A bill to amend 1972 PA 348, entitled “An act to regulate relationships between landlords and tenants relative to rental agreements for rental units; to regulate the payment, repayment, use and investment of security deposits; to provide for commencement and termination inventories of rental units; to provide for termination arrangements relative to rental units; to provide for legal remedies; and to provide penalties,” by amending the title and section 1 (MCL 554.601), section 1 as amended by 1995 PA 79, and by adding sections 1c, 1d, 1e, and 1f.
Senate Bill No. 883 seeks to amend the 1972 PA 348, which governs landlord-tenant relationships in Michigan. The bill proposes updates to the act by changing its title and section 1, and by adding new sections 1c, 1d, 1e, and 1f. The key changes include:
Regulation of rental agreements, security deposits, and termination inventories. Requirement for landlords to provide certain notices to prospective tenants. Permission for the reuse of tenant screening reports. Definitions of terms such as "consumer report," "consumer reporting agency," "credit score," "landlord," "prospective tenant," "rental agreement," "rental application fee," "rental unit," and "reusable screening report." Outline of legal remedies and penalties related to these regulations. The bill specifies that landlords may accept reusable screening reports and must disclose screening criteria and fees. It prohibits landlords from charging application fees if a reusable report is accepted and from using a prospective tenant's credit score or involvement in a judicial action without liability as deciding factors for lease eligibility. If adverse action is taken based on these reports, landlords must provide written notice, a copy of the report used, and an opportunity for the tenant to rebut the information. Violations could lead to civil action with damages up to $1,000, attorney fees, and costs.
Additionally, the bill mandates landlords to consider a prospective tenant's current ability to pay rent and suitability for tenancy, to note the date and time of received rental applications, and to screen applications in the order they were received.
Introduced
by
Referred to the Committee on Housing and Human Services
