Leighton Township

deputyclerk@leightontownship.org

4451 12th Street, Suite A, Wayland, MI 49348

Directions

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Township Website

leightontownship.org

Area Overview

Leighton Township sits in northeastern Allegan County, roughly 19 miles south of downtown Grand Rapids and just south of M-6, with the city of Wayland at its southern edge and the unincorporated community of Moline along Patterson Road. Population is about 7,001 (2020 census) across 34.9 square miles ^[1]. The township is a mix of working farmland, low-density rural-residential parcels, and several active lake-home communities, most prominently the 309-acre Green Lake (an all-sports lake) and Selkirk Lake ^[2].

Rental investors should know that Leighton Township does not currently maintain a short-term-rental ordinance, a rental-registration program, or a township-issued rental license. Zoning, building, and use permits are administered by Professional Code Inspectors of Michigan (PCI) out of nearby Dorr ^[3]. The most recent rental-adjacent action by the Township Board was the December 11, 2025 Camping Trailer Ordinance (Ordinance 2025.12.11), which explicitly prohibits renting or leasing campers or camp sites outside of lawful campgrounds ^[4], directly relevant to anyone evaluating short-term RV or glamping setups. Long-term residential rentals are unregulated at the township level beyond standard zoning and building code.

Quick Status Summary

Short-Term Rentals NOT REGULATED

Leighton Township has no short-term-rental ordinance, no STR registration program, and no STR-specific permit or fee ^[3]. Whole-house short-term rentals are not addressed directly; the zoning ordinance definition of “dwelling” excludes “living accommodations used for recreational, transient or commercial purposes” ^[5], which can create interpretation risk in residential districts. For any specific parcel, verify with the Zoning Administrator (PCI) before underwriting an STR-based valuation. Separately, the 2025 Camping Trailer Ordinance bans renting or leasing campers or camp sites outside lawful campgrounds ^[4].

Long-Term Rentals ALLOWED

Long-term residential rentals (31+ day leases) are permitted in residential zoning districts under the township Zoning Ordinance with no separate rental license, no annual registration, and no township rental-inspection program ^[3]^[5]. Standard building permits and change-of-use permits apply only when work or use changes trigger them ^[6]. Michigan state landlord-tenant law (MCL 554.601 et seq.) governs the landlord-tenant relationship ^[7].

Rental Regulations

1 Where STRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

There is no short-term-rental ordinance in Leighton Township and no STR-specific zoning category. Short-term rental use is therefore controlled by the underlying Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance #2010-01-01, as amended through November 2019) and its district-level use lists ^[5]. Verify the specific parcel’s zoning district on the 2019 Zoning Map below, then confirm with the Zoning Administrator (Professional Code Inspectors of Michigan, in Dorr) before listing on Airbnb or VRBO ^[3].

Important definitional flag. The Zoning Ordinance defines a “dwelling” as a building occupied as a home or residence, expressly excluding “motels, hotels, tourist rooms or cabins, recreational vehicles, travel trailers or other living accommodations which are used for recreational, transient or commercial purposes” ^[5]. In some Michigan townships, this style of dwelling definition has been read to exclude high-turnover transient rental from residential districts; in others, courts have treated short-term rental as residential use. There is no published Leighton Township board action or court decision settling the question here, so the conservative path is to confirm in writing with the Zoning Administrator before purchase.

🗺 Zoning Map (2019 PDF)📄 Zoning Ordinance PDF 📧 Ask Zoning Admin (PCI)

2 Is There an STR Registration or Permit Program?

No. Leighton Township does not issue a short-term-rental license, does not require an STR registration, and does not collect an STR-specific fee ^[3]. There is no Deckard portal, no rental hotline, and no annual inspection cycle for STRs.

What does apply:

Building permits for any construction, accessory dwelling unit, or substantial alteration, issued by PCI ^[6].
Change-of-Use Permit if you are converting a structure to a use the zoning district doesn’t already permit by right ^[8].
Site Plan Review for new commercial or multi-unit projects ^[9].
Michigan 6% use tax on short-term lodging revenue, collected by the State of Michigan, applies regardless of local rules.

📋 Permits & Forms Page 📄 Change of Use Permit 📞 Call PCI Zoning

3 RV, Camper & Glamping Rental, What's Banned

Renting or leasing a camper or campsite outside of a lawful campground is prohibited township-wide. Ordinance 2025.12.11 (the Camping Trailer Ordinance, adopted December 11, 2025) at Section 4(t) reads: “No camper or camp site shall be rented or leased (except where allowed in a lawful campground)” ^[4]. “Camper” is defined broadly to include RVs, fifth wheelers, motor homes, pop-up trailers, tents, and any vehicle or item designed for camping, sleeping overnight, or temporary habitation.

Other relevant Section 4 limits on camping use of private parcels ^[4]:

From May 1 to November 1, each lot may have outdoors at most two tents or two campers (or up to two of each).
Camping on a lot with a dwelling is limited to 14 days/year for lots under one acre, 30 days/year for lots one acre or larger. Camping on a parcel without a dwelling is capped at 14 days/year.
All campers must be removed from November 2 through April 30 unless stored in a fully enclosed lawful building.
Quiet hours: 11 PM to 7 AM.
Campers must be at least 50 ft from any lake, stream, or river ordinary high-water mark and 20 ft from any neighboring dwelling.
No camper may be connected to a water well or sanitary sewer system.

Penalty for violation ^[4]: civil infraction, $100 to $500 for the first offense and $250 to $1,000 for subsequent offenses within 12 months. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense.

📜 Camping Trailer Ordinance (PDF)📧 Ask the Township

4 Operating Rules (Noise, Disorderly Conduct, Funneling, Burn Permits)

Three locally adopted ordinances apply to any rental operator and their guests:

Disorderly Persons Ordinance, prohibits disturbing the peace, public drunkenness, and disorderly assemblies on private property ^[10]. Enforcement is by the Allegan County Sheriff.
Funneling Ordinance, prohibits use of “beer bongs” / drinking funnels on premises where alcohol is consumed ^[11]. Aimed at preventing high-risk group drinking at lakefront and rental parties.
Allegan County Burn Permits, required for open burning of brush. Permits are obtained day-of by calling the county burn line at (269) 686-5222 ^[12].

Camping Trailer Ordinance quiet hours of 11 PM to 7 AM also apply to any camping or overnight outdoor use ^[4]. There is no published township-wide noise ordinance separate from the disorderly persons ordinance.

📜 Disorderly Persons Ordinance 📜 Funneling Ordinance 📞 Burn Permit Line

5 Fees & Penalties (Zoning Path)

Leighton Township does not charge a short-term-rental fee. The Township Board’s fee schedule (Resolution 2024-12-12) covers planning, zoning, building, and site-plan fees only ^[13]. Permit fees for any rental-related work flow through PCI’s published rate sheet ^[3].

STR registration feeNone (no STR program)

LTR registration feeNone (no LTR program)

Camping Trailer Ordinance, 1st offense fine$100 to $500

Camping Trailer Ordinance, subsequent offense (within 12 mos)$250 to $1,000

Building & zoning permit feesPer PCI rate sheet + township fee resolution

📜 Fee & Escrow Resolution 🌐 PCI Dorr Office

6 Recent Ordinance Changes & What's Coming

Leighton Township has been actively updating its non-zoning ordinances over 2024 to 2025 but has not adopted any short-term-rental rules. Notable recent actions ^[4]^[14]:

December 11, 2025, Camping Trailer Ordinance (Ord. 2025.12.11) adopted unanimously, banning campsite/camper rental outside lawful campgrounds and capping outdoor camping days per parcel.
October 8, 2025, Mobile Food Vending Ordinance (Ord. 2025.10.08) adopted, regulating food trucks township-wide.
December 12, 2024, Fee & Escrow Resolution updated.
December 12, 2024, Master Plan Amendment formally adopted, replacing the 2020 Master Plan ^[15].

Planning Commission meets monthly (typically the 2nd Wednesday at 7 PM); Township Board meets monthly (typically the 2nd Thursday at 7 PM), confirm via the calendar on the township website. Any future STR or LTR regulation would be telegraphed through Planning Commission agendas.

📅 Meetings & Minutes 📄 Amended Master Plan (2024)

1 Where LTRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

Long-term residential rentals (31+ day leases) are permitted wherever the Zoning Ordinance permits residential dwelling use by right. The township has no separate “rental” classification, if a parcel is zoned for residential dwelling use, a 31+ day rental of that dwelling is treated as the same residential use ^[5]. Verify the parcel’s zoning district on the 2019 Zoning Map and confirm residential use with the Zoning Administrator (PCI) for any commercial, agricultural, or mixed-use parcel.

LTRs are not subject to any cap or registration in Leighton Township ^[3]. The only locally enforced limits are standard zoning setbacks, building code, and the lake/stream setbacks built into the zoning ordinance for new construction or substantial improvements.

🗺 Zoning Map (2019 PDF)📄 Zoning Ordinance PDF 📧 Ask Zoning Admin

2 Is There an LTR Registration or Permit Program?

No. Leighton Township does not require landlords of long-term rentals to register the property, obtain a rental license, or pay an annual rental fee ^[3]. There is no township rental inspection program for LTRs.

Permits you may still need:

Building Permit for any structural work, repair beyond normal maintenance, or new construction ^[6].
Change-of-Use Permit if you are converting a building (e.g., commercial to residential, or adding a second dwelling unit) ^[8].
Special Use Permit / Variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals if your use isn’t permitted by right in the district ^[16].

📋 Permits & Forms Page 📄 Building Permit Application 📄 ZBA Variance Application

3 Inspections, Septic & Water (What You Still Need to Verify)

There is no township-administered LTR inspection cycle. What you do need to verify before closing on a rental property:

Septic system status. Most non-sewered parcels in Leighton are on private septic. Onsite sewage disposal systems for one- and two-family dwellings are governed by Allegan County Water and Sewage Regulations and inspected by Allegan County Environmental Health Field Services ^[17].
Sewer service area. Two sewer districts serve portions of the township: Dorr/Leighton Sewer (DLWWA) ^[18] and the Green Lake Sewer (operated by B&B Wastewater Consultants, billing handled by Char Troost) ^[19]. Confirm whether the parcel is in either district.
Drinking water. Non-municipal parcels rely on private wells; well permits and water-quality records are with Allegan County Environmental Health ^[20].
Property maintenance / safety. No township property-maintenance code is adopted; defects are addressed through state landlord-tenant law and county building code only.

🏥 Health Dept Field Services 🔗 Dorr/Leighton Sewer 🔗 Green Lake Sewer Info

4 Tenant Rights & Eviction Resources

Michigan landlord-tenant relationships are governed by state statute (MCL 554.601 et seq.) and the summary proceedings act for evictions, Leighton Township does not modify these by local ordinance ^[3]. The State Bar of Michigan publishes a free Practical Guide for Tenants and Landlords covering leases, security deposits, repairs, and the eviction process ^[7]. Eviction filings for properties in Leighton Township go through the 57th District Court in Allegan ^[21].

📄 MI Tenants & Landlords Guide ⚖️ 57th District Court

Official Resources

Ordinances

Zoning Ordinance (through Nov 2019)

Ordinance #2010-01-01 with amendments — governs all use districts

Camping Trailer Ordinance 2025.12.11

Bans camper/campsite rental, caps outdoor camping days

Mobile Food Vending Ordinance 2025.10.08

Regulates food trucks township-wide

Disorderly Persons Ordinance

Township ordinance — enforced by Allegan Sheriff

Township ordinance — bans drinking funnels

Funneling Ordinance

Fee & Escrow Resolution 2024-12-12

Planning / zoning / building fees

Amended Master Plan (2024)

Adopted December 12, 2024

Forms & Applications

Building Permit Application

PDF — file with PCI

Change of Use Permit Application

PDF — when converting use of a structure

Special Use Permit / Zoning Variance Application

PDF — file with Planning Commission

Zoning Board of Appeals Variance Application

PDF — use-based variance requests

Site Plan Review Application

PDF — new commercial or multi-unit projects

Maps

Leighton Township Zoning Map (2019)

District boundaries — use for zoning questions

Allegan County Parcel & Tax Map Viewer

Parcels, utilities, sewer, tax info

Portals & Lookups

BS&A Online — Allegan County Property Search

Search by address, name, or parcel number

PCI — Dorr Office (Zoning & Building Admin)

Forms, contacts, rate sheet

Dorr/Leighton Sewer (DLWWA)

Sewer authority for part of the township

Green Lake Sewer (Township Page)

Sewer info for Green Lake parcels

Contact & Directions

(616) 891-8238 — Tue/Wed/Thu 9am-4pm

Township Office

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Deputy Clerk Email

deputyclerk@leightontownship.org

PCI Zoning & Building Admin

(616) 877-2000 — 1575 142nd Ave, Dorr

Allegan County Burn Permit Line

(269) 686-5222 — obtain day-of

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Allegan County Environmental Health

Septic, wells, soil erosion — (269) 673-5415