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Landlord / Tenant & Land Contact Forfeiture Cases
Case Types
Landlord/Tenant cases are intended to handle disputes between a landlord and tenant(s) occurring within the City of East Lansing. The following are the types of landlord tenant cases:
- Non Payment of rent
- Termination of tenancy (30-day notice)
- Health hazard or injury to premises
- Land contract forfeitures and disputes
Definitions
A tenant is a person renting an apartment, house, mobile home or building. A landlord is a person who is renting the apartment, house, mobile home, or building to the Tenant. Both landlords and tenants have legal rights.
Notice to Quit Forms
If a tenant is not paying rent, creating a health hazard or refusing to leave at the conclusion of the term of the lease, the landlord must first complete and serve the tenant one of the appropriate Notice to Quit forms:
- Notice to Quit: Demand for Possession, Non-Payment or Rent (DC100a) (seven-day notice) (PDF)
- Notice to Quit, Termination of Tenancy (DC100c) (30-day notice) (PDF)
- Notice to Quit, Health Hazard/injury to Premises (DC 100b) (seven-day notice) (PDF)
The landlord will deliver the notice to the tenant by personal service, substitute service or first class mail. If the tenant has not vacated the property by the period of time specified on the particular notice you used, the landlord may file an action with the court.
Filing for Court Action
To file an action with the court, you will need the following documents:
- Summons (DC104) (PDF) (notice to the defendant that they are being sued)
- Complaint Non-Payment of Rent (DC102a) (PDF) or Termination of Tenancy (DC102c) (PDF) or Health Hazard / Injury to Premises (DC102b) (PDF). (The complaint lists the specific allegations why the tenant(s) should be evicted. The complaint must match the Notice to Quit form)
- Notice to Quit Form (see above)
- Lease or written agreement
The tenant must be served with two copies of each of these documents; one by a process server and one by first class mail. Please refer to the chart below for the number of copies of each document you will need to provide. You will also need to pay a filing fee when the action is filed.
Number of copies needed to file landlord/tenant action
One tenant
- Summons (5 part form)
- Complaint (4 part form)
- Original Notice to Quit & 3 copies
- Lease or written agreement - 3 copies
- One envelope addressed to tenant with sufficient postage affixed, usually 98 cents
Two tenants
- Summons (5 part form) plus two copies of the second page
- Complaint (4 part form) plus two copies of the front page
- Original Notice to Quit & 5 copies
- Lease or written agreement - 5 copies
- One envelope addressed to each tenant with sufficient postage affixed, usually 98 cents
Each additional tenant
- Summons - add two copies of second page for each additional tenant
- Complaint - add two copies of front page for each additional tenant
- Notice to Quit - add two copies for each additional tenant
- Lease or written agreement - add two copies for each additional tenant
- One envelope addressed to each tenant with sufficient postage affixed, usually 98 cents
How much does it cost to file?