Benton Harbor, MI Code of Ordinances Ch. 20 Art. V Landlord-Tenant Code §§ 20-88 – 20-164 § 20-131
Remedy for improper use
Operative Text
(a) If the tenant breaches any rule, covenant, or the like under section 20-130, the landlord may notify the tenant of his breach and must allow seven (7) days after such notice for the remedy or correction of such breach. Such notice shall be in substantially the following form: “(Name and address of tenant) (date) “You are hereby notified that you have failed to perform according to the following rule, covenant, restriction, etc.: “(specify rule allegedly breached) “Be informed that if you (continue violating) (again violate) this (rule) after ( a date not less than seven days after this notice), the landlord may terminate the lease and sue for possession of your dwelling unit.” (b) If the breach complained of continues or recurs after the date specified in the notice, the landlord may bring a summary proceeding for possession within thirty (30) days after such continued or renewed breach. (Ord. of 6-9-77, § 6.12)
Under Benton Harbor, MI Code of Ordinances § 20-131, when a tenant violates a rule or covenant covered by § 20-130, the landlord cannot immediately seek to end the tenancy. Instead, the landlord must first provide written notice in a specific form that identifies the alleged breach and gives the tenant at least seven days to correct it. Only if the violation continues or happens again after that deadline may the landlord pursue a court proceeding for possession, and that proceeding must be initiated within thirty days of the continued or renewed breach.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 20-131, compliant operators document rule violations carefully and deliver written notice to the tenant in substantially the form prescribed by the ordinance, naming the specific rule breached and setting a correction deadline no sooner than seven days out. Operators generally retain copies of all notices and track whether the violation persists or recurs after the deadline. If the breach does continue or recur, the window to file a summary proceeding for possession is thirty days from that continued or renewed violation, so timely record-keeping is a standard part of the process.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 20-131 gives tenants a meaningful opportunity to fix an alleged rule violation before a landlord can pursue eviction — at least seven days after receiving the required written notice. If a landlord skips this notice step or fails to use substantially the form the ordinance requires, that procedural gap may be relevant to any possession proceeding. Tenants who receive such a notice and have questions about whether it complies with § 20-131 can consult a local tenant-rights organization or legal aid office for general information about their options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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