Mich. Comp. Laws § § 37.1606
Civil action; commencement; “damages” defined; compensation for lost wages; notice as condition to bringing civil action; applicability of subsection (5).
Operative Text
Sec. 606. (1) A person alleging a violation of this act may bring a civil action for appropriate injunctive relief or damages, or both. (2) An action commenced pursuant to subsection (1) may be brought in the circuit court for the county where the alleged violation occurred, or for the county where the person against whom the civil complaint is filed resides or has his or her principal place of business. (3) As used in subsection (1), "damages" means damages for injury or loss caused by each violation of this act, including reasonable attorneys' fees. (4) The amount of compensation awarded for lost wages under this act for an injury under article 2 shall be reduced by the amount of compensation received for lost wages under the worker's disability compensation act of 1969, 1969 PA 317, MCL 418.101 to 418.941, for that injury and by the present value of the future compensation for lost wages to be received under the worker's disability compensation act of 1969, 1969 PA 317, MCL 418.101 to 418.941, for that injury. (5) A person with a disability may not bring a civil action under subsection (1) for a failure to accommodate under article 2 unless he or she has notified the person of the need for accommodation as required under section 210(18). This subsection does not apply if the person failed to comply with the requirements of section 210(19).
MCL § 37.1101 et seq. § 37.1606 establishes the civil enforcement mechanism for Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, allowing individuals who believe the Act has been violated to sue in circuit court for injunctive relief, monetary damages, or both. 'Damages' under this section expressly includes reasonable attorneys' fees, and any lost-wages award may be offset by amounts already received or to be received under Michigan's workers' disability compensation system. Individuals with disabilities pursuing a failure-to-accommodate claim must generally have first notified the other party of their accommodation need, unless that party failed to meet its own obligations under the Act's notice provisions.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and housing operators subject to Michigan's civil rights laws should be aware that § 37.1606 gives aggrieved individuals a direct path to circuit court — in the county where the alleged violation occurred or where the operator is based — without requiring a prior administrative finding. Compliant operators typically maintain clear, documented processes for receiving and responding to accommodation requests, since § 37.1606(5) ties a tenant's ability to bring a failure-to-accommodate lawsuit to whether proper notice was given under § 210(18). Keeping records of all accommodation-related communications helps demonstrate that the operator met its obligations under § 210(19), which can affect whether the notice prerequisite applies.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under MCL § 37.1606, tenants and other individuals who believe their civil rights have been violated may file a lawsuit directly in Michigan circuit court seeking court orders to stop the violation, monetary damages, or both — and 'damages' explicitly includes reasonable attorneys' fees. Tenants with disabilities who want to pursue a failure-to-accommodate claim should be aware that § 37.1606(5) generally requires that the other party was first notified of the accommodation need as described in § 210(18), though this requirement may not apply if the other party failed to fulfill its own obligations under § 210(19). Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices familiar with Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act can help individuals understand how these notice requirements and damage offset rules may apply to their circumstances.
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 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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