Bloomingdale Township

STRs are allowed township-wide. Bloomingdale Township has not adopted a township-level zoning ordinance, so there are no zoning districts that prohibit residential rentals. Instead, the Short-Term Rental Ordinance #139 5-25 applies to any dwelling unit located anywhere within Bloomingdale Township rented for less than 30 nights at a time.^[3]

This means parcel-level zoning approval is not part of the STR application — but the property must still comply with every other Bloomingdale ordinance (set back, anti-blight, dangerous-building, IPMC, mobile home park, etc.) at the time the certificate is issued and for the life of the certificate.^[3] Lakefront properties on Great Bear Lake and other waterways are also subject to Ordinance 116 (Boat Launching) and Ordinance 116-A (Great Bear Lake public access).^[7]

By paper application to the Township Ordinance Enforcement Officer at 109 E Kalamazoo Street, Bloomingdale, MI 49026. Use the township’s STR Application Form and STR Registration Form. The Ordinance Enforcement Officer must issue the certificate within 30 days of receiving a complete application.^[3]

A complete application requires:^[3]

• Property address and owner name(s)
• Signatures of both the property owner and caretaker, if applicable
• Number of bedrooms in the dwelling unit (and which bedrooms are part of the rental, if not whole-house)
• 24-hour contact phone number for the owner and caretaker
• A plot plan sketch showing all buildings on the property and which buildings/portions are used for the STR
• A floor plan sketch showing bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, wet bars, exterior doors, and escape windows
• Locations and total number of smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers
• Proof of insurance stating the carrier is aware the dwelling is used as a short-term rental
• A copy of the house rules provided to renters

Certificates are valid for one year from the date issued and expire automatically when the dwelling is sold.^[3] Applications can be submitted in person during Clerk’s office hours (Monday–Thursday 9am–2pm) or by appointment.^[1]

$100.00 per year for the STR certificate, payable to the Township of Bloomingdale at the time of certificate renewal.^[3]

Civil infraction fine: up to $500.00 per violation, per day. Each day the ordinance is violated counts as a separate offense. The Bloomingdale Township Board has reserved the right to establish a unique fine schedule for STRs after periodic review of complaints.^[3]

Violations include:^[3]

• Operating an STR without a valid certificate
• Advertising an STR without a valid certificate (or without including the township certificate number in the ad)
• Failure to update caretaker or owner contact information in a timely manner
• Failure of the certificate holder or caretaker to be responsive to a 2-hour immediate-concern call or 2-business-day non-immediate request
• Providing false or misleading information on the application
• Failure to comply with any Section 4 operating standard

Filing a knowingly fraudulent or false STR complaint is itself a violation subject to the same fines.^[3]

The Bloomingdale Township Ordinance Enforcement Officer (and other officials designated by the Township Board) may inspect any STR property to confirm compliance with Ordinance 139 5-25 and other township ordinances. Inspections happen by consent of the person in possession (renter, owner, or caretaker) or under an administrative search warrant.^[3]

Each STR must continuously meet these safety and operating standards:^[3]

• Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers — locations and counts disclosed on the application
• The unique township STR certificate number included in every advertisement
• Street address signed and clearly visible from the road
• Emergency signage purchased and posted identifying local emergency contacts for the location
• Trash and recyclables stored in tight-fitting containers and picked up by a licensed waste hauler — burning of garbage is prohibited
• Compliance with the International Property Maintenance Code adopted by Bloomingdale Township as Ordinance 133^[8]

Any campfire on an STR property must be contained in a fire ring, located at least 10 feet from any structure, combustible material, property line, sidewalk, or street, kept under direct adult supervision, and fully extinguished before leaving.^[3]

For STRs on private well or septic, the Van Buren / Cass District Health Department now runs a dedicated short-term rental services track and can be reached for system review or complaints.^[6]

Quiet hours run from 11:00pm to 7:00am. Non-renter visitors (guests of the renter) are only considered “non-renters” between 7:00am and 11:00pm — outside those hours, anyone present counts as a renter under the ordinance.^[3]

Other operating rules from Section 4 of Ordinance 139 5-25:^[3]

• Caretaker availability. The certificate holder or a caretaker must be reachable by phone at all times and physically located within a 30-minute travel distance of the property.
• Response times. Immediate-concern issues (noise, septic problems, quiet-hour violations) must be resolved within 2 hours of notification. Non-immediate issues (such as a missing certificate number in an ad) must be addressed within 2 business days.
• Single-family or single-portion only. The STR must be either a complete single-family dwelling unit, or a portion of a dwelling provided that there is only one STR on the parcel and the emergency contact is on site during the rental. Multiple-family dwellings are not eligible.
• Compliance carry-through. The certificate holder must give renters written notice that they (or their guests) may be cited for violating any Bloomingdale Township ordinance.

Bloomingdale also has a Special Local Watercraft Control Ordinance (#124) that affects renters bringing boats to lake-adjacent rentals.^[7]

Yes — every Bloomingdale STR must name a 24-hour responsible person on the application. The certificate holder or a designated caretaker must be reachable by phone at all times and must be located within 30 minutes of travel time from the property so they can physically respond if needed.^[3]

This contact information becomes part of the township’s record and the certificate holder is responsible for keeping it current. Failure to update the township after a change is itself a Section 6 violation.^[3]

Two types of issues are tracked separately:^[3]

• Immediate-concern issues (such as noise, septic problems, or quiet-hour violations): must be resolved within 2 hours of notification.
• Non-immediate issues (such as failure to include the certificate number in an advertisement): must be satisfactorily addressed within 2 business days.

The street address must be signed and clearly visible from the road, and emergency signage must be posted on-site identifying local emergency contacts for the rental.^[3]

Bloomingdale Township first adopted an STR ordinance in May 2025. Ordinance 139 5-25 was adopted by the Bloomingdale Township Board of Trustees and published in the Courier Leader, taking effect 30 days after publication on June 30, 2025.^[3] At the same meeting the board also adopted Ordinance 140 5-25, a stand-alone Camper/RV Ordinance that took effect on the same date.^[4]

The board has reserved the right to revisit the STR fine schedule periodically based on complaint volume — meaning the current $500/day cap could be replaced by an STR-specific schedule in a future amendment.^[3] No moratorium or permit cap is currently in effect; STRs are not numerically capped.

If you are buying a property in Bloomingdale and the seller already operates an STR, note that the certificate is automatically nullified by the sale — the buyer must apply for a new certificate before resuming rental.^[3]