Berrien Township

8916 M-140, Berrien Center, MI 49102

Directions

🌐

Township Website

www.berrientownship.org

Area Overview

Berrien Township wraps around the Village of Berrien Springs in central Berrien County. The township is rural and predominantly agricultural, with low-density housing scattered across A-R (Agriculture-Residential) and R-1 (Residential) districts, a small Mobile Home (M-H) district, and limited C (Commercial) and I (Industrial) frontage along M-139 and M-140 ^[1]. Housing stock skews toward single-family homes on larger parcels, farmsteads, and manufactured-home sites; there is no centralized sewer — properties rely on private wells and on-site septic approved through the Berrien County Health Department.

Unlike lakefront Harbor Country townships, Berrien Township has not adopted a short-term rental ordinance, rental registration program, or permit cap. Rentals are governed by the underlying Zoning Ordinance (Ord. #6, amended through February 2025) ^[1], the Property Maintenance Ordinance (Ord. #37, adopted January 2024) ^[2], and Michigan state landlord-tenant law. Long-term residential rentals are permitted by right wherever a single-family or two-family dwelling is a permitted use. Short-term or tourist-style lodging outside the owner-occupied Bed & Breakfast pathway is not specifically addressed — investors should verify any proposed STR use parcel-by-parcel with the Zoning Administrator before underwriting.

Quick Status Summary

Short-Term Rentals NOT ADDRESSED

Berrien Township has no short-term rental ordinance and no STR registration or permit program. Owner-occupied Bed & Breakfasts (up to 6 rooms) are allowed in the A-R district only, as a Special Land Use under Section 300.1151 of the Zoning Ordinance ^[1]. Non-owner-occupied, investor-operated STRs are not specifically defined in the ordinance — any such use should be verified parcel-by-parcel with the Zoning Administrator before operating.

Long-Term Rentals ALLOWED

Long-term residential rentals are permitted by right in any district where single-family or two-family dwellings are a permitted use — A-R, R-1, and M-H for single-family; A-R for two-family by right (R-1 and M-H by Special Land Use) ^[1]. There is no township-level rental registration, no inspection program, and no rental fee. State habitability and landlord-tenant rules apply, and rentals must comply with the Property Maintenance Ordinance ^[2].

Rental Regulations

1 Where STRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

There is no Short-Term Rental category in the Berrien Township Zoning Ordinance. The only transient-lodging use expressly permitted is a Bed & Breakfast, which requires owner-occupancy, is capped at six (6) rooms, and is allowed only as a Special Land Use (SLU) in the A-R Agriculture-Residential district ^[1].

Lodging Houses (3–20 guests), Hotels/Motels, and Recreational Camps are separately enumerated as Special Land Uses in A-R (and Hotels/Motels by right in the C Commercial district) ^[1]. A non-owner-occupied investor-run vacation rental is not explicitly defined. For any specific parcel, verify the zoning district and intended use with the Zoning Administrator before operating or advertising.

Open the Beacon parcel/GIS viewer to identify a property’s zoning district, then cross-reference the Article Five use chart in the Zoning Ordinance PDF.

📄 Zoning Use Chart (Art. 5)📄 B&B Regulations (§ 300.1151)📧 Ask Zoning/Enforcement

2 Registration & Permit Process

There is no STR registration or permit in Berrien Township. Any operator pursuing a lawful transient-lodging use must instead apply through one of the Zoning Ordinance pathways — most commonly a Special Land Use for a Bed & Breakfast ^[1], which is reviewed by the Planning Commission.

The Special Land Use application is submitted on paper to the Township Clerk and requires a pre-application conference and a public hearing ^[3].

Submission pathMail or in-person to Township Clerk, 8916 M-140, Berrien Center, MI 49102

Required formRequest for Special Land Use Permit (fillable PDF)

Review bodyPlanning Commission (with public hearing)

📝 Special Land Use Application 🔗 Planning Commission Info 📞 Call Township Office

3 Fees & Penalties

Because there is no STR permit, there is no STR-specific fee. Fees that apply to the SLU pathway (Bed & Breakfast, Lodging House, Hotel/Motel) and to related zoning actions come from the Township Fee Resolution (Res. 09-2025, adopted 3/11/2025) ^[3]:

Special Use Application (regular meeting)$175

Special Meeting requested by applicant+$350

Special Hearing requested by applicant+$350 plus incidental costs

Rezoning Application$50 + publishing/mailing/meeting costs

Zoning Board of Appeals (variance, etc.)$175 per appeal

Zoning violation (civil infraction)Per Ord. #35 (Municipal Civil Infraction)

Operating transient lodging without the required Special Land Use exposes the property to zoning enforcement under Ord. #6 (Zoning Violations & Enforcement) and potential municipal civil infraction penalties under Ord. #35 ^[1]^[4].

📄 Fee Resolution (Res. 09-2025)📜 Ord. #35 — Civil Infraction

4 Inspections & Safety Requirements

Berrien Township has no rental inspection program. Any lawful transient-lodging use is subject to the Michigan Building Code, Michigan Residential Code, and Michigan Fire Code as adopted by reference in the Construction Regulations & Housing Ordinance (Ord. #33A) ^[5], and to the Property Maintenance Ordinance (Ord. #37) ^[2] which the Enforcement Officer applies on a complaint basis.

Bed & Breakfast specific requirements under Section 300.1151 ^[1]:

At least two (2) exits to the outdoors.
Rental sleeping rooms must be at least 120 sq ft for 1–2 occupants, with an additional 50 sq ft per occupant up to a maximum of four occupants per room.
Two off-street parking spaces for the owner/occupant plus one per rental sleeping room, within 200 ft of the building.
Owner-occupancy required at all times; rental rooms must be part of the primary residential use (not purpose-built for rental).
No more than three non-family employees.

📜 Property Maintenance Ord. #37 📜 Construction Regs & Housing #33A 📧 Email Building Inspector

5 Operating Rules (Nuisance, Noise, Trash)

No STR-specific operational rules exist. Renters and owners remain subject to these township ordinances on a complaint basis ^[4]^[6]^[7]:

Litter & Debris (Ord. #31): Outdoor storage, accumulated litter, and abandoned vehicles are prohibited and enforced as nuisances.
Property Maintenance (Ord. #37): Ongoing habitability standards for exterior, interior, utilities, and weather resistance.
Dangerous or Unsafe Buildings (Ord. #17): Condemnation authority for structures posing immediate hazard.
Municipal Civil Infraction (Ord. #35): Enforcement mechanism for zoning and property-maintenance violations.

Complaints can be filed with the Township Enforcement Officer using the fillable Property Maintenance / Litter & Debris Complaint Form.

📝 Complaint Form 📧 Enforcement Officer

6 Local Agent / 24-Hour Contact

Berrien Township does not require a designated local agent or 24-hour contact for rental properties — there is no rental ordinance that would impose such a requirement ^[1]. For non-emergency nuisance complaints the township directs residents to the Enforcement Officer; for in-progress disturbances, to Berrien County Dispatch.

Township Enforcement: enforcement@berrientownship.org
Township Office: 269-461-6925 (M–Th 10 AM–4 PM)
Berrien County Non-Emergency Dispatch: 866-630-7679
Pipestone–Berrien Township–Eau Claire Fire Dept.: see township site

1 Where LTRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

Long-term residential rentals are permitted wherever single-family or two-family dwellings are a permitted use. Under the Article Five Schedule of Regulations ^[1]: single-family dwellings are permitted by right (P) in A-R, R-1, and M-H; two-family dwellings are permitted by right in A-R and by Special Land Use in R-1 and M-H; multiple-family dwellings require a Special Land Use in A-R.

There is no separate "rental" zoning category — if a parcel lawfully supports the underlying dwelling use, it may be rented on a lease of any length without township-level registration ^[1].

Verify before you buy or lease: use the Beacon parcel viewer to identify the zoning district, then cross-reference the Article Five use chart. For mixed-use or commercial-zoned parcels, confirm residential dwelling use is permitted by right (or legally grandfathered) with the Zoning Administrator.

🗺 Beacon Parcel/GIS Viewer 📄 Zoning Use Chart (Art. 5)📧 Ask Zoning/Enforcement

2 Registration & Permit Process

Berrien Township does not require long-term rental registration, licensing, or annual inspection. There is no township fee to rent a single-family home, duplex, or mobile home to a long-term tenant ^[3].

That means the lease, the security deposit, and the notice-to-quit process are governed entirely by Michigan state law — principally the Truth in Renting Act (MCL 554.631), the Security Deposit Act (MCL 554.602–616), and the Summary Proceedings Act (MCL 600.5701) ^[8].

Township rental registrationNone required

Township inspectionNone scheduled; complaint-driven only

Lease lawMichigan state statute (MCL 554.601 et seq.)

For investors: The absence of a local registration program keeps compliance costs low, but also means the township has no record of rental units — property condition, habitability, and landlord-tenant disputes default to state-law remedies. Build a lease and inspection cycle into your operations rather than relying on a township framework.

📘 MI Tenants & Landlords Guide 🔗 Township Contacts

3 Fees & Penalties

There are no township rental fees. The fees that can apply to a rental property are incidental — building or zoning permits triggered by work on the property, not by the rental activity itself ^[3]:

Home zoning permit$20

Re-roof permit$45

Fence permit$10

Demolition permit$50

Land division$60 per split

New construction (dwelling)$30 base + $0.55 per sq ft living area/garage

Zoning violation (civil infraction)Per Ord. #35

📄 Full Fee Resolution 🔗 Permits & Forms Page

4 Habitability & Property Maintenance

Landlords must keep LTR dwellings in compliance with the Berrien Township Property Maintenance Ordinance (Ord. #37, adopted January 2024) ^[2] and the statewide codes adopted by reference in the Construction Regulations & Housing Ordinance (Ord. #33A) ^[5]: the Michigan Building Code, Michigan Residential Code, Michigan Plumbing Code, Michigan Mechanical Code, and Michigan Fire Code.

Ordinance #37 is distributed as a scanned PDF and is not machine-readable, so specific section references in this guide are limited — operators should consult the full scanned ordinance and contact the Enforcement Officer directly for interpretation of any particular provision. Complaints against rental properties are investigated by the Enforcement Officer under Ord. #37 and Ord. #35.

📜 Property Maintenance Ord. #37 📜 Dangerous Buildings Ord. #17 📧 Enforcement Officer

5 Tenant Rights & Eviction Resources

Michigan landlord-tenant relationships are governed by state law (MCL 554.601 et seq.) and the summary proceedings act for evictions. The State Bar of Michigan publishes a free Practical Guide for Tenants and Landlords that covers leases, security deposits, repairs, and the eviction process ^[8]. These rules apply in Berrien Township without modification because the township has no local landlord-tenant ordinance.

Michigan Legal Help provides free self-help tools for both tenants and landlords — notice forms, security-deposit letters, and eviction timelines ^[9]. Berrien County’s 5th District Court (civil division) handles most eviction and small-claims filings.

📘 MI Tenants & Landlords Guide ⚖ MI Legal Help — Housing 🏛 Berrien County — Landlord-Tenant (5th Dist.)

Special Regulations

Berrien Township is rural and unsewered — every property uses on-site septic and private well water. Buyers and landlords should understand these state-and-county overlays before acquiring rental stock.

★ On-Site Septic & Private Wells

There is no township sanitary sewer. On-site septic systems are permitted and inspected by the Berrien County Health Department under Michigan Public Act 368 ^[10]. Prior to transfer of a residential property, the county’s on-site evaluation program may apply. Well water testing for coliform bacteria and nitrate is strongly recommended at every tenant turnover.

👨‍⚕ County On-Site Septic

★ Floodplain & Wetlands

Berrien Township has adopted a Floodplain Management Ordinance (Ord. #18) administered in coordination with FEMA flood maps ^[11]. Properties in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas have additional permit and flood insurance obligations. Use the Beacon/FEMA layer to check any parcel’s flood-zone designation before closing.

📜 Floodplain Ord. #18 🗺 FEMA Flood Map Service

Official Resources

Ordinances

Zoning Ordinance (Ord. #6, amended Feb 2025)

Article 5 use chart; Art. 6–10 district standards; § 300.1151 Bed & Breakfast

Property Maintenance Ordinance (Ord. #37)

Habitability standards — scanned PDF

Construction Regulations & Housing (Ord. #33A)

Adopts MI Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Residential, Fire Codes

Dangerous or Unsafe Buildings (Ord. #17)

Condemnation authority

Litter & Debris (Ord. #31)

Outdoor storage / nuisance

Floodplain Management (Ord. #18)

FEMA-aligned floodplain rules

Municipal Civil Infraction (Ord. #35)

Enforcement mechanism

Property Maintenance & Solar Amendment (Ord. 2023-9)

Solar farms/panels zoning amendment

Forms & Applications

Special Land Use Application (B&B, Lodging House)

Fillable PDF — Planning Commission

General Zoning Application

Fences, signs, garden sheds <200 sq ft

General Building Permit Application

Pools, roofs, sheds, pole barns

Variance Request (ZBA)

Fillable PDF

Rezoning Public Hearing Request

Fillable PDF

Property Maintenance / Litter Complaint Form

Fillable PDF

New Home / Remodel Application Packet

Full residential packet

Fee Resolution (Res. 09-2025)

Adopted 3/11/2025 — complete permit fee schedule

Maps

Beacon Parcel & Zoning Viewer

Parcels, utilities, zoning overlay — Berrien Township

Flood-zone designation for any parcel

FEMA Flood Map Service

Portals & Lookups

💵

Berrien Township Tax Payment Portal

Pay property taxes online (GovPros)

Contact & Directions

📞

Township Office

269-461-6925 — M–Th 10 AM–4 PM

clerk@berrientownship.org

Township Clerk

supervisor@berrientownship.org

Supervisor — Bryan Bixby

Enforcement Officer — Dave Bromilow

enforcement@berrientownship.org

Building Inspector — Ross Rogien

rrogien@comcast.net