If you want to find great tenants for your vacancy, you’ll need a detailed Michigan rental application form. A complete, legally compliant application form takes the guesswork out of tenant screening so you can make your decision with confidence.
Instead of settling for a standard application process, take it to the next level like the pros do. Streamline your application process with a free template or all-in-one solution that helps landlords send and receive online rental applications.
Eager to learn more? This guide covers everything you need to know about a Michigan rental application. Let’s start with the information your application should collect.
Information to Collect
A Michigan rental application form collects:
- Applicant, co-applicant, and co-signer names
- Phone number and email address
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Employment and income
- Rental history overview
- Rental or professional references
- Household details (pets, vehicles, smoking status, and emergency contact)
Since landlords use rental applications to gather sensitive personal information, legal guidelines dictate:
- The information landlords can collect
- The questions landlords can ask
- The way landlords use applications to make decisions
Before we get into specific Michigan rental application laws, let’s review our helpful guide to tenant screening.
Quick Guide to Screening a Tenant
Every rental application is unique, but we’ve created a clear path for responsible tenant screening in the Great Lakes State.
1. Pre-Screen
It all begins with a pre-screener. A pre-screener helps you spot qualified renters before they apply. When renters find your online listing, a pre-screener asks for:
- Name and contact info
- Move-in date
- Employment, income, and credit score
- Household size
- Pets/service animals
- Vehicles
- Smoking status
Pre-screeners make the application process more efficient, but renters still must submit the complete Michigan rental application form.
2. Conduct Showings
When you’re ready to show the rental, invite renters to tour the property in person. You can also plan an open house to get more eyes on your listing.
3. Distribute and Collect Applications
After handing out and collecting applications, make sure you’re ready to conduct tenant screening. To move forward, applicants must sign the consent and acknowledgment and pay the application fee.
Michigan Application Laws
Not every state approaches landlord-tenant rights and rental application laws in the same way. The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act lays out Michigan’s fair housing laws. Here’s what it says:
In Michigan, landlords can legally consider an applicant’s:
- Criminal background check
- Eviction history
- Source of income
Sex & familial status: The law prohibits landlords from discriminating against renters based on their sex, including pregnancy. It also prohibits discrimination against families with children under 18 or pregnant residents (MCL § 37.2102).
Portable tenant screening reports: Michigan law allows portable tenant screening reports, but doesn’t require them.
Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals
Over 60% of Michigan residents are pet owners. In the Wolverine State, a section on the application for animals is a must.
Don’t plan to accept pets? You can’t discriminate against applicants with Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) or service animals. However, tenants are responsible for the damage their animals cause.
Pet information: Ask for the name, breed, and weight of all pets and/or service animals.
Fair Housing Act: Landlords can’t discriminate against applicants based on their ESA/service animal. This law also prohibits landlords from:
- Charging tenants a pet deposit, pet rent, or pet fee for ESAs/service animals
- Denying tenants based on their ESA/service animal’s size, breed, or weight
Federal Application Laws
If you’re listing a rental unit in Michigan, you’ll need to follow these federal rules.
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Landlords need an applicant’s written consent before conducting a credit check and must send an adverse action notice to renters if they’re denied based on credit history (Fair Credit Reporting Act).
Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): The ECOA:
- Prohibits landlords from discriminating against individuals who receive public assistance
- Outlines how landlords address credit reports
- Provides reporting guidelines for applicants (Equal Credit Opportunity Act)
Fair Housing Act (FHA): You can’t deny housing based on:
- Race
- Color
- National origin
- Religion
- Sex
- Familial status
- Disability
The FHA prohibits questions about FHA-protected characteristics, discriminatory advertising, and unequal rental terms (Fair Housing Act).
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Landlords can’t discriminate against renters solely based on a disability, and they must accommodate the renter’s condition (Americans with Disabilities Act).
4. Use a Third-Party Screening Service
Ready to run credit, eviction, and tenant background checks? Try out a tenant screening service like TurboTenant to streamline the process.
5. Check Application References
Use a renter’s references to confirm their application details and gather more information. These are the five sample questions top landlords always ask:
- Would you rent to this tenant again?
- Do you recall this tenant ever breaking the lease?
- What was the unit’s monthly rent amount?
- Did the tenant ever miss payments?
- Was the house/apartment well cared for?
6. Approve or Deny Applications
Don’t place all your bets on one renter. Instead, accept multiple applications on a first-come, first-served basis. Here’s what you should consider:
- Credit score: 600–670 is a standard minimum credit score requirement.
- Rental history: If an applicant has less than a year of rental history, it’s a good idea to request a co-signer.
- Rent-to-income ratio: Calculate the applicant’s rent-to-income ratio. The monthly rent amount should be below 30% of their gross income.
- Fact-check the application: False information is always a red flag. Landlords want tenants who are honest and proactive about disclosing information.
Denial Process
The way you address denials must be consistent across all applicants. A few of the reasons why landlords can deny a Michigan rental application include:
- Insufficient income
- Rental, criminal, or credit history
- False answers on the application
Denial notice: State law doesn’t require landlords to send tenant rejection letters.
Credit/background denials: If you reject an application based on a credit or tenant background check, the FCRA requires you to send the applicant an adverse action notice. Make sure to include the reporting agency’s name and contact details, as well as the renter’s right to dispute errors.
Document storage: Hold onto denied applications and screening reports for 1–2 years. These files can defend landlords against claims of discrimination.
Avoiding Fraud
Don’t believe everything you see in an application. Always fact-check the information. Here’s how you can avoid rental application fraud:
- Confirm the applicant’s identity and documents
- Run background, credit, and eviction checks
- Verify employment and income
- Contact past landlords
- Keep an eye out for red flags
