Laketown Township

Under the current 2020 ordinance, short-term rentals are permitted township-wide in residential and mixed-use zoning districts subject to registration, inspection, and the moratorium described below. The Planning Commission’s pending proposal (going to the Township Board on May 13, 2026) would tighten this district-by-district ^[4]:

• AG Agricultural District: all STRs prohibited under proposal ^[4].
• R-1 Rural Estate & R-1.5 Very Low Density Residential: STRs allowed only in an attached or detached accessory dwelling unit, with owner living on the lot and Planning Commission special-use approval ^[4].
• R-2 Low Density & R-3 Medium Density Residential: STRs allowed only in an attached accessory dwelling unit ^[4].
• MU Mixed-Use District: STRs allowed in a stand-alone home or attached ADU ^[4].

Existing licensed stand-alone STRs would be grandfathered and may continue operating under the rules they were originally approved under ^[4]. Only one unit may be rented in any case.

📍 Zoning Map (Feb 2025). Township map is distributed as PDF only — open the current PDF to locate your parcel’s district before underwriting STR eligibility.

For any specific parcel, verify the zoning district on the township zoning map and confirm STR eligibility with the Community Development Director.

When applications are open, STR registration goes through the Graafschap Fire Department on paper using the same Rental Unit Registration Application used for long-term rentals ^[7][8]. Complete the form, attach the required documents, and submit to the township office or the Graafschap Fire Department.

The township publishes its rental fees on a separate Rental Fee Schedule document maintained by the Graafschap Fire Department ^[9]. That document is currently distributed as a scanned PDF without machine-readable text, so dollar figures should be confirmed directly with the rental program before submitting an application or budgeting renewal costs.

Operating an unregistered rental remains the most common enforcement issue — township officials estimated in early 2026 that roughly half of about 200 rentals visible on listing sites were operating without a license ^[2]. Always confirm registration before listing.

All registered rentals require a safety inspection administered by the Graafschap Fire Department before a license is issued ^[10]. The township publishes a “What To Do Ahead of Time” checklist so owners can prepare — typical items include working smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors, GFCI outlets in wet areas, properly handrailed stairs, an accessible electrical panel, and an unobstructed second means of egress from sleeping rooms ^[10].

Occupancy under the pending proposal would be set by the International Property Maintenance Code, which sizes occupant counts by bedroom square footage ^[4]. Visitor counts at the property at any one time would be capped at 50% of the registered occupants — e.g., a 4-occupant STR could host two outside visitors at a time ^[4].

Operating rules sit in two places: the rental ordinance amendment adopted in 2020 (Ords. 208 and 209) ^[5][6], and the new operational rules the Planning Commission is drafting to follow the May 13, 2026 zoning vote ^[4]. Until that second package is adopted, owners should comply with these:

• Occupancy: set by International Property Maintenance Code bedroom standards ^[4].
• Visitors: proposed cap of 50% of registered occupants on the property at any one time ^[4].
• One unit per parcel: only one dwelling unit on a lot may be operated as an STR under the pending proposal ^[4].
• Owner-occupancy: for ADU-based STRs, the property owner must live in the main house on the lot ^[4].
• Allegan County Sheriff non-emergency: (269) 673-2121 for complaints between rentals.

Laketown’s STR framework is mid-revision — the timeline matters for any new investment.

• 2020: Township adopted Rental Unit Registration ordinance (Ords. 208 and 209) requiring all rentals — short- and long-term — to register and be inspected ^[5][6].
• May 14, 2025: Township Board voted to enact a moratorium on new free-standing STR licenses ^[3].
• May 19, 2025: Moratorium took effect after attorney review by Ron Bultje of Dickinson Wright ^[3]. Renewals and ADU-based STR applications excluded from the pause.
• August–November 2025: Special joint committee of the entire township board and planning commission met four times to gather public input on a permanent ordinance update ^[4].
• November 2025: Township published an updated STR location map (V2) showing all licensed STRs in the township ^[11].
• April 1, 2026: Planning Commission public hearing on draft new rules ^[4].
• May 6, 2026: Planning Commission unanimously voted to send the proposed zoning amendments to the Township Board ^[4].
• May 13, 2026 (scheduled): Township Board votes on adoption, with public comment opportunity ^[4]. Outcome will determine whether new stand-alone STRs are permanently prohibited in residential/AG zones.
• June 30, 2026: Current moratorium scheduled to expire ^[4].

Laketown Township publishes a map of all currently licensed short-term rentals, updated in November 2025 ^[11]. Use it to verify whether an address is already in the licensed pool before underwriting.

• STR Location Map (PDF): 111125STRMapV2.pdf
• Confirm license status directly: email rentals@laketowntwp.org or call (616) 396-4060 with the parcel address.
• Verify zoning district: Zoning Map (Feb 2025)

Because the township estimated in early 2026 that roughly half of ≈200 properties listed online were operating without a license ^[2], a listing on Airbnb or Vrbo is not by itself evidence of a valid permit. Always verify directly.