Michigan · MI
Yes. Michigan has no ESA statute, so no waiting period, session count or in-person rule applies. Your housing right comes from the Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act (MCL 37.1102(2), 37.1506a(1)(b)): a landlord may not refuse a reasonable accommodation unless it demonstrates undue hardship. You meet a clinician licensed in Michigan by video or phone, and if you qualify the signed letter usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours. The price is $99, paid at checkout before the consultation.
to file a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights
Mich. Admin. Code R 37.4to bring a state-court claim, according to MDCR
MCL 600.5805(2); MCL 37.1606or fewer with the owner living there: outside the state housing clause
MCL 37.1503on the books: the 2019 bills were vetoed, the 2022 bill died in the Senate
HB 4910 (2019); HB 5751 (2022)Michigan, with the capital marked
Michigan at a glance
Each answer is one line, with the section of Michigan law it comes from. The detail is further down the page.
No. The only ESA bills to pass the legislature, HB 4910 and HB 4911 of 2019, were vetoed on 30 December 2020, and the 2022 follow-up, HB 5751, died in the Senate. Nothing has been introduced since. Your rights come from the Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act, which bars a landlord from refusing reasonable accommodations in housing unless it shows undue hardship (MCL 37.1102(2); MCL 37.1506a(1)(b)).
HB 4910 (2019), vetoed; MCL 37.1506aNo. The state sets no minimum relationship length, no 30-day wait, no session count and no in-person requirement. The 30-day rule some sites quote was in HB 5751 of 2022, which passed the House 108 to 0 and then died in the Senate (SFA analysis, 7 December 2022). The letter still has to hold up: a court may examine how the clinician reached the conclusion (Riverbrook v Fabode, Mich Ct App 2020).
HB 5751 (2022), SFA analysisA clinician who holds a Michigan licence, or a compact privilege the state recognises for psychologists and physicians, because practising a health profession here without one is a felony (MCL 333.16294). No ESA statute says so; the general health-profession law does. In 2020 the State had to suspend that licensing article by executive order before out-of-state clinicians could treat patients here by video (Executive Order 2020-86, since rescinded). Telehealth itself is lawful once you give consent (MCL 333.16284).
MCL 333.16294; MCL 333.16284Only by demonstrating that the accommodation "would impose an undue hardship" (MCL 37.1102(2)). The landlord may ask for reliable documentation when your disability or need is not apparent, and may question how reliable it is. In July 2026 the Civil Rights Commission found that ignoring a tenant's letter, stalling, raising her rent and then not renewing her lease violated the Act (Franz v Cornock, MCRC 27 Jul 2026).
MCL 37.1102(2); Franz v Cornock (MCRC 2026)No Michigan statute forbids it, so ask for the charges to be waived as part of your accommodation request (MCL 37.1506a(1)(b)). You have a strong basis: the Civil Rights Commission has held that "Assistance animals are not pets" and found a one-third rent increase on a tenant who asked for an ESA unlawful (Franz v Cornock, Opinion p. 18). Any refundable deposit counts toward the state cap of 1.5 months' rent (MCL 554.602).
MCL 554.602; Franz v Cornock (MCRC 2026)The Michigan Department of Civil Rights, within 180 days of the act (Mich Admin Code R 37.4). File through MDCR's Public Portal or by phone at 1-800-482-3604; there is no fee. MDCR says a state-court claim may be filed within three years, and the Act lets you sue in circuit court for an injunction or damages, with reasonable attorney fees (MCL 37.1606; MCL 600.5805(2)).
Mich Admin Code R 37.4; MCL 37.1606Nothing on ESAs. No 2025 or 2026 public act mentions emotional support animals, and no ESA bill has been introduced since HB 5751 died in 2022. One landlord-tenant change took effect on 21 September 2026: your deposit balance can now be returned by electronic transfer within 10 days of the damage notice (MCL 554.609(3), 2026 PA 102). The bigger news is enforcement. Two months after HUD's May 2026 memo, the Civil Rights Commission ordered about 32,200 dollars against a landlord who refused an ESA (Franz v Cornock, MCRC 27 Jul 2026).
MCL 554.609 (2026 PA 102); Franz v Cornock (MCRC 2026)Michigan law
Michigan has never enacted an emotional support animal law. The only ESA bills to pass, HB 4910 and HB 4911 of 2019, were vetoed on 30 December 2020, and HB 5751 of 2022 died in the Senate. Your right to keep the animal comes from the Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act, 1976 PA 220. It makes housing free of disability discrimination a civil right, and requires a landlord to accommodate a person with a disability unless it "demonstrates that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship" (MCL 37.1102(2)). Its housing article bars refusing "reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services" needed for equal use and enjoyment of the home (MCL 37.1506a(1)(b)). The Act names no animals, so each request is judged on its facts. The state Supreme Court applied the clause to an ESA in 2022, and the Civil Rights Commission did so in July 2026. A landlord may ask for reliable documentation when your disability or need is not apparent, and may test its reliability. It may not demand medical records or a local doctor (Franz v Cornock, MCRC 2026). Owner-occupied one- and two-family buildings sit outside the housing clause (MCL 37.1503). Enforcement runs through the Michigan Department of Civil Rights within 180 days, or circuit court, where attorney fees are recoverable (MCL 37.1606).
Source: MCL 37.1506a(1)(b), Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act (1976 PA 220). This is general information, not legal advice.
The federal Fair Housing Act still recognises the accommodation, and you can still enforce it in court. Since May 2026, HUD itself has stopped pursuing complaints about untrained emotional support animals, so in practice your protection comes from Michigan law and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.
“unless the person demonstrates that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship”
Federal vs Michigan
| Topic | Federal (Fair Housing Act) | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Fees and deposits | Neither the Fair Housing Act nor 24 C.F.R. § 100.204 mentions fees, and HUD withdrew its no-fee guidance on 17 September 2025. A waiver is requested as part of the accommodation. | No statutory ban either. Ask for a waiver under MCL 37.1506a(1)(b); the Civil Rights Commission has held that "Assistance animals are not pets" and found a rent surcharge for requesting an ESA unlawful (Franz v Cornock, 2026). Refundable deposits are capped at 1.5 months' rent in total (MCL 554.602). |
| Documentation | The request must be for an accommodation that is necessary (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)). No federal statute sets a letter format. | No letter format in statute. A landlord may ask for reliable documentation when disability or need is not apparent, may not insist on expert testimony, and may not require medical records or a local provider (Riverbrook v Fabode, Mich 2022; Franz v Cornock, 2026). |
| Timing | No federal deadline for the landlord to answer. | No state deadline either, but denial by "delay, non-response, neglect, indifference, and avoidance" was found unlawful (Franz v Cornock, 2026). No waiting period or relationship length applies before the clinician's letter. |
| Who may write | Federal law does not say who may write the letter. | No ESA-specific rule, but the writer must hold a Michigan licence or a compact privilege the state recognises, because unlicensed practice of a health profession is a felony (MCL 333.16294). |
| Exemptions | Owner-occupied buildings of four or fewer units, and single-family houses sold or rented by an owner of three or fewer (42 U.S.C. § 3603(b)). | Owner-occupied buildings of one or two family units, and rooms in a dwelling the landlord or immediate family lives in (MCL 37.1503). An owner-occupied three- or four-unit building is therefore covered by state law even though federal law exempts it. |
| Where to file | HUD's fair-housing office, or federal court. Since May 2026 HUD takes forward only trained-animal cases. | The Michigan Department of Civil Rights, through its Public Portal or at 1-800-482-3604; or circuit court under MCL 37.1606, with no need to file with MDCR first. |
| Deadline | One year to HUD (42 U.S.C. § 3610); two years to federal court (42 U.S.C. § 3613(a)(1)(A)). | 180 days to MDCR (Mich Admin Code R 37.4). MDCR says a state-court claim may be filed within three years (MCL 600.5805(2)). |
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
Your timeline in Michigan
Michigan sets no waiting period, so the timeline is the consultation itself. Speed has to come with substance, though. In Riverbrook v Fabode a letter written "after a single brief phone call" with no records review was sent back for scrutiny (Mich Ct App 2020). Your consultation is a real, documented telehealth visit, and the letter explains the disability-related need.
Free screening with no card. A short questionnaire about your housing and your symptoms tells you whether a consultation makes sense; it does not decide whether you qualify. If you go ahead, you pay at checkout and the consultation is scheduled.
A live consultation by video or phone with a clinician licensed in Michigan. You give telehealth consent first (MCL 333.16284). The clinician assesses whether you have a disability within the Act's housing definition (MCL 37.1103(d)(i)(D)) and whether the animal meets a disability-related need. Not everyone qualifies.
If you qualify, the signed PDF usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours of the consultation. It states the disability-related need without naming your diagnosis unless you ask, and it carries the clinician's Michigan licence type and number and the consultation date, so a landlord can check it. What a landlord may ask beyond that is limited (MCL 37.1505).
Housing
Under the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)) and Michigan's own fair-housing law, a housing provider must consider a reasonable-accommodation request for an assistance animal, including where pets are prohibited. Each line below carries the section it comes from.
What they may do
What they may not do
Illustrative exchange
Most refusals are not a flat no. They are a question the housing provider is not allowed to ask, or a fee they are not allowed to charge. Here is the shape of a typical exchange in Michigan, with the rule beside each reply.
A made-up exchange to show the rules, not a real tenant or landlord.
Pet fees and deposits
No Michigan statute bars a pet fee, pet deposit or pet rent for an emotional support animal, and there is no ESA law to add one. So do not expect a waiver automatically: ask for it in writing as part of your accommodation request (MCL 37.1506a(1)(b)). You have a strong basis. In July 2026 the Michigan Civil Rights Commission held that "Assistance animals are not pets" and found a one-third rent increase on a tenant who asked for an ESA unlawful (Franz v Cornock, MCRC 27 Jul 2026). That is a Commission decision, not a statute. Separately, any refundable deposit counts toward the state cap of 1.5 months' rent (MCL 554.602), and the landlord has 30 days after you move out to return it or send an itemised list of damages (MCL 554.609).
Small landlords
The state housing clause does not apply to a building of one or two family units where the owner or an immediate family member lives in one (MCL 37.1503). The same section, MCL 37.1503, also exempts a room rented in a home the landlord or their family occupies. MDCR puts it as "Owner-occupied one or two family dwellings are excluded." The test is whether the owner lives there, so a rental house or duplex whose owner lives elsewhere is fully covered. The exemption is also narrower than the federal one: an owner-occupied three- or four-unit building is exempt under 42 U.S.C. § 3603(b) but still covered by the state Act.
If your landlord says no
Phone: 1-800-482-3604 · File a complaint
Deadline: 180 days from the act of discrimination (Mich Admin Code R 37.4); MDCR says a continuing violation can pull in earlier conduct. File through the Public Portal with a MiLogin account, by phone, by mail or email, or at an MDCR office. There is no fee.
Court: A circuit-court suit for injunctive relief or damages, with reasonable attorney fees, is open without filing with MDCR first (MCL 37.1606); MDCR says such a claim may be filed within three years (MCL 600.5805(2)). HUD's own route stays open for one year, but HUD now pursues only trained-animal cases.
Retaliation: Retaliating against you for requesting an accommodation or filing a complaint is a separate violation (MCL 37.1602(a)); in 2026 the Commission awarded 10,000 dollars for a lease non-renewal 102 days after a complaint (Franz v Cornock, Order ¶ 10).
The state route is live. On 27 July 2026, two months after HUD's enforcement memo, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission ordered about 32,200 dollars in damages and reimbursements, plus written accommodation procedures and fair-housing training, against a Marquette landlord who refused a tenant's ESA (Franz v Cornock, MCRC).
Your envelope, item by item
Keep a dated copy of everything you send.
What to send your landlord
A few sentences asking for a reasonable accommodation for an assistance animal under the Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act (MCL 37.1506a(1)(b)). Name the animal and its species, date the request and keep a copy. No Michigan rule fixes when you must ask; the Act protects tenants as well as applicants.
The signed PDF from a clinician licensed in Michigan, showing the licence type and number, the consultation date, a statement that you have a disability within the Act's definition, and the disability-related need the animal meets. The letter accepted in Franz v Cornock said the tenant would derive "significant symptomatic benefit from the presence of an animal in her dwelling" (Opinion p. 8). No diagnosis is required unless you choose to share it.
Medical records, a HIPAA release, a local doctor or a locally written letter (Franz v Cornock, Opinion pp. 18, 26). The Governor vetoed the 2020 bill that would have allowed a records release as "too great an intrusion on the privacy of people with disabilities" (House Journal No. 104, 31 Dec 2020). Inquiries about your disability "for reasons contrary to the provisions or purposes of this act" are barred (MCL 37.1505).
No statute sets a response deadline, so ask for an answer in writing within a reasonable time. Silence counts: the Commission found denial by "delay, non-response, neglect, indifference, and avoidance" unlawful (Franz v Cornock, 2026). If the answer is no, or nothing comes, note the date. Your 180-day MDCR clock runs from it (Mich Admin Code R 37.4).
If your housing provider questions the letter, your clinician responds directly at no extra cost.
Michigan renters by city
The rules are identical in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Warren, Sterling Heights, Flint and Kalamazoo, because the accommodation duty is state law (MCL 37.1506a(1)(b)) and the complaint agency is statewide. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights takes complaints from every county, online or at 1-800-482-3604, within 180 days of the act (Mich Admin Code R 37.4). The 2026 ruling that cost a landlord about 32,200 dollars came from Marquette in the Upper Peninsula. Our clinicians licensed in Michigan consult by video or phone. A renter in Flint and a renter in Ann Arbor follow the same path: free screening, a live consultation, and a signed letter usually within 24 to 48 hours if you qualify.
Myths in Michigan
Michigan keeps an ESA registry, and a registered animal or an ID card settles the question with a landlord.
FactNo Michigan statute recognises any ESA registry, certificate or ID card, and MDCR's own voluntary ID and patch are for trained service animals only: they "do not provide the animal or their handler any legal privileges or protections" (MDCR Service Animals page). MDCR asks anyone a landlord tells to register an animal to file a complaint or call 1-800-482-3604.
A Michigan ESA law makes faking an emotional support animal a misdemeanour under MCL 752.62, with 90 days in jail, and bans pet fees.
FactNo such law exists. MCL 752.62 covers only falsely claiming a service animal "in any public place", the penalty sits in MCL 752.63, and neither section mentions housing or emotional support. No Michigan statute bans ESA fees, and the sections some sites cite, "MCL 37.1502b" and "MCL 750.50i", do not exist (MCL 752.62; MCL 752.63; MCL 554.602).
Michigan requires a 30-day relationship with your clinician, or an in-person visit, before an ESA letter can be written.
FactNo such rule exists. The 30-day requirement was in HB 5751 of 2022, which passed the House 108 to 0 and died in the Senate on 7 December 2022 (SFA analysis of HB 5751). The vetoed HB 4910 of 2019 set no day count either. Michigan law also sets no expiry date for the letter; what a landlord may ask for is reliable documentation when your need is not apparent (Franz v Cornock, Opinion p. 26).
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Why this letter holds up
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Michigan FAQ
Three things, none of them a waiting period. First, a live consultation with a clinician licensed in Michigan, since unlicensed practice here is a felony (MCL 333.16294). Second, a disability within the Act's housing definition: a condition that "substantially limits 1 or more of that individual's major life activities" (MCL 37.1103(d)(i)(D)). Third, a disability-related need the animal meets. You pay $99 at checkout before the consultation; the fee is for the evaluation, and not everyone qualifies.
Yes, but only on narrow grounds. The duty is to accommodate unless the landlord "demonstrates that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship" (MCL 37.1102(2)). A landlord may also test whether your documentation is reliable (Riverbrook v Fabode, Mich 2022). Owner-occupied one- and two-family buildings fall outside the state housing clause (MCL 37.1503). A no-pets policy on its own, or a demand that you see a local doctor, is not a lawful ground (Franz v Cornock, 2026).
Some do, and in Michigan they may. A landlord can ask for reliable documentation when your need is not apparent and test it. In Riverbrook v Fabode a letter written "after a single brief phone call" went back to court for scrutiny (Mich Ct App 2020). They may not demand medical records, a HIPAA release or a local provider (Franz v Cornock, 2026). Our letter carries the clinician's Michigan licence type and number, and the clinician confirms it on request.
Sometimes. A diagnosis alone does not establish a disability for housing purposes. The Act requires "a determinable physical or mental characteristic" that "substantially limits 1 or more of that individual's major life activities" (MCL 37.1103(d)(i)(D)). Anxiety that meets that test, paired with an animal that meets a disability-related need, can qualify; mild or occasional anxiety may not. Only the clinician can make that call after the consultation, and some people do not qualify.
Yes, in two ways. File with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights within 180 days of the refusal (Mich Admin Code R 37.4). After a hearing the Civil Rights Commission can order damages and attorney fees; in July 2026 it ordered about 32,200 dollars against a landlord who refused an ESA (Franz v Cornock). Or sue in circuit court for injunctive relief or damages, including reasonable attorney fees (MCL 37.1606); MDCR says that window is three years (MCL 600.5805(2)).
No. A bare claim earns no protection. The Act covers a person with a disability who needs the accommodation, and a landlord may ask for reliable documentation (MCL 37.1506a(1)(b); Franz v Cornock, 2026). Michigan has no ESA-fraud statute, since HB 4910 was vetoed in 2020, but falsely claiming a service animal "in any public place" is a misdemeanour with up to 90 days in jail (MCL 752.62; MCL 752.63). An ESA also has no public-access rights (MDCR guidance).
$99 for a housing letter, $149 together with a psychiatric service dog letter, or $79 for a PSD letter and consultation on its own. The consultation and landlord verification support are included, and the price is the same across every state.
Nearby states and resources
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed 2026-10-08 by Darren Rafel, LCSW. Statutes change; we re-check each state page and record the date above.
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