This cluster is the how-it-works section: the mechanics of renting in Michigan rather than anything specific to Plymouth. Most of it applies whether you rent from us or from anyone else, and that is deliberate. A renter who understands what a security deposit legally is, and what a landlord can and cannot take out of it, is a better tenant to have.
Start with the parts that cost money if you get them wrong. Michigan has a security deposit statute that sets out what a landlord may withhold and on what timeline. Renters insurance is required in most leases, including ours, and it covers less than people assume. Applications carry non-refundable fees, so it is worth knowing what you are being screened on before you pay one. At our communities that is a $65 application fee per applicant, a gross monthly income requirement of 2.5 to 3 times the rent, and an individual credit review with 625 or above preferred rather than a hard cutoff.
Then the parts that cost you a year of your life if you get them wrong. An apartment tour is 15 minutes, and most people spend it looking at the kitchen. The questions that matter are about the lease, the fees, the laundry, the parking, and the air conditioning, and those are easy to forget in the moment.
The guides below cover each of these. The security deposit guide is general information, not legal advice, and it is flagged for attorney review before publication.
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