MI HB4984

Eviction court records must be maintained as nonpublic (confidential) until a judgment for possession is entered in favor of the landlord/plaintiff

If the landlord wins the eviction case, records become public for 2 years after judgment, then automatically become nonpublic again

Records remain public for 3 years (instead of 2) for evictions based on illegal controlled substance activity, serious health hazards, causing or threatening physical injury, or taking possession by force or trespass

Courts may release nonpublic eviction records for scholarly, educational, journalistic, or governmental purposes, but tenant names and personally identifiable information generally cannot be disclosed

Researchers seeking identifiable information must submit a written request, execute a data use agreement prohibiting re-release, and provide documented procedures for protecting confidentiality and data security