Ending a month-to-month tenancy in Michigan

The rule in Michigan

To end a month-to-month tenancy in Michigan, the notice period is one month, set by MCL 554.134(1). The words: “an estate at will or by sufferance may be terminated by either party by giving 1 month's notice to the other party.” The same period binds the tenant: the statute gives landlord and tenant one rule.

Of the 29 states verified on this site, 3 require less notice and 4 require more, counting a month as 30 days for comparison; the median is 30 days. 21 others land on the same length, among them Arizona, Florida, Idaho and Illinois.

Worked date: a notice delivered on November 10, 2026 runs its one month on December 10, 2026, so the notice can name December 10, 2026 or a later date as the end of the tenancy, 30 days after delivery.

Given on the rent day itself, December 1, 2026, the same notice reaches its end on January 1, 2027, 31 days later. A period stated as a month follows the calendar, so its length in days depends on the month in which it runs.

Across the border, among neighbours with a verified rule: Ohio requires 30 days and Wisconsin requires 28 days.

Where rent is payable at periods of less than 3 months, notice equal to the interval between payments is sufficient, and it ends the tenancy at the end of a period of that length (§ 554.134(1)).

After the notice: the landlord then has 30 days to return the security deposit (deposit rules), so a tenancy ending on December 10, 2026 puts the deposit deadline at January 9, 2027.

Source: Michigan Legislature, MCL 554.134 · last checked October 21, 2026.

Giving or receiving notice

The statute sets the shortest period; a lease can add conditions such as a written form or a delivery method, and some cities add their own rules. The guide on ending a month-to-month tenancy compares how the verified states count the period.