Saugatuck Township

Short-term rentals are permitted township-wide wherever single- or two-family residential dwellings are permitted under Chapter 40 (Zoning). Article V regulates rentals as a registration-and-safety framework, not as a zoning use category — there is no separate “short-term rental” or “commercial lodging” district overlay. ^{[2] [6]}

Single-family dwellings are permitted by right in the A-1, A-2, R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4 residential districts, with two-family dwellings additionally permitted in A-1, A-2, and R-1. ^[6] Bed and breakfast operations are treated separately as a special land use under Section 8.80 and are not the same as a short-term rental under Article V.

Click the map to open the Zoning Map page with the printable 36×24 PDF.

Submit the Rental Certificate Application by email to info@saugatucktownshipmi.gov or by mail/in-person to Township Hall (3461 Blue Star Hwy, P.O. Box 100, Saugatuck, MI 49453). The same application covers short-term and long-term rentals; there is no separate STR portal. ^{[4] [11]}

The Township issues a provisional Rental Certificate upon application acceptance and inspection scheduling. The final certificate is issued only after the fire-safety inspection passes. ^[2]

The Township’s consolidated fee schedule (effective April 15, 2026) sets a single rental inspection fee that covers the three-year certificate term. ^[3]

Renting a dwelling without a current Rental Certificate is a violation of Article V; permits may be suspended administratively, with notice and an opportunity to be heard before the township board. ^[2]

The Saugatuck Township Fire District conducts the rental inspection under the International Fire Code as adopted by the Township. ^[2] Inspections are scheduled within 60 days of the Township accepting a completed application, and a final Rental Certificate is not issued until the inspection passes.

• Maximum occupancy load: Two persons per bedroom, plus two additional persons per finished level with means of emergency egress (e.g. a functional window), up to a total of 12 persons. ^[2]
• Bedroom standard: A bedroom must be at least 70 square feet and no less than 7 feet in any dimension. ^[2]
• Inspection cycle: Three years — rental certificates are valid for 36 months from the date of issuance. ^[2]
• Re-inspections: Charged at $200 each. Re-inspection may be waived if the owner submits written documentation that corrections have been completed. ^{[2] [3]}

Section 8-108 of Article V applies STR-specific operating rules on top of the general rental registration framework. ^[2]

• Parking site plan required. STR applicants must submit a parking site plan depicting available off-street parking; the plan must provide adequate access for emergency vehicles as determined by the fire chief.
• No street parking within one mile. Occupants in a short-term rental may not park on a public street within one mile of the rental unit. Occupants must acknowledge the number of off-street spaces in writing before the lease begins.
• Waste disposal. Occupants may not leave trash or refuse in public view except in proper containers, and only between 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on scheduled collection days.
• Five-hour agent remedy duty. Upon township notification of a violation (including by voicemail), the designated local agent must remedy the violation within five hours; failure to do so is itself a violation by the local agent.
• Maximum occupancy advertising. Owners may not advertise occupancy levels in excess of the permitted load shown on the Rental Certificate.

If the property owner does not personally qualify as a local agent, the owner must designate one in writing as part of the STR application and authorize the agent to act on the owner’s behalf. ^[2] The designated agent is the township’s first point of contact for any complaint about the rental.

• Notice by phone or voicemail counts. The local agent is deemed to have received notice upon receipt of a township voicemail.
• Five-hour remedy clock. The agent must ensure that the violation is remedied within five hours of notice.
• Penalty for failure. Failure to remedy within five hours is itself a violation chargeable to the local agent under Article V.
• Agent Authorization Form: The Township maintains a standalone Agent Authorization Form (2025 PDF) for designating agents.

Saugatuck Township does not cap the number of short-term rental permits and has not enacted a moratorium. ^[2] This is a key difference from the neighboring City of Saugatuck, which adopted Ordinance 240229-B in 2024 imposing a license cap and grandfathering existing STRs. The City and Township are separate jurisdictions.

• Article V baseline (Ord. No. 2016-01): Adopted January 6, 2016, replacing the prior 2014 framework. ^[2]
• Zoning Ordinance overhaul (2024): Saugatuck Township adopted a comprehensive Chapter 40 rewrite, effective with amendments through March 28, 2024. The new zoning ordinance does not add new STR-specific restrictions; rental regulation remains under Article V. ^{[6] [7]}
• Updated forms (May 2025 and later): The Township refreshed all building and rental application forms in May 2025 and again in September 2025 for the Rental Certificate Application. Always use the most recent form. ^[11]
• Fee schedule (April 15, 2026): Current consolidated fee schedule adopted April 2026; rental inspection fee held at $550 for the three-year term. ^[3]