Almena Township

Almena does not separately classify or license short-term rentals. Whether an STR can operate on a given parcel turns on whether the zoning district allows the underlying residential dwelling use, plus the Bed and Breakfast Special Use rules if the operator hosts on-site and serves breakfast.

Almena Township is divided into seven base districts plus three overlays ^[2]:

• AG Agricultural, AGLD Agricultural Low Density, AGMD Agricultural Medium Density: single-family detached dwellings permitted by right; B&Bs allowed only by Special Land Use.
• WR Waterfront Residential: single-family residential by right.
• AS Almena Settlement: traditional residential lots in the historic settlement; single-family by right.
• C Commercial: hotels, motels, and other lodging facilities are permitted in the C-3 sub-district ^[2].
• I Industrial: residential dwellings not permitted.
• Overlays: CR Corridor, AP Airport, PUD Planned Unit Development.

The Zoning Ordinance (Ord. 100, originally adopted 10/13/2009 with revisions through April 2019) is hosted on the State of Michigan’s energyzoning.org repository because the version linked from the township site is incorrect ^[2]. Verify any parcel’s district on the official Zoning Map before relying on it.

Open the Almena Township Zoning Map (PDF, October 2020)

There is no Almena Township short-term rental registration or permit process. No application form, no fee, no annual renewal exists at the township level for whole-house STRs.

What an STR operator still needs in Almena:

• Confirm the parcel’s zoning district allows residential dwelling use (verify on the Zoning Map; contact the Zoning Administrator if uncertain) ^[2].
• Comply with the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code as adopted by Ord. 2024-08 ^[3]. Enforcement is complaint-driven; there is no proactive rental inspection cycle.
• Carry any building, electrical, mechanical, or plumbing permits required for renovations or additions. Building department services are shared with Antwerp Township; submit applications and payment to Antwerp Township Hall (269-668-2615) ^[6].
• Michigan sales/use and lodging taxes: remit through the Michigan Department of Treasury and any platform-collected agreements (Airbnb, Vrbo).

If the operator intends to host on-site and serve breakfast (the classic Bed and Breakfast model), Special Land Use approval from the Planning Commission is required and additional standards apply (see the dedicated accordion below).

A Bed and Breakfast in Almena requires Special Land Use approval from the Planning Commission and must satisfy the standards in Article VII, Section 7.3 of the Zoning Ordinance ^[2]. This is the only rental-adjacent use that is explicitly defined and licensed at the township level.

Key Ord. 100 standards for B&Bs ^[2]:

• Operates as a home occupation in a principal-use residential structure with the operator on premises.
• Maximum eight (8) transient guests per establishment at one time.
• No more than six (6) guest bedrooms; minimum 100 sq ft per bedroom plus 30 sq ft for each occupant beyond the first two; maximum four guests per bedroom.
• One bathroom for every two guest bedrooms, minimum.
• Meals to overnight guests only (no separate guest kitchen).
• No second B&B within 1,000 feet (straight-line measurement).
• No private parties or fee-based receptions on the premises absent express authorization in the Special Use approval.
• Parking screened and set back at least 20 feet from lot lines.
• One identification sign permitted under Article XIX sign rules ^[2].

The Special Land Use application fee is $335 with a $500 escrow deposit ^[6]. The Planning Commission reviews applications at its regular monthly meeting (first Wednesday).

There is no STR application or annual renewal fee in Almena because no STR-specific permit exists. Costs an STR operator may encounter at the township level ^[6]:

Penalties for operating in violation of zoning, the Property Maintenance Code, or the Litter & Blight Ordinance run through the Township’s Civil Infraction Ordinance (Ord. 2024-05) and the State Construction Code Civil Infraction Ordinance (Ord. 2024-06) ^[4][7]. Fines escalate with repeat violations and can include daily-accruing penalties until the violation is cured.

Almena does not run a proactive rental inspection program for STRs. Properties are subject to the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code as adopted by Ord. 2024-08 ^[3], which the township enforces on a complaint basis. Active building/electrical/mechanical permits trigger inspections by the shared Antwerp-Almena building inspector (Kevin Cardiff) ^[6].

Standards every operator should treat as baseline:

• Working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors per IPMC and Michigan Building Code.
• No exposed wiring or open electrical panels; weatherproof outlets where exposed.
• Functional egress windows in sleeping rooms.
• Heating systems in safe operating condition (annual furnace service recommended).
• Septic systems in working order: most Almena parcels are on private septic and well. Buyers and operators should request the most recent septic inspection from the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department before closing or marketing a property.
• If a pool is on the property, fencing and barrier requirements per Michigan Residential Code apply.

Even without an STR-specific ordinance, several Almena ordinances regulate behavior that commonly generates STR complaints. Operators are responsible for ensuring guest conduct stays within these rules.

• Litter & Blight (Ord. 2024-07): prohibits accumulation of trash, junk, and debris visible from public ways or adjacent property. Enforced as a civil infraction ^[5].
• Inoperable Vehicles, Vehicle Repair and Storage (Ord. 2025-01): limits storage of unlicensed or non-operating vehicles on residential property ^[8].
• Recreational Vehicles for Camping and Travel (Ord. 2024-03): regulates use of RVs, travel trailers, and tents for overnight stays on residential property ^[9]. Hosting paying guests in an RV or tent on the parcel is not the same as renting the dwelling itself; verify with the Zoning Administrator before listing any RV or glamping product.
• Civil Infractions (Ord. 2024-05): provides the enforcement mechanism for the above ordinances ^[4].
• Construction Code Civil Infractions (Ord. 2024-06): applies to unpermitted construction or modification of the rental dwelling ^[7].

Almena does not currently codify quiet hours specific to STRs. Michigan’s general noise statutes and the township’s nuisance enforcement apply.

Almena Township has not adopted a dedicated short-term rental ordinance. The most recent regulatory activity affecting rentals has been the 2024 codification of building, blight, and civil-infraction enforcement tools rather than rental-specific licensing:

• Ord. 2024-03 (Recreational Vehicles for Camping): regulates RV/tent overnight use on private property ^[9].
• Ord. 2024-05 (Civil Infractions): general enforcement mechanism for township ordinance violations ^[4].
• Ord. 2024-06 (State Construction Code as Civil Infraction): aligns construction-code enforcement with the township’s civil-infraction process ^[7].
• Ord. 2024-07 (Litter & Blight): property-condition standards ^[5].
• Ord. 2024-08 (2015 International Property Maintenance Code): baseline maintenance code for all dwellings, including rentals ^[3].
• Ord. 2025-01 (Inoperable Vehicles): nuisance vehicle storage rules ^[8].
• Master Plan project: the Planning Commission is in an open Master Plan update cycle (special open house scheduled May 14, 2026); investors should monitor agendas for any future STR-related discussion ^[10].