Detroit / Evidence guide

The records that protect a Detroit renter

By Homzora Team · September 26, 2026

Michigan's deposit law is built on a series of short deadlines for both tenants and landlords, and Detroit's escrow and right to counsel programs depend on paperwork too. Whether you recover your deposit, get repairs made or defend an eviction often comes down to proving what happened and when. This guide explains what to keep, with a source for every rule.

Why records matter so much in Michigan

Michigan's deposit rules run on deadlines. You have seven days after moving in to return the inventory checklist^[1], four days after moving out to give a forwarding address^[2], and seven days to respond by mail to a landlord's list of damages.^[3] The landlord has 14 days to give you the deposit notice^[4], 30 days to send the list of damages^[3] and 45 days to go to court.^[5] A retaliation defense depends on events within 90 days.^[6] The person who can prove these dates is usually the person who prevails.

The folder to keep from day one

The signed lease, including the Truth in Renting notice and the notice address it must contain.^[7]
The landlord's written deposit notice, due within 14 days of move in.^[4]
Your completed inventory checklist and proof that you returned it within seven days.^[1]
The Certificate of Compliance details for the home.^[8]
The lead disclosure, if the home was built before 1978.^[9]
Every rent payment record, utility bill and repair request.

Keep these items together, on paper and backed up digitally, for the whole tenancy and at least a year after you move out.

Document the condition at move in

Your inventory checklist and photographs together are the baseline for every deposit claim. Before any furniture arrives, photograph and film every room: walls, floors, ceilings, windows, doors, the inside and outside of each appliance, cabinets, closets, bathrooms, the basement and any porch. Take close ups of existing damage with a wider shot showing where it is. Return the completed checklist within seven days^[1], attach or link your photographs, and keep proof of when you sent it. Keep the original photo files, which store the date and time.

Keep a repair log

For every problem, record when you noticed it, the date and method of each request, the landlord's response and the date of any repair. Send requests to the notice address in your lease^[7] and attach photographs. Michigan requires the landlord to keep the home fit for its use and in reasonable repair^[10], and a clear log is how you show that a problem was reported and not fixed.

For heat failures in winter, photograph a thermometer in the affected rooms next to a phone showing the date and time, and note the outdoor temperature. For basement water, photograph the water line and any damaged belongings before cleaning up.

Keep escrow records carefully

If you use Detroit's escrow program because your home lacks a Certificate of Compliance or has serious code violations, keep proof of every payment into escrow and every letter from the city. The program requires your rent to be current^[11], and the 36th District Court may ask a tenant raising defenses under the city code whether they have paid rent into escrow.^[12] Escrow receipts are the proof that you paid.

Keep proof for retaliation and lockout claims

If an eviction is filed within 90 days after you tried to enforce your rights, Michigan presumes retaliation.^[6] Keep dated proof of every complaint to the landlord or the city, and note any notice or rent increase that follows. If a landlord ever changes the locks, removes your belongings or shuts off heat, water, electricity or gas to force you out, photograph everything and write down the times. You can recover actual damages or $200 per occurrence, whichever is greater, and more for forcible entry.^[13]

Pay in a way you can prove

Pay by a method that shows the amount and the date the landlord received it, such as a check, bank transfer or resident portal, and keep the confirmations. If you pay in cash, get a signed receipt every time. If you receive a demand for possession for unpaid rent, note the date: you have seven days to pay before an eviction case can be filed.^[14]

Protect your deposit at move out

Give any notice your lease requires in writing, or one month's notice for a month to month tenancy^[15], and keep proof of delivery. Clean thoroughly, repeat the full photograph and video record after your belongings are gone, and return all keys, keeping a receipt or confirming email.

Then follow the deadlines closely. Give the landlord your forwarding address in writing within four days after moving out.^[2] Within 30 days, the landlord must mail an itemized list of damages. If you disagree, respond by mail within seven days of receiving it, explaining which items you dispute and why, and keep a copy.^[3] To keep any disputed amount, the landlord must file in court within 45 days after the tenancy ends, and a landlord that fails to comply can owe double the amount of the deposit it kept.^[5]

Read notices the day they arrive

Photograph every notice posted on your door before you remove it, and note the date and time you found it. Eviction cases in Detroit are heard at the 36th District Court, 421 Madison.^[12] If your household income is up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, you can get a free lawyer through the city's Right to Counsel program; tell the judge at the hearing that you want one.^[16] Bring your records to court, arranged in date order.

Flood and sewage backup records

After basement flooding, photograph the water and every damaged item before cleaning up, report the damage to the landlord in writing, and keep receipts for anything you replace. If the backup was caused by a public sewer problem, Michigan law requires a written claim to the responsible agency within 45 days after the damage is discovered.^[17] Keep a copy of the claim and proof of when it was sent.

Utility and winter protection records

Keep every utility bill, payment confirmation and letter from DTE or the water department. If you are enrolled in an assistance plan, keep the enrollment confirmation and payment schedule. Michigan's winter protection rule, which shields eligible seniors and customers with low incomes from shutoffs between November 1 and March 31, requires eligible customers to make set monthly payments and apply for heating assistance^[18], so proof of payments and applications matters. If a landlord is responsible for a utility under the lease and service is cut off, photograph any notice and write down the dates, since a landlord may not shut off utilities to force a tenant out.^[13]

Preparing for a hearing

Arrange your documents in date order and prepare a one page timeline of the key events. Bring copies of every document you plan to rely on, one for the judge, one for the other side and one for yourself, and print the photographs that matter most rather than showing them on a phone. If you have a Right to Counsel lawyer^[16], give them your timeline and documents as early as possible. Keep your explanation short and factual, and answer the judge's questions directly.

If the dispute is about the deposit, bring the inventory checklist, the landlord's list of damages, your written response with proof of when you mailed it, and your move in and move out photographs side by side. If the dispute is about repairs, bring your repair log, every notice you sent and any city inspection results.

When the property is sold or management changes

If you receive notice of a new owner or manager, save your payment history, deposit notice, inventory checklist, photographs and any open repair requests. Ask in writing for the new notice address and where the deposit is now held, and send the new manager a short written summary of any unresolved repairs so your notice dates carry forward.

Keep digital records easy to trust

Name files by date and subject so they sort in order, such as "2026 01 14 furnace failure notice." Save emails and text messages as files rather than leaving them only in an inbox or on one phone, and back up everything in at least two places.

Repeat your photograph record at least once a year, and after any major repair, storm or flood. A short video walk through each spring and fall takes minutes and shows how the home has changed over time, which is useful if a dispute later turns on whether damage was caused by you, by normal wear or by a problem the landlord failed to fix.

Evidence about rents: compare like with like

Records also help you judge whether a rent is reasonable. An asking rent on a listing is not the same as a signed lease payment, and neither is the same as a government estimate. The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 estimate of median gross rent in the city of Detroit is $1,074.^[19] It includes estimated utilities, covers every kind of rental and blends five years of responses, so it will differ from today's asking rents. The Detroit data page explains each figure Homzora publishes.

Your completion record

Lease with Truth in Renting notice
Deposit notice received
Inventory checklist returned in seven days
Repair log
Escrow receipts, if used
Payment history
Forwarding address within four days
Written response to any damage list

Keep these records for at least a year after you move out. See the inspection guide for the repair process and the jurisdiction guide for the rules that apply to your home.

Sources and official resources

Use the planning tools · All Detroit guides