Civil procedure: evictions; rent abatement remedies and award of attorney fees; modify. Amends secs. 5720, 5741 & 5759 of 1961 PA 236 (MCL 600.5720 et seq.). TIE BAR WITH: HB 5761'24

This bill modifies Michigan's eviction laws to strengthen protections for tenants facing retaliatory evictions and to limit the financial penalties landlords can impose. It prohibits courts from issuing eviction orders if a landlord terminates a lease primarily to punish a tenant for exercising legal rights, such as reporting safety violations or joining a tenant organization. Additionally, the bill requires judges to deduct rent owed due to landlord breaches from any eviction judgment and bars landlords from collecting late fees in these cases. Finally, it adjusts the maximum fees courts can award to tenants for legal costs during eviction proceedings.