Cheshire Township

Cheshire Township’s zoning ordinance does not define “short-term rental” or “vacation rental” and does not list it as a permitted use in any district ^[2]. The closest listed use is Bed & Breakfast, defined as “a use which is subordinate to the principal use of a single family dwelling in which transient guests are provided a sleeping room and board in return for compensation for a period of time not to exceed seven (7) days” — a Special Land Use in R-1 and R-2 ^[2].

The ordinance uses a permissive-zoning concept: “land uses are allowed in the various zoning districts by express specific designation in this Ordinance. Where a use is not so designated it is prohibited, unless construed by the Zoning Board of Appeals to be sufficiently similar to a use expressly allowed” ^[2]. Whether a typical whole-house Airbnb rental falls under the existing “Single-family dwelling” permitted use or under the “Bed and breakfast / Motel-Hotel” transient-use category is therefore a question only the Zoning Administrator or ZBA can answer for a specific parcel.

Open the zoning map PDF for district boundaries.

There is no STR registration program in Cheshire Township. The township does not issue a short-term-rental permit, does not maintain a rental registry, and does not charge an STR fee ^[3][4]. The only rental-related document on the Permits & Documents page is the Hall Rental Form, which is for renting the township hall itself — not for short-term lodging of private property ^[3].

If you intend to operate a B&B-style stay (7 days or less, owner-occupied principal dwelling), you need a Special Land Use Permit through the Planning Commission ^[3]. Application packet:

No STR-specific fees exist because Cheshire Township has no STR ordinance ^[3]. The applicable fee schedule depends on which path the township’s Zoning Administrator says applies to your rental plan:

Penalties for violating zoning are governed by Article XX of the Zoning Ordinance and Ordinance 417 (Code Enforcement Officer). Specific penalty amounts are not published online; contact the Zoning Administrator for the current schedule ^[7].

No periodic rental inspection program exists. Cheshire Township does not inspect rental properties on an annual or biennial cycle ^[3]. Inspections happen only when:

• A building permit triggers them. Building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits are administered by Professional Code Inspections (PCI), 1575 142nd Ave., Dorr, MI 49323, 616-877-2000 ^[4]. Final inspections are required before sign-off.
• A code-enforcement complaint is filed. The Code Enforcement Officer responds to complaints filed through the township’s online Zoning Complaint Form ^[8]. Common triggers include trash, exterior storage, dangerous buildings (per Ordinance 438) ^[9], and litter (per Ordinance 441) ^[10].
• A new well or septic is installed. Allegan County Health Department issues construction permits and performs final inspections ^[5].

If you are buying an older home for rental use, request the most recent septic and well records from the Allegan County Health Department before closing — there is no rental-licensing inspection that would have caught a failing system.

STR operators in Cheshire Township are bound by the township’s general nuisance, litter, and dangerous-building ordinances even though no STR ordinance applies ^[9][10][11]:

• Litter (Ordinance 441): Open accumulation of refuse on private property is prohibited. Rental hosts must arrange sufficient trash service — do not rely on neighbors’ bins or shared roadside cans ^[10].
• Dangerous Buildings (Ordinance 438): The township can declare a structure unsafe and order repair or demolition. Renting an uninhabitable structure invites enforcement ^[9].
• Vehicle Storage, Repair & Parking (Ordinance 448): Limits inoperable-vehicle storage and roadside parking. Communicate parking expectations to guests so vehicles stay on the rental parcel ^[11].
• State firework rules apply: Cheshire Township does not appear to have its own fireworks ordinance, so Michigan’s Public Act 256 of 2011 (and 2018 amendments) controls when consumer fireworks may be discharged ^[12].

There is no township-issued Good Neighbor Policy or numbered noise ordinance available on the township’s documents page; noise complaints route through the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office (non-emergency: 269-673-0500) and the Code Enforcement Officer ^[4].

No STR cap, moratorium, or pending ordinance is on file as of May 2026 ^[3]. The most recently adopted ordinances published by the township are administrative (Ord. 417 Code Enforcement Officer, Ord. 438 Dangerous Buildings, Ord. 440 Cemetery, Ord. 441 Litter, Ord. 448 Vehicle Storage / Repair / Parking, Ord. 450 Proposed Plat & Condo Subdivision) — none address short-term or long-term rental directly ^[3].

Several neighboring Allegan County townships have begun adopting STR ordinances in 2024-2025 (Saugatuck Township and Laketown Township are examples). Cheshire’s planning commission has not put STR regulation on its public meeting agendas in 2025 or 2026 based on the published minutes ^[13], but that can change with a single complaint cycle.