Short answer: Usually not. In Michigan, a landlord generally can't lock a tenant out, remove doors, or cut off utilities to force the tenant out without going to court. Michigan's anti-lockout statute (MCL 600.2918) protects tenants, can't be waived in the lease, and allows a tenant to get back in and recover the greater of three times actual damages or $200. Act fast, because some deadlines are as short as 90 days.

You show up to open your restaurant, store or office and your key doesn't work. There's a notice on the door. Your inventory, equipment and customer files are inside. For a business, every closed day costs real money. Here's what Michigan law says.

Landlords must go through the court

Even when a tenant is behind on rent or the lease has ended, a Michigan landlord who wants the space back generally has to:

Serve a proper written demand or notice to quit
File an eviction case (called "summary proceedings") in district court
Win a judgment, and wait for the time allowed to pay or move out
Get an order of eviction, which a court officer carries out

Changing the locks, boarding the doors, removing your property or shutting off utilities to skip those steps is "self-help," and Michigan law generally prohibits it.

What MCL 600.2918 lets you recover

Possession: you can ask the court to put you back in the space, through a summary proceeding in district court or an injunction in circuit court.
Damages: the greater of three times your actual damages or $200, for each unlawful interference.
Lease clauses don't override it: the statute says its protections can't be waived.

The exceptions landlords rely on

There are narrow exceptions. The most common one is when rent is unpaid and the landlord believes in good faith, after reasonable inquiry, that the tenant has abandoned the premises. Another is when someone took possession by force or trespass. If you're open and operating, abandonment is usually a hard argument for a landlord to make.

Deadlines are short. A summary proceeding to get possession back generally must be started within 90 days, and a damages claim within one year. But for a business, the real deadline is usually today: lost sales, spoiled inventory, and missed payroll add up fast.

What to do right now

Don't break back in and don't get into a confrontation.
Take photos and video of the locks, any notices, and what you can see inside.
Write down the time you were locked out, who was there, and what was said.
Gather your lease, rent ledger, and every notice and text from the landlord.
Track your losses: lost sales, spoiled goods, staff you still had to pay.
Call a lawyer the same day. A quick demand letter or emergency motion often gets the doors open.

The same rules work the other way, too. If you're a landlord with a tenant who isn't paying, we can move the case through court quickly and correctly, so you don't end up owing the tenant damages.

Learn more about our commercial lease and business dispute cases, or read what to do in the first 21 days after you're served with a business lawsuit.

Locked out of your business?

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Attorney responsible for this content: Ali Moubarak (P81729), Moubarak Law Firm, P.C., 1 Parklane Blvd., Ste 729 E, Dearborn, MI 48126 · (313) 566-4802.

Attorney advertising. This article is general information, not legal advice, and laws change. Every case is different, and results in past cases do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.