 7-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit

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The 7-day notice to pay rent or quit is the written demand for possession a Michigan landlord must serve before filing a summary proceeding for nonpayment of rent. MCL § 554.134(2) and MCL § 600.5714(1)(a) give the tenant 7 days from service to pay the past-due rent or deliver possession. It is Michigan’s SCAO Form DC 100a demand, and Michigan is a strong pay-and-stay state. Generate a compliant notice below.

7-Day Demand MCL § 554.134(2) SCAO Form DC 100a Free PDF

A Michigan 7-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit is the statutorily-required written demand for possession a landlord must serve before filing a summary proceeding (eviction) for nonpayment of rent. It is governed by MCL § 554.134(2) and MCL § 600.5714(1)(a), with the service methods at § 600.5718, the summary proceedings act at § 600.5701 et seq., and the pay-and-stay redemption right at § 600.5744. The state’s SCAO-approved form for nonpayment is DC 100a, Demand for Possession, Nonpayment of Rent, and it gives the tenant 7 days from service to pay the rent due or deliver possession. The form below produces a compliant Michigan demand; our Michigan eviction notice laws guide covers the full process, and the tenant screening laws by state hub helps you place reliable tenants in the first place.

The 7-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit – in Michigan a demand for possession for nonpayment of rent – is the statutorily-required written notice a landlord must serve on a tenant who has failed to pay rent when due. It is the procedural prerequisite to filing a summary proceeding to recover possession under MCL § 600.5714(1)(a). Without a properly-drafted, properly-served demand, a Michigan district court will not grant possession for nonpayment of rent.

The notice does three things in one document. First, it states the amount due. The demand for possession must state the amount of rent the tenant must pay to avoid eviction. Michigan’s SCAO Form DC 100a is structured to demand rent; keep the demanded figure to past-due rent so it matches the amount a court will enter for a nonpayment judgment and the amount the tenant must pay to redeem. An accurate figure protects the pay-and-stay math down the line.

Second, it gives the tenant a 7-day cure window. The tenant has 7 days from service of the demand to either pay the full amount stated or deliver possession of the property. The period runs from the date of service, and service is defined by MCL § 600.5718 – so the service method determines when the clock starts. If the tenant pays in full within the 7 days, the default is cured and the tenancy continues.

Third, it sets up the pay-and-stay framework. Michigan is a strong pay-and-stay state. The demand states that failure to pay or deliver possession within 7 days will lead to a summary proceeding, but the tenant’s right to cure does not end there: under MCL § 600.5744 the tenant may pay the judgment amount plus taxed costs within the post-judgment redemption period and stop the writ of restitution. The form on this page states the amount, computes the 7-day deadline, and frames the demand and consequences correctly.

The 7-day pay-or-quit demand is governed by a layered statutory framework spanning the landlord-tenant chapter and the summary proceedings act. The core statute is MCL § 554.134(2), which authorizes a landlord to terminate a tenancy for nonpayment of rent by giving the tenant a written 7-day notice to quit; MCL § 600.5714(1)(a) mirrors this on the eviction side, allowing recovery of possession when the tenant holds over after failing to pay rent within 7 days from service of a written demand for possession.

Service rules are at MCL § 600.5718, which authorizes four methods: personal delivery to the tenant; delivery on the premises to a member of the tenant’s family or household or an employee of suitable age and discretion with a request to deliver it to the tenant; first-class mail addressed to the tenant; and electronic service only if the tenant has specifically consented to it in writing. For mailed service, the date of service is the next regular day for delivery of mail after the day the demand was mailed.

The summary proceedings act at MCL § 600.5701 et seq. governs the court process that follows the demand. The landlord files a complaint to recover possession (SCAO Form DC 102) in the district court for the district where the property sits, a summons issues, and the matter is heard on an expedited timeline. The pay-and-stay redemption right at MCL § 600.5744 controls the back end: a writ of restitution for a nonpayment judgment generally cannot issue for 10 days, and if the tenant pays the amount stated in the judgment plus taxed costs within that window, the writ does not issue and the eviction stops.

Rent-control preemption and no just-cause statute. Michigan law preempts local rent control, so there is no municipal rent-board overlay on the nonpayment demand, and Michigan has no general just-cause eviction statute – nonpayment is handled entirely through the § 554.134(2) demand and the summary proceedings act. Federally assisted or tax-credit tenancies can carry their own notice requirements layered on top of state law. One operational rule binds all of this together: the demand must precisely match the statute. Mis-counting the 7 days, using an unauthorized service method, or filing before the period runs void the action and restart the clock.

Michigan uses SCAO-approved court forms for landlord-tenant notices, and choosing the wrong one is a common and costly error. For nonpayment of rent, the correct form is DC 100a, Demand for Possession, Nonpayment of Rent. It is the 7-day demand under MCL § 554.134(2) and MCL § 600.5714(1)(a): it tells the tenant to pay the stated rent or deliver possession within 7 days, and it is the pay-and-stay form because paying the demanded rent cures the default.

DC 100c is a different form. DC 100c, Notice to Quit to Recover Possession of Property, is used for grounds other than nonpayment – for example termination of an estate at will, holding over after a lease term, or a health hazard or serious property damage. Its notice period follows the rental-payment interval or the specific statutory ground, not the flat 7-day nonpayment rule. Using DC 100c for a nonpayment case, or DC 100a for a lease-violation case, mismatches the form to the ground and can invite a challenge to the notice.

The 7-day period under MCL § 600.5714(1)(a) runs from the date of service of the demand, and Michigan counts it in calendar days – weekends and holidays are not excluded from the count itself. What changes the math is when service is legally effective, and that turns on the delivery method under MCL § 600.5718.

Service date, not payment-due date, starts the clock. With personal delivery, the service date is the day the demand is handed to the tenant, so the 7-day count begins from that day. With first-class mail, the service date is the next regular mail-delivery day after the day the demand was mailed – not the mailing date and not the actual receipt date. A landlord who mails a demand and counts 7 days from the mailing date will file too early.

Worked example – personal delivery. A demand personally delivered to the tenant on the 1st of the month is served that day. Counting 7 calendar days, the deadline to pay or deliver possession is the 8th. The landlord may file the complaint to recover possession on the 9th if the rent is still unpaid.

Worked example – first-class mail. A demand mailed on a Monday is not served on Monday. Under § 600.5718 the service date is the next regular mail-delivery day after mailing – here, the Tuesday. The 7-day count runs from that Tuesday, so the deadline is the following Tuesday, and the earliest filing day is the Wednesday after that. Build in the mail-delivery day whenever you mail.

Why the service method matters more than the calendar. Because Michigan counts calendar days but ties the start to the statutory service date, the single most common miscount is treating the mailing date as the service date. A demand that starts its count a day or two early is short, and a short demand supports a defense in the summary proceeding. Many Michigan landlord-tenant attorneys add a few extra days of cushion beyond the statutory minimum: a longer notice is still valid, and the extra days work in the tenant’s favor and create no defect. If you serve near a weekend or a postal holiday, confirm the next mail-delivery day before you set the deadline.

Complete the form below to generate a compliant Michigan 7-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (demand for possession, DC 100a style). The form computes the deadline 7 days after the service date, states the rent due, and includes the pay-and-stay and consequences language. Serve in accordance with MCL § 600.5718, and remember that mailed service is effective only on the next mail-delivery day.

MCL § 600.5718 fixes the methods for serving a demand for possession and defines when service is effective. Posting a notice on the door by itself is not an authorized stand-alone method, and the statute does not require certified or registered mail for the demand. Because the 7-day count runs from the service date, the method you choose controls when the clock starts.

Electronic service is narrow

MCL § 600.5718 permits electronic service of the demand only when the tenant has specifically consented to it in writing. Absent that written consent, email or text is not valid service, and a demand served electronically without consent is defective. If you rely on electronic service, keep the written consent in the file alongside the service record.

Proof of service

Keep a record of who served the demand, when, where, and by what method. For personal delivery, note the encounter and any witness. For premises delivery, record the household member or employee served. For mail, keep proof of the mailing date so the next-delivery-day service date is fixed. The original signed demand plus the service record become the exhibits supporting the complaint to recover possession if the tenant does not pay.

Documentation retention

Retain the signed original demand, the service record, and any consent to electronic service through the tenancy and any resulting litigation. If the summary proceeding is filed, the demand and service proof are the predicate the court examines first. If the tenant pays before the deadline, the same documentation supports the cure record.

Michigan is one of the stronger pay-and-stay states, and understanding the tenant’s cure rights explains why the demanded amount and the service date matter so much. The tenant has two chances to cure a nonpayment default: within the 7-day demand period, and again after judgment under the redemption right.

Cure within the 7 days. If the tenant pays the full amount stated in the demand within 7 days of service, the default is cured and the tenancy continues on its existing terms. The landlord cannot refuse a timely, full payment from the tenant during this window and then proceed as if the rent were still unpaid.

Redemption after judgment – MCL § 600.5744. Even after the district court enters a judgment for possession for nonpayment, the tenant retains a redemption right. A writ of restitution generally cannot issue for 10 days after the judgment, and if the tenant pays the amount stated in the judgment plus taxed costs within that period, the writ does not issue and the eviction stops. This is why the demanded rent figure should be clean and accurate: it flows into the judgment amount the tenant must pay to redeem, and an inflated or muddled figure can complicate the redemption calculation.

If the tenant pays the full amount stated within the 7 days, the default is cured and the tenancy continues. The landlord cannot refuse a timely, full payment during the demand period.

If the tenant does not pay by the deadline, the landlord files a complaint to recover possession (SCAO Form DC 102) in the district court for the district where the property is located, under the summary proceedings act, MCL § 600.5701 et seq. A summons issues, the tenant is served and appears at a hearing on an expedited timeline, and if the landlord proves the demand, the service, and the unpaid rent, the court enters a judgment for possession. A writ of restitution follows only after the § 600.5744 redemption period, and it is executed by a court officer – not the landlord.

Self-help is prohibited. Michigan’s anti-lockout statute, MCL § 600.2918, bars a landlord from changing the locks, removing the tenant’s belongings, or shutting off utilities to force a tenant out. Every nonpayment removal must run through the demand, the district court summary proceeding, a judgment, and a court-officer-executed writ. Unlawful self-help exposes the landlord to statutory damages. The 7-day demand is the first, indispensable step; the court process is the only lawful path to the actual removal.

• Counting mailed service from the mailing date. Under MCL § 600.5718, mailed service is effective the next regular mail-delivery day after mailing. Counting the 7 days from the mailing date makes the demand short and the filing premature.
• Using the wrong SCAO form. Nonpayment uses DC 100a; DC 100c is for other grounds with different periods. A form mismatched to the ground invites a challenge to the demand.
• Posting on the door only. Posting by itself is not an authorized stand-alone method under § 600.5718. Use personal delivery, premises delivery to a suitable person, first-class mail, or consented electronic service.
• Filing before the 7 days run. Filing the complaint to recover possession before the 7-day period expires defeats the action. Wait until the day after the deadline to file.
• Serving electronically without written consent. Electronic service is valid only when the tenant has specifically consented in writing. Email or text without that consent is not valid service.
• Inflating the demanded amount. Folding late fees, utilities, or damage charges into the rent figure muddies the nonpayment judgment and the § 600.5744 redemption amount. Keep the demand to past-due rent.
• Resorting to self-help. Changing locks or removing belongings instead of using the summary proceeding violates MCL § 600.2918 and exposes the landlord to statutory damages.
• Inconsistent landlord/tenant identification. Name all tenants on the rental agreement, and identify the landlord or agent consistently with the lease and the eviction caption.

Michigan tenants served with a 7-day demand for possession have statutory rights under the landlord-tenant chapter and the summary proceedings act. Understanding these helps landlords appreciate why procedural precision matters.

Right to cure by paying in full. A tenant who pays the full amount stated within the 7 days cures the default, and the tenancy continues; the landlord cannot refuse a timely full payment. Right to pay and stay after judgment. Under MCL § 600.5744, the tenant may pay the judgment amount plus taxed costs within the redemption period – generally 10 days – and the writ of restitution will not issue, stopping the eviction.

Right to proper service. The tenant is entitled to service by a method authorized under § 600.5718; an unauthorized method, or a miscounted period, gives the tenant a defense in the summary proceeding. Right to be heard. If the landlord files a complaint to recover possession, the tenant must be served with the summons and appears at a hearing before any judgment for possession is entered.

Right against self-help eviction. MCL § 600.2918 prohibits the landlord from changing locks, removing belongings, or cutting utilities to force the tenant out; a tenant subjected to unlawful self-help may recover possession and statutory damages. Right to anti-retaliation protection. MCL § 600.5720 bars a landlord from bringing a summary proceeding in retaliation for a tenant’s complaint to a governmental authority, a request for repairs, or membership in a tenant organization – a nonpayment demand cannot be used as cover for a retaliatory eviction.

Right to fair housing protection. The federal Fair Housing Act and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibit eviction decisions based on protected characteristics such as race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. A demand for possession must rest on the actual nonpayment, not on any protected characteristic of the tenant.

Michigan preempts local rent control and has no general just-cause eviction statute, so the summary proceedings act governs the nonpayment demand end to end. For the full possession procedure, see our guide to Michigan eviction procedure.

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