Mandatory Lease Clauses

If you are using a private lease and your rental property is located in Ann Arbor, you should ensure that each of these clauses is included before submitting it to the OCH office for review. The clauses should appear in your lease with the wording, type size and font weight dictated by the relevant statute or ordinance. However, in the event of a discrepancy, please contact the information source for clarification. If your property is located in another city or township, please check with that housing department to verify required lease clauses.

• Michigan Security Deposit Act Notice
  Required by: MCL 554.603 [Size 12 Bold]
  

  You must notify your landlord in writing within 4 days after you move of a forwarding address where you can be reached and where you will receive mail; otherwise your landlord shall be relieved of sending you an itemized list of damages and the penalties adherent to that failure.

  
  
• Michigan Truth in Renting Act Notice
  Required by: MCL 554.634 [Size 12]
  

  NOTICE: Michigan law establishes rights and obligations for parties to rental agreements. This agreement is required to comply with the Truth in Renting Act. If you have a question about the interpretation or legality of a provision of this agreement, you may want to seek assistance from a lawyer or other qualified person.

  
  
• Off-Campus Housing Mediation Clause
  Required by: OCH Office
  

  If communication between the Tenant(s) and Landlord breaks down, a mediator can sssist the parties in voluntarily reaching a mutually acceptable settlement of the issue(s) in dispute. All parties to this agreement agree that the University of Michigan Off-Campus Housing Program will assist in disputes involving University of Michigan students for which one of the parties requests assistance and: a) all parties will make a reasonable and good faith effort to settle such disputes through the program; b) any party to this lease may request mediation; c) program staff may enter and inspect the premises after notice to both parties and at reasonable times; d) this provision does not preclude other legal rights of parties. The parties agree to keep the mediation proceedings confidential.

  
  
• Ann Arbor Truth in Renting Notice^
  Required by: City Charter 19.4 (Pages 68-70) [Size 11]
  
  
  
  

  	Some things your landlord writes in the lease or says to you may not be correct representations of your rights. Also, you may have rights and duties not mentioned in your lease. Such rights may include rights to repairs, rights to withhold rent to get repairs done, and rights to join a tenants union or to form your own union. Such duties may include the duty to pay rent due and the duty not to cause a serious health hazard or damage beyond reasonable wear and tear. Additionally, some lease clauses may be subject to differing legal interpretations. If you think that a clause in your lease or something your landlord says to you is unfair, you may contact your own lawyer, legal aid society, or tenants union lawyer for their opinions.

  
  
  
  
  
• Ann Arbor Privacy Ordinance^
  Required by: City Code Chapter 105, 8:529 [Size 14 Bold]
  

  NOTICE: YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY IN YOUR RENTAL HOME. CITY LAW ESTABLISHES GUIDELINES THAT THE OWNER AND HER/HIS AGENTS MUST FOLLOW BEFORE ENTERING YOUR HOME. YOU MAY INITIATE ADDITIONAL ENTRY RESTRICTIONS BY GIVING WRITTEN NOTICE TO YOUR LANDLORD. COPIES OF THESE GUIDELINES (HOUSING CODE 8:529) ARE AVAILABLE AT THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, CITY HALL, 100 N. FIFTH AVE.

  
  
• Ann Arbor Rights and Duties of Tenants^
  Required by: City Code Chapter 105, 8:526 [Size 12 Bold]
  

  City ordinance requires landlord to furnish to tenant prior to executing lease a copy of Rights and Duties of Tenants. Tenant’s signature acknowledges receipt of booklet.

  
  
• Ann Arbor Utility Charges Notice^
  Required under Certain Circumstances by City Code 8:524
  For more information, call the City of Ann Arbor or the Off-Campus Housing Office

  No owner of rental property shall lease the property without furnishing to the tenant, before the time of entering into the lease, a budget plan. As used in this section, "Budget Plan" means a projection of monthly utility costs for primary heating fuel prepared by the public utility company. This section shall apply to the rental of all dwelling units for which budget plan information is available from the utility company without charge and in which the tenant is required to pay the owner or the utility company a utility charge for heating fuel in addition to rent. The budget plan statement shall be in writing, inlcluded as part of the leasing agreement, but may be prepared by the owner based on information verbally supplied by the utility company.



^ These clauses are not required for properties outside the City of Ann Arbor