Washtenaw County, Michigan Eviction Risk: Low

Washtenaw County carries an average eviction-risk score of 3.5/10 (Low) across its 9 scored cities, placing it at rank 42 of 83 Michigan counties -- meaning 41 counties are riskier and 41 are friendlier to landlords, putting Washtenaw squarely in the middle third of the state. With roughly 50.8% of residents renting and an average rent of $1,515 per month, demand for rental housing is real, but so is financial pressure: the average rent burden sits at 36.2% of income, a figure that correlates with elevated late-payment and nonpayment risk.

The county-wide average, however, papers over a wide range of operating conditions. Scores span from 2.8 to 3.6 depending on where you invest -- a 3.4-point swing that is large enough to move a property from low-risk to high-risk territory. Landlords treating Washtenaw as a uniform market are likely misreading their actual exposure.

The cities inside Washtenaw County

Ann Arbor is the county's highest-risk city at 3.6/10, a meaningful step above the county average. With a population of 19,857, it is the second-largest city in the county and carries the concentrated cost-burden and turnover pressures that tend to push eviction rates higher. Whitmore Lake scores 2.8/10 (population 7,878), and Chelsea scores 3/10 (population 5,426), making both meaningful outliers relative to the countywide average.

On the other end of the spectrum, Saline scores 3.2/10 -- the lowest in the county and a substantially lower-risk environment for buy-and-hold investors. Ann Arbor, by far the largest city in the county at a population of 122,036, scores a relatively moderate 4.6/10. Its large student-renter base and institutional demand from the University of Michigan community create a different risk profile than smaller surrounding communities. Risk in this county is genuinely hyper-local: two properties separated by a few miles can sit in entirely different risk tiers.

State-level laws that apply here

Michigan state law (MCL § 554.601 et seq.) sets the procedural framework for every eviction in Washtenaw County. For nonpayment of rent, landlords must serve a 7-day notice before filing; material lease violations and no-cause month-to-month terminations each require a 30-day notice. Once filed, an uncontested case resolves in roughly 21 to 45 days; a contested case can stretch to 45 to 120 days. Understanding the full Michigan eviction process before acquiring property here is essential, because contested timelines can materially affect cash flow.

On the cost side, court filing fees run $45 to $150, sheriff lockout fees add another $50 to $150, and attorney fees range from $500 to $2,500 depending on case complexity. Michigan imposes no statewide rent control -- the state preempts local rent-control ordinances -- and just-cause eviction is not required, giving landlords meaningful flexibility at lease end. Michigan security deposit limits and other tenant-protection rules remain in force statewide; reviewing Michigan tenant protections before drafting leases is a practical step toward fewer disputes down the road.

With an average poverty rate of 19.8% and half of all residents renting, financial stress is a real backdrop for landlords county-wide -- review the city grid above to pinpoint which specific markets carry the most exposure before committing capital.