Short-Term Rental Policies in Grand Traverse County
City
The Traverse City Code of Ordinances requires a City Vacation Home Rental License to operate a Vacation Home Rental.(i) Vacation Home Rental is defined as “a commercial use of a dwelling where the dwelling is rented or sold for any term less than 30 consecutive days”.(ii) Vacation Home Rentals are an allowable use in the Hotel Resort (HR) District,(iii) Office Service (C-1) District(iv), Neighborhood Center (C-2) District,(v) Community Center (C-3) District,(vi) Regional Center (C-4) Districts,(vii) and Development (D-1, D-2, D-3) Districts(viii) with a maintained City Vacation Home Rental License. An owner desiring a Vacation Home Rental on their property is required to make a written application for a license from the City Clerk. The City Clerk shall provide forms for applications. You can view all current licensed and pending licenses of vacation home rentals within Traverse City through a public-facing interactive map courtesy of the City of Traverse City HERE.
The Traverse City Code of Ordinances also requires a Tourist Home License to operate a Tourist Home.(ix) There are two different defined categories for Tourist Homes in the Traverse City Code of Ordinances. They are:
- Tourist Home, High Intensity - “a single-family dwelling that is a primary residence which is owned and hosted in residence by the owner renting out not more than 3 rooms for compensation, limited to not more than 2 adults per room, to persons who do not stay for more than 14 consecutive days for 85 or greater guest nights per year.”(x) Additionally “A high-intensity tourist home shall not be closer than 1,000 feet to another licensed high-intensity tourist home or another tourist home licensed before January 22, 2019.” in R-1a, R-1b, and R-2 Districts.(xi)
- Tourist Home, Low Intensity - “a single-family dwelling that is a primary residence which is owned and hosted in residence by the owner renting out not more than 2 rooms for compensation, limited to not more than 2 adults per room, to persons who do not stay for more than 14 consecutive days for no greater than 84 guest nights per year.”(xii)
Tourist Homes are an allowable use in Single-Family Dwelling (R-1a and R-1b) Districts,(xiii) Two-Family Dwelling (R-2) District,(xiv) and Multiple-Family Dwelling (R-9, R-15, R-29) Districts(xv) with a maintained City Tourist Home License. An owner desiring a tourist home on their property is required to make a written application for a license from the City Clerk. The City Clerk shall provide forms for applications. You can view all current licensed and pending licenses of Tourist home rentals within Traverse City through a public-facing interactive map courtesy of the City of Traverse City HERE.
i. Chapter 870 - Vacation Home Rental License of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
ii. Chapter 1320.07 - Definitions of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
iii. 1338.01 - Uses Allowed of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
iv. 1340.01 - Uses Allowed of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
v. 1342.01 - Uses Allowed of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
vi. 1344.01 - Uses Allowed of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
vii. 1346.01 - Uses Allowed of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
viii. 1347.01 - Uses Allowed of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
ix. Chapter 868 - Tourist Homes of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
x. Chapter 1320.07 - Definitions of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
xi. 1332.01 - Uses Allowed and 1334.01 - Uses Allowed of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
xii. Chapter 1320.07 - Definitions of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
xiii. 1332.01 - Uses Allowed of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
xiv. 1334.01 - Uses Allowed of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
xv. 1336.01 - Uses Allowed of the Traverse City Code of Ordinances
For more information visit the City of Traverse City website
Villages
The Village of Fife Lake Zoning Ordinance permits Bed and Breakfasts upon approval of a Special Land Use Permit in the zoning districts of Residential (R-1) District,(i) Resort Residential (R-2) District,(ii) Village Commercial (C-1) District.(iii) Bed and Breakfasts are defined in the Village of Fife Lake Zoning Ordinance as “a private residence which offers sleeping accommodations and breakfast to transient tenants.”(iv)
i. Article 5, Section 5.3, Page 25 of the Village of Fife Lake Zoning Ordinance
ii. Article 6, Section 6.3, Page 26 of the Village of Fife Lake Zoning Ordinance
iii. Article 7, Section 7.3, Page 28 of the Village of Fife Lake Zoning Ordinance
iv. Article 2, Section 2.3 - B, Page 8 of the Village of Fife Lake Zoning Ordinance
For more information visit the Village of Fife Lake website
The Village of Kingsley Code of Ordinances defines Bed and Breakfast as “an owner-occupied private home (dwelling unit) wherein up to and including 3 bedrooms have been converted for guest use for compensation.” The Village of Kingsley Code of Ordinances does not define Bed and Breakfasts as a permitted use or as a use permitted when authorized by a Special Use Permit. However, the Village Kingsley Code of Ordinances for Residential Districts R-1 and R-2 that “The Zoning Administrator, after review and recommendation by the Planning Commission, subject to final approval by the Village Council, may authorize special uses in this district which are found to be appropriate and compatible with the character of the area, and which shall be subject to special requirements as the Planning Commission and Village Council may consider necessary to protect adjacent property and prevent conditions which may become objectionable or offensive; provided, however, any request for special use permit shall be subject to the requirements for review and approval as set forth in §§ 152.228(i) and 152.229.(ii)(iii)
i. §152.228 is a Site Plan Review
ii. §152.229 is Special Use Permits
iii. §152.037 and §152.052, Uses Permitted When Authorized by Special Use Permit for Residential Districts R-1 and R-2
For more information visit the Village of Kingsley website
Charter Townships
On July 10th, 2023 East Bay Charter Township Board established a new Short-Term Rental Licensing Ordinance (Short-Term Rental Licensing Ordinance No. 3 of 2023). This Short Term Rental Licensing Ordinance “requires all persons who desire to operate a short-term rental located anywhere within East Bay Charter Township to obtain a license from the Office of Planning & Zoning”.(i) Short-term rental is defined in the Ordinance as “a dwelling unit that is available for use or is used for accommodations or lodging of guests, paying a fee or other compensation, for a period of fewer than 30 nights at a time.”(ii) Owners may obtain a short-term rental license with the approval of the short-term rental license application.(iii) Short-term rental standards and regulations are outlined on Page 5, Section 6 of the East Bay Charter Township Short-term Rental Licensing Ordinance. East Bay Charter Township's Short-Term Rental Licensing Ordinance No. 3 of 2023 includes some additional Short-Term Rental standards and regulations, including:
- Short-Term rental stays "shall be no less than seven (7) nights"
- "No short-term rental premises shall be located closer than one thousand (1,000) feet to any other short-term rental premises"
- Licenses are effective for "one (1) year from the date it was issued"
- Transfers of short-term rental licenses are only permitted "in certain limited circumstances, which include transfers to immediate family members and reallocations of entity interests holding a short-term rental license among existing entity owners.” Short-term rental licenses will not transfer with the “sale, or other conveyance” of a property.
East Bay Charter Township also has a resolution establishing the maximum number of short-term rental licenses that will be issued at 145 licenses (Resolution Establishing a Maximum Limitation on Issues Short-Term Rental Licenses, pages 189-190). This total is 2.5% of the total housing stock in East Bay Charter Township and is below the current number of short-term rentals licensed in East Bay Charter Township (181). All current license holders will be allowed to operate as long as they renew their license each year as long as they are not within the 1,000-foot buffer between rentals.
i. Page 1, Section 2 of the East Bay Charter Township Short-term Rental Licensing Ordinance No. 3 of 2023
ii. Page 2, Section 3 of the East Bay Charter Township Short-term Rental Licensing Ordinance
iii. Page 3, Section 5b. of the East Bay Charter Township Short-term Rental Licensing Ordinance
For more information visit East Bay Charter Township's webpage on Short-Term Rentals.
The Garfield Township Zoning Ordinance permits by special use permit Bed and Breakfasts in the Multiple Family Residential (R-3) District and Rural Residential (R-R) District.(i) Bed and Breakfasts are defined in the Garfield Township Zoning Ordinance as “a private residence that offers sleeping accommodations to transient tenants, is the innkeeper’s residence in which the innkeeper resides while renting the rooms to transient tenants, and serves breakfast at no extra cost to its transient tenants. A Bed and Breakfast Establishment shall not be a home occupation.”(ii) Regulations and conditions for a Bed and Breakfast are listed in Article 7, Section 714 on Page 2 of the Garfield Township Zoning Ordinance.
i. Page 13 and 15, Article 3 of the Garfield Township Zoning Ordinance
ii. Page 3, Article 2 of the Garfield Township Zoning Ordinance
For more information visit the Garfield Charter Township website
Townships
The Township of Acme has an established Short-Term Rental Ordinance. Under this Ordinance, all tourism home rentals are allowed in all zoning districts.(i) Tourism homes are defined in the Township of Acme Short-Term Rental Ordinance as "a short-term rental operation in which a portion of a dwelling unit is rented out where the owner of the property resides full-time in the dwelling unit and is primarily present at the time of the occupation."(ii) It is stated in the Township of Acme Short-Term Rental Ordinance that it is “the responsibility of the owner of a tourist home to register the operation and obtain a permit from the Township” and the number of short-term rental permits issued annually will be limited to 50.(iii)
All vacation home rentals are "allowed in the agricultural zoning district, and in single-family dwellings in the commercial zoning districts."(iv) Vacation homes are defined as "a short-term rental operation in which a portion of a dwelling unit is rented out without the property owner residing at the dwelling unit at the time of occupation."(v) It is stated in the Township of Acme Short-Term Rental Ordinance that it is “the responsibility of the owner of a vacation home to register the operation and obtain a permit from the Township” and the number of short-term rental permits issued annually will be limited to 50.(vi)
For complete information view the Township of Acme Short-Term Rental Ordinance.
i. Page 6, Section 3.1 of the Township of Acme Short-Term Rental Ordinance
ii. Page 3, Section 1.5 of the Township of Acme Short-Term Rental Ordinance
iii. Page 7, Section 3.4a of the Township of Acme Short-Term Rental Ordinance
iv. Page 8, Section 4.1 of the Township of Acme Short-Term Rental Ordinance
v. Page 3, Section 1.5 of the Township of Acme Short-Term Rental Ordinance
vi. Page 8, Section 4.3 of the Township of Acme Short-Term Rental Ordinance
For more information visit the Township of Acme website
The Blair Township Zoning Ordinance permits Bed and Breakfasts in the Agricultural (AG) District(i) and the Village of Blackwood (V) District(ii) with a Site Plan(iii) approved by the Zoning Administrator. Bed and Breakfasts are also permitted in the Residential Neighborhood (RN) District,(iv) and the Manufactured Home (MH) District(v) with an approved Special Use Permit.(vi) Bed and Breakfasts are defined in the Blair Township Zoning Ordinance as “a use which is subordinate to the principal use of a dwelling unit as a single-family dwelling unit and a use in which transient guests are provided a sleeping room and breakfast in return for payment.”(vii)
i. Article 5 of the Blair Township Zoning Ordinance
ii. Article 11 of the Blair Township Zoning Ordinance
iii. Site Plan Review Procedures, Article 21 of the Blair Township Zoning Ordinance
iv. Article 6 of the Blair Township Zoning Ordinance
v. Article 9 of the Blair Township Zoning Ordinance
vi. Special Land Use Review Procedures, Article 22 of the Blair Township Zoning Ordinance
vii. Article 2 of the Blair Township Zoning Ordinance
For more information visit the Blair Township website
The Fife Lake Township Zoning Ordinance permits Bed & Breakfasts and Boarding Houses in the Lake Residential (R-1) District,(i) Residential (R-2) District,(ii) and Forest Recreation (FR) District(iii) with review and approval of the Township Planning Commission subject to the requirements set forth in Section 17.3.(iv) Bed and Breakfasts are defined as “a home occupation in an owner-occupied dwelling unit wherein up to three bedrooms are used for transient guest use for compensation.” and Boarding Houses are defined as “a dwelling having one (1) kitchen and primarily used for the purpose of providing meals and/or lodging for transient guests staying for an indeterminate duration for compensation of any kind.”(v)
i. Article 5, Section 5.3, Page 93 of the Fife Lake Township Zoning Ordinance
ii. Article 6, Section 6.3, Page 98 of the Fife Lake Township Zoning Ordinance
iii. Article 7, Section 7.3, Page 104 of the Fife Lake Township Zoning Ordinance
iv. Article 17, Section 17.3, Pages 170-171 of the Fife Lake Township Zoning Ordinance
v. Article 2, Section 2.3B, Page 25 of the Fife Lake Township Zoning Ordinance
For more information visit the Fife Lake Township website
The Grant Township Zoning Ordinance permits Bed and Breakfasts as well as Tourist Homes, Motels and Resorts (Tourist Homes, Motels and Resorts are undefined by the Grant Township Zoning Ordinance) in Residential (R-1 and R-2) Districts(i) with a Special Use Permit by the Grand Township Planning Commission. Bed and Breakfasts are defined as “a home occupation in an owner-occupied dwelling unit wherein up to four (4) bedrooms are used for transient guest use for compensation and prearrangement. Meals may be served to overnight guests only.”(ii)
i. Section 15(a), Page 27 of the Grant Township Zoning Ordinance
ii. Section 3, Page 6 of the Grant Township Zoning Ordinance
For more information visit the Grant Township website
Green Lake Township has an established Short-Term Rental Ordinance. Under this Ordinance owners “of any dwelling unit located anywhere within Green Lake Township shall not rent or allow to be rented, a dwelling unit or a portion thereof to another person for less than 30 nights at a time, unless the owner or the owner’s authorized agent obtained a short-term rental license for that dwelling unit in accordance with the requirements of this ordinance.”(i) To access the Green Lake Township Short Term Rental Application and for complete information on the Green Lake Township Short Term Rental Ordinance click here.
The Green Lake Township Zoning Ordinance also permits Bed and Breakfasts in Rural Residential District (R-5), Low-Density Residential District (R-2), and the Village Residential District (VR) with a Special Land Use approval.(ii) The Green Lake Township Zoning Ordinance also permits Bed and Breakfasts in the Village Commercial District (VC) with Conditional Use.(iii) Bed and Breakfast Business is defined in the Green Lake Township Zoning Ordinance as “a use, which is subordinate to the principal use of a dwelling unit as a single-family dwelling and a use in which transient guests are provided a sleeping room and board in return for payment.”(iv)
i. Page 2, Section 2 of the Green Lake Township Short Term Rental Ordinance
ii. Table 8.6, Page 110 of the Green Lake Township Zoning Ordinance
iii. This Conditional Use is defined in the Green Lake Township Zoning Ordinance in Article 10.3C, Page 126
iv. Page 10 of the Green Lake Township Zoning Ordinance
For more information visit the Green Lake Township website
The Long Lake Township Board has an established a Short-Term Rental Ordinance that regulates Short-Term Rentals of all residential property within Long Lake Township. In addition to the Long Lake Township Short-Term Rental Ordinance, they also developed a Good Neighbor Guidelines for Short-Term Rentals. The application and all supplemental materials are available on the Long Lake Township website at longlaketownship.com/short-term-rentals.
For more information visit the Long Lake Township website
The Mayfield Township Zoning Ordinance permits Bed and Breakfasts in the Hannah Village Residential District(i) and the Agricultural District(ii) with an approved Special Use Permit. In the Mayfield Township, Zoning Ordinance Bed and Breakfasts are defined as “an owner-occupied private home (dwelling unit) wherein up to and including three (3) bedrooms have been converted for guest use for compensation and by prearrangement. A Continental or American breakfast may be served. A breakfast that includes more than coffee, juice and a commercially prepared roll requires a permit from the Michigan Department of Public Health.”(iii)
i. Article 7, Section 7.3 of the Mayfield Township Zoning Ordinance
ii. Article 11, Section 11.3 of the Mayfield Township Zoning Ordinance
iii. Article 3, Section 3.1, Page 1 of the Mayfield Township Zoning Ordinance
For more information visit the Mayfield Township website
The Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance permits Bed and Breakfasts/Tourist Homes in the Forest-Recreational District(i) with a site plan review by the Zoning Administrator. Bed and Breakfasts/Tourist Homes are also permitted in the Agricultural District(ii) when authorized by a Site Plan Review as set forth in Article 14(iii) of the Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance. Bed and Breakfasts/Tourist Homes are also permitted in the R-1 Residential District(iv) and R-2 Residential District(v) when authorized by Special Use Permit as set forth in Article 15(vi) with site plan review as set forth in Article 14(vii) of the Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance. Bed and Breakfasts/Tourist Homes are defined as “An owner-occupied private home (dwelling unit) wherein up to and including three (3) bedrooms have been converted for guest use for compensation and by pre-arrangement. A Continental or American breakfast may be served. A breakfast that includes more than coffee, juice and a commercially prepared roll requires a permit from the Michigan Department of Health.”(viii)
i. Article 5, Section 5.02, Page 42 of the Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance
ii. Article 6, Section 6.03, Page 44 of the Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance
iii. Article 14, Page 123 of the Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance
iv. Article 7, Section 7.04, Page 46 of the Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance
v. Article 8, Section 8.04, Page 49 of the Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance
vi. Article 15, Page 133 of the Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance
vii. Article 14, Page 123 of the Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance
viii. Page 6 of the Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance
For more information visit the Paradise Township website
The Peninsula Township Zoning Ordinance permits Bed and Breakfasts in the Rural and Hillside Residential (R-1A) District,(i) Coastal Zone Residential (R-1B) District,(ii) Suburban Residential Development (R-1C) District,(iii) Community Residential (R-1D).(iv) Bed and Breakfasts are defined as “a private residence that offers sleeping accommodations to transient tenants in 3 or fewer rooms for rent, is the owner’s residence in which the owner resides while renting the rooms to transient tenants, and serves breakfasts at no extra cost to its transient tenants.”(v)
i. Article 6, Section 6.2.4, Page 35 of the Peninsula Township Zoning Ordinance
ii. Article 6, Section 6.3.2, Page 35 of the Peninsula Township Zoning Ordinance
iii. Article 6, Section 6.4.2, Page 35 of the Peninsula Township Zoning Ordinance
iv. Article 6, Section 6.5.2, Page 36 of the Peninsula Township Zoning Ordinance
v. Article 3, Page 3 of the Peninsula Township Zoning Ordinance
For more information visit the Peninsula Township website
No Zoning Ordinance available on the Union Township website.
The Whitewater Township Zoning Ordinance permits Bed and Breakfasts in the Residential (R-1) District,(i) Multiple Residential (R-2 and R-3) Districts,(ii) and Village (V) District.(iii) Bed and Breakfasts are defined as “a private residential dwelling in which the owner provides overnight accommodations and breakfast to transient guests for compensation.”(iv)
i. Article 6, Section 6.11, Page 22 of the Whitewater Township Zoning Ordinance
ii. Article 7, Section 7.11 and 7.61, Page 24 and 25 of the Whitewater Township Zoning Ordinance
iii. Article 8, Section 8.61, Page 29 of the Whitewater Township Zoning Ordinance
iv. Article 3, Page 8 of the Whitewater Township Zoning Ordinance
For more information visit the Whitewater Township website
