A new 17-bill “Tenants’ Rights” package introduced by Michigan House Democrats proposes major changes to Michigan’s landlord-tenant laws, including extending the nonpayment notice period from one week to two and allowing tenants to withhold rent if repairs are not completed within specified deadlines.

In a co-authored viewpoint published in the Lansing State Journal and featured on NewsBreak, Erika Farley, Executive Director of the Rental Property Owners Association of Michigan, warned that the legislation could worsen Michigan’s housing shortage. Farley noted that rental aid from the COVID era has been exhausted and court timelines already stretch for months, writing that the new proposals could “drive [property owners] out of business and add to the state’s housing woes.”

Farley also raised concerns about mandated repair timelines, calling them “a perilous precedent where property owners bear all the financial risk but have no control” over contractor availability, weather delays, or municipal permitting.

The co-authored piece urges lawmakers to pursue balanced policy that protects residents while ensuring Michigan does not lose additional rental housing supply.

Read the full article on NewsBreak.

The federal government has officially shut down. For housing providers, the most important immediate update is that HUD and Section 8 funding will continue until previously appropriated funds are exhausted.

The timeline for when those funds might run out is currently unclear. RPOAM encourages members to be aware of possible delays in payments or federal program operations if the shutdown continues for an extended period.

We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates as more information becomes available.

According to Bridge Michigan, lawmakers missed the constitutional deadline to finalize a new state budget for the first time in 16 years. However, a one-week stopgap spending measure was approved and signed into law early Wednesday morning, ensuring state government operations will continue without interruption.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and legislative leaders have indicated that a full budget vote is expected later this week. In the meantime, the stopgap measure funds state services through October 8, 2025.

For housing providers and real estate investors, this means state services will remain open and operational with no immediate impact expected.

RPOAM will continue monitoring the situation and provide updates if there are developments that could affect members.

Read the full article at Bridge Michigan.

A new package of 17 bills introduced by Michigan House Democrats proposes sweeping reforms to the state’s landlord-tenant laws, with the stated goal of reducing unnecessary evictions and expanding renter protections.

Led by State Representative Amos O’Neal, the proposed legislation includes provisions that would:

• Extend the eviction grace period for overdue rent from 7 to 14 days
  
• Prohibit junk fees and hidden charges
• Require timely repairs, with rent reductions or tenant compensation if issues go unresolved

The bills come amid concerns about rising rental costs and substandard housing conditions. O’Neal said the goal is to address systemic housing issues across both urban and rural communities.

RPOAM Executive Director Erika Farley was quoted in Mid Michigan Now, cautioning that the proposed legislation could unintentionally worsen Michigan’s housing shortage:

“There's no question that with something along these lines that is so large and sweeping that as people are considering, do they stay in the industry,” she said.

“They're taking a hatchet where potentially a scalpel is needed. There's no question that in my mind that this will make it more difficult. It'll create higher rents and a more difficult renting environment for everyone.”

The full package has not yet been voted on but is expected to generate significant debate as it moves through the legislative process.

Read the full article on Mid Michigan Now.

A package of four bills aimed at capping landlord fees and allowing eviction records to be expunged after three years has advanced out of committee and is now headed to the full Michigan Senate for consideration.

The proposed legislation—Senate Bills 372 through 375—includes changes that would regulate application and lease-related fees and enable tenants to petition for eviction record expungement after a three-year period. The bills were reported 7–2 along party lines by the Senate Housing and Human Services Committee.

While supporters say the bills would improve transparency and renter protections, RPOA Executive Director Erika Farley stressed the need to strike a balance between protecting residents and supporting small-scale housing providers.

“We have been in discussions with bill sponsors and committee members on some changes that we think seem reasonable, to make sure that not only are we protecting the resident, but also protecting the property owners, because not all property owners are large-scale … or coming in from out of state,” Farley said.

She added: “We want to make sure that as we're talking about these bills, that we are not taking a hatchet, potentially where a scalpel is needed, and that we are not having unintended consequences.”

• MSHDA has issued $420 million in bonds to shore up housing assistance in Michigan.
  
• MSHDA board has approved $75 million in a housing assistance accelerator to help with development.
  
• Potential funding for a universal application process.
• Housing policy bills becoming part of the budget negotiations.

Rezoning: The RPOAM has been asked to join a housing task force chaired by Rep. Kristian Grant to discuss rezoning in Michigan’s local municipalities. The group’s first meeting will be in September.

Short-Term Rentals: We are working with Rep. Joey Andrews on his proposed STR legislation along with the Realtors Association and those in the hotel and tourism industries. RPOAM is the ONLY property owner association in the state that has been invited to be part of the discussions.

PAC Update: RPOAM will be hosting an in-person and online fundraiser for Rep. Joe Aragona from Macomb County on Thursday, October 23rd in Grand Rapids. Rep. Aragona is the chair of the House Regulatory Reform Committee who is overseeing housing policy this term. More information to come!

Members of the Rental Property Owners Association of Michigan (RPOAM) will head to Lansing this September for a rare opportunity to speak face-to-face with the lawmakers responsible for shaping Michigan’s housing policy.

The association’s annual Advocacy Day will take place Tuesday, October 21, at the offices of Karoub Associates, just steps from the Capitol. The event includes private meetings between RPOAM members and elected officials, followed by a working lunch with legislators and senior policy staff.

This is a members-only event designed to give real estate investors and housing providers a direct line to the decision-makers driving state housing legislation. From rental regulations to property taxes and local zoning, members will have a chance to share their stories and advocate for practical, informed policy.

Advocacy has long been a core focus of RPOAM’s work to ensure that the voices of property owners and housing providers are heard at the state level.

“RPOAM is committed to making sure that the voices of property owners and housing providers are heard at the state level,” Farley said. “This event is one of the most impactful ways we do that. It’s about access, connection, and being part of the decision-making process.”

Advocacy Day underscores RPOAM’s leadership in state-level housing policy and reinforces its role as a trusted voice for Michigan’s rental property community.

RPOAM members who are interested in attending can visit the event page to learn more and RSVP.

The Grand Rapids City Commission has unanimously approved a sweeping set of zoning ordinance changes aimed at increasing housing supply, diversifying housing types, and improving affordability. The amendments will make it easier to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs), single-room occupancy dwellings, and small-scale infill developments—reforms supported by the Rental Property Owners Association.

Key changes include removing owner-occupancy and parking requirements for ADUs, expanding unrelated occupancy limits from four to six, and easing restrictions on lot sizes for multi-unit projects. The city also added new guidelines for emergency shelters, transitional housing, and infill construction in residential districts.

These updates come as Grand Rapids responds to data showing a need for over 14,000 new housing units in the city by 2027. The changes take effect May 23.

Read the full news release on the City of Grand Rapids website.

Pontiac City Council is advancing new legislation aimed at strengthening tenant rights and rental housing standards. As reported by Click on Detroit, the proposal includes written lease requirements, rental fee disclosures, safeguards against just cause evictions, and a right to renew leases.

The package would also expand the city’s Rental Escrow Program and tighten inspection and registration rules. Councilman Mikal Goodman called the effort a model for statewide policy, while Council President Mike McGuinness framed it as the next step in Pontiac’s ongoing rental reform work.

Get the full report from Click on Detroit.

RPOA Executive Director Erika Farley was recently featured on News Channel 3 discussing the Tenant Empowerment Package, a set of bills introduced in the Michigan Senate that could bring sweeping changes to rental housing regulations.

The package includes strict deadlines for repairs, extended notice requirements for rent increases, and the option for tenants to withhold rent or conduct their own repairs. While the Rental Property Owners Association supports certain aspects of the legislation—such as allowing electronic return of security deposits—Erika Farley voiced concern that some provisions could unintentionally drive up costs and reduce housing availability.

“We want to make sure that the overwhelming majority of property owners who are doing their jobs… aren’t hurt by unintended consequences,” Farley said. “When things get harder and there’s more regulations, prices go up, less people want to own the rental properties, and then there’s less availability for people to actually live in these homes.”

Farley emphasized the need for targeted legislation that addresses problem actors without overburdening responsible housing providers.

“It’s taking a hatchet to something that needs a scalpel,” she added.

Read the full article on News Channel 3.

RPOA Executive Director Erika Farley was quoted in a recent Crain’s Detroit Business article on the city’s new effort to incentivize rental property code compliance.

The initiative, approved by Detroit City Council in April, offers up to $30,000 in stipends to eligible landlords who complete a lead-safe renovation program and bring their properties into compliance with city rental ordinances. The effort targets small-scale property owners and aims to boost the city’s low rate of code-compliant rental housing—reported to be just 5% as of last year.

Landlords who participate will be required to attend an in-person property management training as part of the program.

Farley, speaking on behalf of rental property owners across Michigan, emphasized the importance of supporting both education and compliance—while also acknowledging that complexity in local regulations can be a real barrier for housing providers.

“I think more education for property owners in the city is always great,” Farley said.

She also noted that ensuring long-term property health is a shared responsibility:

“It’s ultimately a two-way street… with some share of responsibility falling on property owners, municipalities and tenants to keep landlords informed of issues at the property.”

Read the full article in Crain’s Detroit Business.

As the Michigan Senate considers the “Tenant Empowerment” bill package, RPOA Executive Director Erika Farley has been speaking with news outlets across the state to ensure the voices of housing providers are part of the conversation.

She was recently quoted in a Michigan Advance article covering Senate Bills 19–22, which would allow renters to withhold rent or deduct the cost of repairs if property owners don’t act quickly on safety-related issues. Farley expressed opposition to most of the package, citing operational concerns for landlords, while supporting the bill that would allow electronic return of security deposits.

Read the article.

Farley also appeared in a TV interview with Click On Detroit, where she discussed the importance of realistic repair timelines, contractor availability, and shared accountability between residents and housing providers. She emphasized RPOA’s ongoing collaboration with the bill’s sponsor as the legislation moves forward.

Watch the segment.

On June 3, WILX News 10 aired a story covering the Tenant Empowerment Package—proposed bills that would make significant changes to the relationship between housing providers and tenants in Michigan.

RPOA Executive Director Erika Farley was interviewed for the segment and offered context on how these bills could affect rental property owners. While the RPOA is not fully opposed to the legislation, Erika emphasized the need for practical, workable solutions that protect both tenants and housing providers.

“It’s not saying at this point we are fully opposed to the bills, but we are not fully in support of the bills,” she said.

She also highlighted the importance of realistic repair timelines and the use of fully licensed contractors—areas that need further clarification before the legislation moves forward.

Read the article here.

On June 3, WILX News 10 aired a story covering the Tenant Empowerment Package—proposed bills that would make significant changes to the relationship between housing providers and tenants in Michigan.

RPOA Executive Director Erika Farley was interviewed for the segment and offered context on how these bills could affect rental property owners. While the RPOA is not fully opposed to the legislation, Erika emphasized the need for practical, workable solutions that protect both tenants and housing providers.

“It’s not saying at this point we are fully opposed to the bills, but we are not fully in support of the bills,” she said.

She also highlighted the importance of realistic repair timelines and the use of fully licensed contractors—areas that need further clarification before the legislation moves forward.

Read the article here.

• Right to repair
  
• Eviction expungement
  
• Rental application caps
  
• Rental fees transparency
  
• Reforming criminal background checks
• Returning security deposits electronically

Tabitha and I, along with our coalition partners, have continued to stay in contact with legislators who are sponsors of the above legislation and those who are serving on committees that are overseeing housing policy. In the Michigan House, the Committee on Regulatory Reform will be tackling all housing legislation and is chaired by Rep. Joe Aragon out of Macomb County.

As everyone is aware, we have a new administration in place in Washington, DC. We are keeping an eye on the proposed budget that is currently moving through the U.S. House of Representatives. The budget that was voted out of the House Ways and Means Committee includes a 44% cut to the HUD budget and a $26.7 billion cut from Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8). As the budget bill continues to make its way through the process the RPOA will keep members updated.

I attended the Detroit Regional Chamber Policy Conference the last week of May to connect with policymakers throughout the state of Michigan. We are expecting another busy two-year cycle before elections again in 2026!

The last three weeks for the Michigan Legislature have been one for the history books. Full control of state government, which the Democrats held for the first time in 40 years, ended in the most dramatic of ways.

The Democrats in the House of Representatives were unable to hold their majority together. For three days, they attempted to get a quorum to take votes and were unable to get all 56 of their members to show up for work. The Republicans in the House decided to boycott coming to work and did not come to the Capitol for those same three days. After the first two weeks of lame duck, holding committee meeting after committee meeting to get bills passed out for a floor vote and voting quickly on bills late into the night to get them over to the Senate, it all fell apart with a Democrat member hiding in the office of the Republican Minority Leader, who, on a side note, will be Speaker of the House starting in January.

Over in the Senate, the upper chamber, things went more smoothly where it was mainly business as usual. Only one Democratic state senator decided to skip session for one day and returned for the final marathon of voting. The final push for the Senate was a 29-hour, sleepless voting session, which had not happened since 1993.

In the end, the Sine Die resolution that needs to be passed by both the House and Senate to end the legislative two-year session was not done because of the abrupt adjournment of the House. This situation is not dealt with in the Michigan constitution and will become an issue in the new year if bills passed at the end of the year can actually take effect.

The BIG NEWS for the RPOA is that after working late into the night, little sleep, and through the weekends, we have been VERY successful in holding off several pieces of legislation that would have been detrimental to the rental property industry, including short term rentals. Below are some of the bills we fought against over the last two years and in a full court press over the last three weeks:

• Fair chance housing – no criminal background checks
  
• Eviction expungement
  
• Right to counsel – tenants right to state paid legal aide
  
• Water affordability
  
• Expansion of carbon dioxide detectors
  
• Right to repair – allowing tenants to do their own repairs
  
• Lead abatement – the Grand Rapids lead dust test will NOT be able to be implemented
  
• Short-term rental regulation – this would have included a 6% excise tax. The RPOA, along with the Realtors, were the ONLY statewide associations representing short-term rental owners in the room during negotiations.

The RPOA has been very successful in stopping bad legislation that would make it harder to be a rental property owner or real estate investor in 2023 and 2024. However, the fight is not over! The new legislative session begins in January. The Republicans will have a small majority in the House. The Senate and Governor’s office are still Democrat-controlled. The RPOA will continue to fight for you and your industry to protect your rights in 2025.

The ONLY way for the RPOA to do the work to protect YOU is for you to maintain your membership and encourage others to join us!

Erika Farley,
RPOA Executive Director

CALL TO ACTION!!!

HB 4532 will expand lead inspections in Michigan and force rental property owners to raise rents!

This bill was introduced as a work around to change state law to allow the city of Grand Rapids and other cities in Michigan to demand rental property owners to take part in lead dust tests for all properties even if they have ALREADY PASSED lead inspections.

Call and email your state legislators NOW to tell them to vote NO on HB 4532! The Michigan Senate will be considering this bill in the next 24 hours!

Find the name and contact information for your state senator here: FindYourSenator

Dear Legislator:

I am writing to voice my strong opposition to House Bill 4532, which expand lead testing in rental properties which is already required by state and local laws. As a result, the passage of HB 4532 will raise rents throughout the state of Michigan.

With housing prices and demands throughout the state, I am asking that you take no action to raise rents and expand testing which is already in law. Please protect the people of the state of Michigan by insisting local housing inspections are completed as the law already asks and not expand a program only to raise rent costs.

I ask that you take a stand for your constituents and our communities by voting NO on this price raising legislation. Please remember to vote NO on HB 4532.

Thank you for your consideration.

However, before we can look forward into the new legislative session, we will be working hard in these last weeks of the year during ‘lame duck’. Lame duck is a period of time between the general election and the new legislature being sworn in where there is a flurry of action moving bills. Traditionally, this is a time when the Legislature works overtime completing the policy priorities of outgoing members. This year’s lame duck has the potential to be even more active with the Democrats losing majority in January. There are only a few weeks left for them to advance their policy priorities which include changes to the rental property industry which include the following:

• SB 801: automatic eviction expungements
  
• SB 601: lease transparency of amenities covered by the property owner and resident
  
• HB 4532: expanding lead inspections in rental properties
• HB 4878: removing the ability of property owners to use criminal background checks as a criteria for residents with exceptions for a three violent felonies

As we have over the last two years, we will continue to work hard to fight these pieces of legislation until the last vote is taken in 2024.

With the General Election behind us, we are looking at a new landscape going into the new year regarding housing policy and politics but that does not mean we can take our foot off the gas. Housing will continue to be a major policy issue going forward both on the state and local levels. With a slim GOP majority in the Michigan House, 58-52, and the other two legs of the government stool still being controlled by Democrats it will be imperative that we continue to work with legislative leadership and our housing coalition partners to make sure our voice is heard loud and clear.

As Michigan’s Democratic trifecta in government nears its end, renters and advocates are pushing for action on a renters' rights package before Republicans take control of the House. Grassroots groups, including Rent Is Too Darn High and We The People Action Fund, rallied at the state Capitol, emphasizing the urgency of passing nine bills introduced in June by Senator Sarah Anthony, which have since stalled.

Erika Farley, Executive Director of the Rental Property Owners Association, highlighted how inflation impacts landlords as well as tenants. "Inflation, just as it affects you and I at the grocery store, it affects property owners and the cost of a furnace or a roof or maintenance or labor, all those things have gone up and that has affected rental prices," Farley explained. She expressed concern that rent caps could reduce the availability of quality rental properties.

While advocates argue that high rents and poor conditions are driving people away from the state, Farley underscored the broader economic pressures faced by property owners.

To read more, visit WILX-10. Article by DeAnna Giles.

C & G Newspapers reports that several action groups gathered outside Southfield City Hall on Oct. 7 to protest rental laws and housing costs, joined by U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib and state Rep. Natalie Price, the latter of whom sponsors House Bill 5756. This bill, known as the Right to Renew, would prevent landlords from denying lease renewals without good cause, as well as limit rent increases beyond market value. Price emphasized the need for renter protections similar to those enjoyed by homeowners.

Southfield renters shared their experiences of escalating rent and poor maintenance, calling for immediate renter rights protections. Southfield Mayor Ken Siver acknowledged the challenges renters face but noted that state law prohibits cities from enacting rent control. Siver expressed a desire to investigate ordinances that would prevent evictions based on tenant complaints, though he noted enforcement difficulties and limitations on regulating fees.

Erika Farley, Executive Director of the Rental Property Owners Association (RPOA), addressed the rising costs faced by property owners. She explained that since the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining rental properties has become significantly more expensive, impacting rent rates. “I think one of the things that everyone needs to realize is that just like the cost of groceries and gas have gone up, the cost of putting a new roof on or putting a new furnace in or doing any maintenance for a home or apartment complex has also gone up. The cost of labor has gone up,” Farley said. She noted that property owners typically earn a narrow margin, making it necessary to pass on increased maintenance and labor costs to renters.

Farley emphasized the small-business nature of RPOA’s members, highlighting that many members are individuals with inherited properties or retirees owning only a few properties. She stated, “There isn’t a major margin of profit here. The majority of property owners earn about 3 cents on the dollar for every rent dollar that is paid, so when the cost of maintaining the property, labor, all these things that I mentioned go up, then that’s going to affect the price of rent for everybody.”

Farley added that property owners are committed to keeping tenants in their properties but stressed the need for fair legislation, saying, “We’re not talking about people with really large portfolios, so we want to make sure that there is fairness on both sides so that the residents are protected and the property owners are protected. Because if we make it too hard for people to be property owners, then who is going to own and buy the properties so that people can be in the properties? I talk about housing being a circle. If there’s a break in that circle, then it’s not working.”

For more information on House Bill 5756, visit the Michigan Legislature's website.

You can read the full article by Kathryn Pentiuk on C & G Newspapers' website.

• Requires rental property owners with more than 5 rental units to consider non-traditional sources of income. This is specific to government or legitimate non-profit income that is not W2 or 1099 income. Below are the included categories that must be considered. The non-traditional income must be for the length of the lease.

• Housing assistance
  
• Public assistance
  
• House Choice Vouchers (HVC) under 42 USC 137f
  
• Veterans’ benefits
  
• Social Security
  
• Supplemental security income or other retirement program
• Programs administered by any Federal, State, local or non-profit agency

• If a property owner with 5 or more rental units does not consider the above listed sources of income they could be subject to civil action by the prospective resident.
• The Elliott Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) is amended to add source of income to be protected as a civil right.

The last 18 months have brought a focus on housing policy at the state and local levels that has not been seen in 60 years. The Michigan legislature has introduced more than 100 bills that would affect the rental property industry both long and short term.

The RPOA has been working hard to ensure that 99% of those bills are stopped in their tracks. We have been extremely successful in making that happen.

Recent Developments

• The Michigan legislature is currently on their summer break. With 2024 being an election year there will be very few, if any, session days along with committee meetings before the general election on
• November 5th. After Thanksgiving the legislature will be back in earnest for ‘lame duck’ trying to move as many policy bills as possible before the end of the year when the legislative session will end.
  
• The Michigan Fiscal Year 2024/2025 annual budget was completed at the end of June and were signed by Governor Whitmer in July.
  
• No significant rental housing policy legislation was passed during the legislative spring session other than continuing to amend the “source of income” bills which requires property owners to consider Section 8 and other government and non-profit sources of income. The RPOA has been working on both the Senate and House packages to amend the bills to make them less harmful to property owners for over a year. It is expected that the final changes to the bills will be adopted before the end of the year and signed by the Governor.
• The following bills are the main issues that the RPOA is currently working on with legislators and our coalition members: 

o Removal of credit checks

o Removal of criminal background checks

o Eviction expungement
o Lead inspections
o Application fees and caps
o Short term rental regulations and excise tax 

• The primary for the general election was held August 6th with the general election being held Tuesday, November 5th. Along with federal offices, only the Michigan House of Representatives is up for re-election in Michigan along with many local races. There is projection that the Republicans will take a slim majority next January, however, that is only a projection and with the close split between parties in the chamber it could go either way.
  
  

CALL TO ACTION

Until the November election, the main thing RPOA members can do is to continue supporting the rental housing industry and elect those who will do the same by giving to the RPOA PAC.

Erika Farley

RPOA Executive Director