Mason Township

17049 US 12, Edwardsburg, MI 49112

Directions

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Township Website

www.masontownship.org

Location: Mason Township (red outline) over OpenStreetMap. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Area Overview

Mason Township is a rural civil township at the southern edge of Cass County, Michigan, bordering Indiana and surrounding the unincorporated community of Union and the eastern fringe of Edwardsburg. Land use is dominated by single-family homes, agricultural parcels, and a string of inland lakes (including Eagle Lake and Pleasant Lake) that draw seasonal demand from the South Bend and Chicago metros. Mason Township Hall sits at 17049 US 12 in Edwardsburg ^[1].

Unlike the lakefront tourist towns farther west in Berrien County, Mason Township has not adopted a dedicated short-term rental ordinance. Rentals — short or long term — are governed by the Mason Township Zoning Ordinance (last updated January 13, 2022) ^[2] and the township’s Rental Properties Maintenance Ordinance ^[3], plus the standard policing ordinances on noise, burning, and dangerous buildings ^[4]^[5]. Septic and well systems on the great majority of parcels are regulated by the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department ^[6].

Township offices are open one day a week: the Clerk on Tuesdays from 10 AM to 4 PM, and the Zoning Administrator on Tuesdays from 6 PM to 8 PM (or by appointment) ^[1]. Plan extra lead time on any verification call — most officials hold full-time jobs elsewhere and return calls in the evenings.

Quick Status Summary

Short-Term Rentals ALLOWED

Mason Township has not adopted a dedicated short-term rental ordinance. STRs operate under standard residential zoning and the township’s Rental Properties Maintenance Ordinance ^[3]. There is no permit cap, no STR-specific application, and no occupancy hotline. Operators must still comply with zoning use restrictions, the Anti-Noise Ordinance ^[4], and Van Buren/Cass District Health Department septic inspection requirements for STR properties ^[6].

Long-Term Rentals ALLOWED

Long-term rentals (31+ day leases) follow standard residential zoning and the township’s Rental Properties Maintenance Ordinance ^[3]. There is no annual registration program through the township. Standard Michigan landlord-tenant law (MCL 554.601 et seq.) governs leases, deposits, and evictions ^[7].

Rental Regulations

1 Where STRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

STRs in Mason Township operate under the residential use rules of the township Zoning Ordinance — there is no separate STR district or use category. The 150-page Zoning Ordinance (last updated January 13, 2022) ^[2] divides the township into Agricultural, Residential, Commercial, and Light Industrial districts. Whether a specific parcel can be operated as a short-term rental depends on whether the underlying residential dwelling use is permitted by right in that district.

Verification path: the township’s Zoning Ordinance and the November 18, 2021 Zoning Map are distributed as scanned PDFs ^[8], so machine-readable use-by-district lookup isn’t available. For any specific property, identify the district from the zoning map below, then confirm the residential use with Zoning Administrator Chelsa Greathouse before operating.

📄 Open the full Mason Township Zoning Map (PDF, 11/18/2021)

🗺 Zoning Map (PDF)📄 Zoning Ordinance (PDF)📧 Ask Zoning Admin 📞 Call Zoning Admin

2 Registration & Permit Process

Mason Township does not run an STR-specific registration or permitting program. There is no online portal, no STR application form, and no annual STR fee. Operators interact with the township only when a separate trigger applies — for example, a building, electrical, or zoning permit for renovations ^[9].

STR-specific applicationNone published

Zoning permit (when triggered)Mason Township Zoning Permit Application ^[9]

SubmissionIn person to Zoning Administrator, Tuesdays 6–8 PM, or by appointment ^[1]

Septic inspection (STR)Required by VB/Cass DHD if your local code triggers it ^[6]

For investors: Because there is no township-level STR registry, due diligence falls on the buyer. Confirm zoning use, septic capacity, and any HOA/lake-association rules before underwriting an STR deal in Mason Township.

📄 Zoning Permit Application (PDF)🔗 VB/Cass DHD Septic & STR Inspections 📞 Call Zoning Admin

3 Fees & Penalties

STR registration feeNone — no STR program

Zoning Permit (effective 1/1/2025)$50.00 ^[9]

Building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical permitsSet by inspector — call to confirm ^[10]

Zoning / building violationsCivil infractions per the Designate Violations of State Construction Code Ordinance ^[11]

The township has no published STR-specific penalty schedule. Standard zoning, building, and policing ordinance fines apply. Always call the Zoning Administrator before underwriting renovation costs — fee schedules can change at the start of each calendar year.

📄 Permits & Applications Page 📞 Call Zoning Admin

4 Inspections & Safety Requirements

The township does not run an STR inspection program. Two separate inspection layers may still apply to a short-term rental property:

Septic / well inspection (Van Buren/Cass District Health Department). The VB/Cass DHD specifically inspects short-term rental properties on private septic and well systems and offers an STR Inspection Application ^[6]. Most Mason Township parcels are on private septic, so plan for this.
Building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical permits for any renovations are pulled through Mason Township’s inspector network: Joe Wickey (building), Ron Bellaire (electrical), and John Dobberteen (plumbing/mechanical) ^[10]. The Zoning Permit must be attached to any Building Permit application ^[9].

Owners are responsible for compliance with the township’s Rental Properties Maintenance Ordinance ^[3] and Dangerous Building Ordinance ^[12]. The Rental Properties Maintenance Ordinance PDF is published as a scanned image and isn’t machine-readable — review the document directly with the Zoning Administrator before relying on its specifics.

🔗 VB/Cass DHD STR Inspection 📄 Rental Properties Maintenance Ordinance 📄 Dangerous Building Ordinance

5 Operating Rules (Noise, Burning, Trash, Golf Carts)

Mason Township’s policing ordinances apply to STR operators and their guests with the same force as they do to permanent residents:

Anti-Noise Ordinance ^[4] regulates excessive noise — relevant for guest parties and amplified music near the township’s lake communities.
Burning Ordinance ^[5] governs open burning of leaves, brush, and debris. Recreational fires are addressed separately from agricultural / debris burning.
Litter Ordinance ^[13] prohibits accumulation and improper disposal of trash on public or private property.
Golf Cart Ordinance ^[14] sets the rules for golf cart operation on township roads — a common detail for lake-area STRs that advertise carts to guests.
Noxious Weed / Plant-Growth Ordinance ^[15] sets vegetation maintenance standards — relevant for absentee-owned properties.

None of these ordinances impose STR-specific quiet hours or guest-count caps; they apply across all property types. Operators should still publish house rules covering noise, parking, and trash to give a clean enforcement path if a complaint reaches the Cass County Sheriff or Township Hall.

📄 Anti-Noise Ordinance 📄 Burning Ordinance 📄 Golf Cart Ordinance

6 Local Agent / Complaints / Recent Changes

Mason Township does not require an STR-specific local agent or 24-hour contact, and it does not maintain a public STR permit lookup or rental hotline. Day-to-day complaints route through the Township Hall (during Tuesday hours) and the Cass County Sheriff for after-hours nuisance and noise issues.

Township Hall: (269) 641-5923 — staffed Tuesdays 10 AM to 4 PM (Clerk) and 6 PM to 8 PM (Zoning) ^[1].
Zoning Administrator (Chelsa Greathouse): (574) 903-0826 · chelsagreathouse@gmail.com ^[10]
Building Inspector (Joe Wickey): (269) 816-4951 ^[10]
Cass County Sheriff (non-emergency): (269) 445-4911 ^[16]

Recent changes worth tracking:

The Zoning Ordinance was last updated January 13, 2022 ^[2]; the Zoning Map carries an effective date of November 18, 2021 ^[8].
The Zoning Permit fee rose to $50.00 effective January 1, 2025 ^[9].
The 2026 township newsletter (January 2026) and Board of Review notice are the most recent posted notices ^[1] — neither flags any new rental ordinance work.

Investor note: Watch the 2nd-Tuesday Township Board agendas published at masontownship.org. If a dedicated STR ordinance ever gets scheduled, it would be introduced there before going to public hearing — exactly the pattern several lake-county Michigan townships have followed in the past 24 months.

1 Where LTRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

Long-term rentals (31+ day leases) follow standard residential zoning rules in Mason Township — there is no separate “rental dwelling” classification. If a parcel is zoned for residential dwelling use, an LTR is permitted; in Agricultural and Commercial districts the underlying dwelling use must itself be permitted by right or grandfathered.

Verify the parcel’s zoning district on the map below, then confirm residential dwelling use with the Zoning Administrator before signing a lease that requires substantial renovation or a use change.

📄 Open the full Mason Township Zoning Map (PDF, 11/18/2021)

🗺 Zoning Map (PDF)📄 Zoning Ordinance (PDF)📧 Ask Zoning Admin

2 Registration & Permit Process

Mason Township does not maintain a long-term rental registration or licensing program. Landlords are not required to register a property with the township, file an annual landlord application, or pay a per-unit licensing fee. The township’s role in long-term rentals is limited to enforcement of the Rental Properties Maintenance Ordinance ^[3], the policing ordinances, and the Zoning Ordinance.

LTR registrationNone — not required by Mason Township

Lease term31+ days falls under standard residential occupancy

Renovation permitsZoning + Building + (Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical) as applicable ^[9]^[10]

For investors: The absence of a township registry does not waive Michigan’s statewide landlord-tenant law (MCL 554.601 et seq.) ^[7] — security-deposit, habitability, and eviction rules still apply.

📄 Permits & Applications 📄 MI Tenant/Landlord Guide (PDF)

3 Fees & Penalties

LTR annual registration feeNone — no LTR program

Zoning Permit (effective 1/1/2025)$50.00 ^[9]

Rental Properties Maintenance Ordinance violationsCivil infractions per the township’s enforcement ordinance ^[11]

Late property tax interestPer Cass County Treasurer schedule ^[17]

Because there is no LTR licensing program, there is no “renting without a permit” fine. The township’s enforcement leverage on landlords runs through standard zoning, dangerous-building, and rental-maintenance ordinances. Confirm property tax status before closing — taxes are searchable online via BS&A ^[17].

🔗 Property Tax Search (BS&A)📄 Rental Properties Maintenance Ordinance

4 Inspections & Safety Requirements

Mason Township does not run a recurring LTR inspection cycle. Inspections are triggered case-by-case:

Building permit inspections on any new construction or renovation — handled by Building Inspector Joe Wickey ^[10].
Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical inspections when those permits are pulled ^[10].
Septic and well inspections through the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department on transfer of property or replacement ^[6].
Dangerous Building Ordinance proceedings if a structure becomes a hazard ^[12].

Standard habitability obligations under Michigan’s landlord-tenant law (MCL 554.139) — a duty to maintain the premises in reasonable repair and to comply with applicable health and safety laws — apply throughout the rental term ^[7].

🔗 VB/Cass DHD Septic Inspection 📄 Dangerous Building Ordinance 📞 Building Inspector

5 Tenant Rights & Eviction Resources

Mason Township has no local tenant-rights ordinance. Landlord-tenant relationships are governed by Michigan state law (MCL 554.601 et seq. for security deposits; the Summary Proceedings Act for evictions). The Michigan Legislature publishes a free Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlords covering leases, deposits, repairs, and eviction procedure ^[7]. For Cass County eviction filings, summary proceedings are heard at the Cass County 4th District Court in Cassopolis ^[16].

📄 MI Tenant/Landlord Guide (PDF)🔗 Cass County Courts

Official Resources

Ordinances

Mason Township Zoning Ordinance

150-page PDF — last updated 1/13/2022

Rental Properties Maintenance Ordinance

Township ordinance (scanned PDF)

Township policing ordinance

Anti-Noise Ordinance

Dangerous Building Ordinance

Hazardous-structure enforcement

Noxious Weed / Plant-Growth Ordinance

Vegetation maintenance

Mason Township Golf Cart Ordinance

Golf cart rules on township roads

Designate Violations of State Construction Code

Civil-infraction enforcement

Forms & Applications

Zoning Permit Application

Required before construction (2 pages)

Building Permit Application

Submit alongside Zoning Permit (6 pages)

Plumbing Permit Application

Form (Nov 2024)

Electrical Permit Application

2026 form

Mechanical Permit Application

HVAC, water heater, ductwork (Nov 2024)

Blight / Ordinance Violation Complaint Form

Submit by mail or email

Maps

Mason Township Zoning Map

Effective 11/18/2021

Cass County GIS Parcel Viewer (Beacon)

Parcels, utilities, sewer, tax info

Mason Township Master Plan 2021

Long-range land-use vision

Portals & Lookups

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Property Tax Search (BS&A)

Mason Township records — uid 1955

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Cass County Property Tax Search

County tax records portal

Contact & Directions

Zoning Administrator (Chelsa Greathouse)

(574) 903-0826 — Tuesdays 6–8 PM

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Building Inspector (Joe Wickey)

(269) 816-4951

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Zoning Administrator Email

chelsagreathouse@gmail.com

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Township Clerk Email (Kristin LeVan)

clerk@masontownship.org