Full question:
In the State of Michigan, is a landlord/owner of an apartment building permitted to lease to a tenant with a criminal sexual conduct history? Is there any disclosure required to other tenants and what liabilities are present?
- Category: Landlord Tenant
- Date:
- State: Michigan
Answer:
Michigan state has no requirement for landlords to disclose the criminal history of tenants to other tenants, nor does it prohibit a landlord from renting to a person convicted of a sex crime.
A landlord remains liable for the safety condition of the housing it owns, even if it has contracted with a management company to provide all service and maintenance in relation to the housing.
However, a landlord generally isn't liable for the criminal conduct of a tenant, unless the landlord had reason know of the criminal activity. A landlord has a duty to protect tenants from reasonably foreseeable criminal activity. For example, if a tenant is dealing on drugs the rental property, a landlord is usually required to have knowledge of the drug dealing or other illegal activities to be held liable. A landlord may be required to install extra security measures if the area is a high crime area or there has been a history of break-ins.
Michigan state has no requirement for landlords to disclose the criminal history of tenants to other tenants, nor does it prohibit a landlord from renting to a person convicted of a sex crime.
A landlord remains liable for the safety condition of the housing it owns, even if it has contracted with a management company to provide all service and maintenance in relation to the housing.
However, a landlord generally isn't liable for the criminal conduct of a tenant, unless the landlord had reason know of the criminal activity. A landlord has a duty to protect tenants from reasonably foreseeable criminal activity. For example, if a tenant is dealing on drugs the rental property, a landlord is usually required to have knowledge of the drug dealing or other illegal activities to be held liable. A landlord may be required to install extra security measures if the area is a high crime area or there has been a history of break-ins.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
