Monterey Township

Short-term overnight rentals operate in Monterey Township only as a zoning-permitted "Tourist home or bed and breakfast" use, which is a Special Use in the AG-1 Agricultural District (Section 5.03) and the R-1 Rural Estate District (Section 6.03) and is capped at six (6) bedrooms per dwelling ^[1]. The Zoning Ordinance defines a Bed-and-Breakfast Inn as a dwelling in which overnight accommodations not exceeding 14 continuous days are provided to transient guests for compensation by the resident owners ^[1]. The R-2, R-3, C-1, and I-1 districts do not list tourist home / bed-and-breakfast as a permitted or special use.

There is no stand-alone short-term-rental ordinance and no rental-registration program; the Planning Commission’s Special Use Permit process is the only township-level entitlement path for an STR-style operation.

Click to open the official Monterey Township Zoning Map (PDF).

The Planning Commission is the approving body. Tourist home / bed-and-breakfast applications are filed with the Township Clerk and are reviewed under the Special Use standards in Section 10.18 of the Zoning Ordinance ^[1].

Monterey Township does not publish a standing Special Use Permit fee schedule on its website. The application fee, public-hearing notice costs, and any required escrow for engineering review are set by the Township Board and must be confirmed with the Township Clerk at the time of application ^[4]. Building-permit fees (separate from the SUP) are set and collected by Professional Code Inspectors of Dorr (the township’s contracted building department) ^[2].

Because there is no STR-specific ordinance, an approved Tourist Home / B&B operates under the conditions of its Special Use Permit plus the general standards in the Zoning Ordinance ^[1]:

• Length of stay: No guest stay may exceed 14 continuous days (per the Bed-N-Breakfast Inn definition in Section 3.02).
• Bedroom cap: Maximum 6 bedrooms per dwelling.
• Resident-owner requirement: The definition contemplates accommodations "by the owners and residents therein" — investor-owned remote operations should expect Planning Commission scrutiny on this point.
• Parking: Off-street parking must satisfy the Section 10 parking standards for the use type. The Planning Commission may impose additional on-site parking conditions as part of the SUP.
• Noise: The Zoning Ordinance’s noise standard caps continuous sound at 40 dB(A) at residential property lines, with limited allowances for short-term events such as severe wind storms or utility outages ^[1].
• Fireworks & nuisance: Michigan’s Fireworks Safety Act and the township’s general nuisance authority apply. Allegan County Sheriff handles after-hours complaints.
• Signage: The Zoning Ordinance limits accessory signs for home occupations and Special Use businesses — verify any proposed signage with the Township Zoning Inspector prior to installation.

Monterey Township does not perform routine STR inspections. The compliance touch-points are independent of any local STR program and apply to any habitable dwelling used for lodging:

• Building/zoning inspections for additions, conversions, or new construction — performed by Professional Code Inspectors of Dorr on behalf of the township ^[2]. Required for any permitted alteration tied to a B&B SUP.
• Septic & well inspections for properties not served by public sewer/water — handled by the Allegan County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (3255 122nd Ave., Suite 200, Allegan, MI 49010; 269-673-5415) ^[5]. Existing-system evaluations are commonly required by lenders on point-of-sale and are highly recommended before underwriting an STR purchase.
• Smoke and CO detectors per the Michigan Residential Code: working smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, and on every floor; carbon-monoxide alarm on each floor with fuel-burning appliances.
• Egress: Every sleeping room must have a code-compliant emergency egress window or door.
• Fire extinguishers: At least one ABC-rated extinguisher on each floor is best-practice for transient lodging and is commonly required as a SUP condition.

Because Monterey Township contracts out building enforcement and shares many functions with the county, investors should expect to interact with several agencies:

• Township Supervisor — Henry Reinart: First point of contact for zoning interpretation and SUP pre-application questions ^[4].
• Township Clerk — Megan Frank: Receives SUP applications, issues meeting notices, maintains records ^[4].
• Township Treasurer — Julie DeHaan: Property-tax payments; rental income may shift the parcel’s taxable status if homestead exemption is affected ^[4].
• Planning Commission Chair — Scott Boeve: SUP review and recommendations ^[4].
• Building Department — Professional Code Inspectors (PCI) of Dorr: (616) 877-2000. Issues all building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits in the township ^[2].
• Allegan County Environmental Health: 269-673-5415. Septic and well permits and existing-system evaluations ^[5].
• Allegan County Equalization / Property Records: Parcel lookup and assessment history via the Allegan County Parcel & Tax Map Viewer ^[6].

All township office visits are by appointment only — contact the appropriate officer to set up a meeting ^[4]. As of May 2026, board and Planning Commission meetings are held at the Monterey United Methodist Church (3022 130th Ave.) until repairs to the Township Hall are complete (target: June 1, 2026) ^[4].