What are the laws regarding the abandonment of rental property?
In Michigan, a tenant must give the landlord prior written notice of their intention to end the rental agreement and vacate the rental property. If the tenant leaves without providing the landlord with the required notice, the landlord may consider the tenant to have abandoned the rental property. If the tenant abandons a rental property, the landlord must take steps to mitigate their losses (such as re-renting the unit). The landlord must also secure the rental property, including changing the locks and ensuring the property is secure from theft or vandalism. The landlord must also give the tenant a chance to recover their personal property that they left behind after the tenant is considered to have abandoned the rental property. The landlord must store the property for 30 days and provide the tenant with notice of where the property is, how they can reclaim it, and the deadline to do so. If the tenant fails to reclaim the property within the 30-day period, the landlord may dispose of the property as they see fit. Finally, if the tenant has any unpaid rent or other fees, the landlord may keep the security deposit they received from the tenant. The security deposit can only be used to cover any losses suffered by the landlord due to the tenant’s abandonment of the rental property.
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