Polkton Charter Township

Short-term rentals are PROHIBITED in the AG-1, R-1, R-2, R-5, and R-6 districts under Section 4.38 of the Zoning Ordinance. Those five districts make up substantially all of Polkton Charter Township, so for the practical universe of Polkton parcels, STRs (rentals of less than 28 days) are not a permitted use ^[1].

The only district where transient-lodging uses appear in the use chart is the C-2 General Commercial District, where Section 11.02(V) lists “Motel or hotel” as a permitted use following site plan review by the Planning Commission ^[1]. C-2 zoning in Polkton is concentrated along the highway commercial corridor and represents a small share of total acreage.

The Zoning Ordinance also makes clear that “a short-term rental shall not be considered, and may not be approved as, a home based business” (Definitions chapter, added by Ord. No. 112-20) ^[1]. That closes the door on routing a vacation rental through the home-based-business permit process.

Click to open the township zoning map PDF.

There is no STR registration program in Polkton because STRs are prohibited in every district except C-2 General Commercial. Operators on a C-2 parcel would proceed under the motel/hotel use pathway, which requires Planning Commission site plan approval under Chapter 16A of the Zoning Ordinance, not a residential STR permit ^[1].

If you believe your parcel may be C-2, the verification path is: (1) confirm the zoning district on the township zoning map, (2) submit a zoning compliance application to Imperial Municipal Services (IMS) at 263 Northland Dr, Rockford, MI 49341 ^[4], and (3) work with the Planning Commission on site plan review. For a non-commercial residential parcel, there is no application that converts an AG-1, R-1, R-2, R-5, or R-6 property into an STR-permitted use without a zoning amendment or variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Bed-and-breakfast establishments are a separate category and are permitted in the home (not in an accessory building) as a home-based business by permit issued by the Zoning Administrator. A B&B by definition requires at least three guest rooms and the live-in owner or operator on site providing a morning meal ^[1]. That is a meaningfully different operating model from a whole-home Airbnb rental.

Operating a short-term rental in a district where STRs are prohibited is a municipal civil infraction under Section 18.01 of the Zoning Ordinance. The fine schedule is ^[1]:

• $100 to $2,500 for the first offense
• $500 to $5,000 for each subsequent offense within 12 months
• Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense
• Plus court costs, attorney fees, and any other costs awarded by the court

The township is also authorized under Section 18.03 to seek injunctive relief in circuit court to abate the violation, on top of the civil infraction citation, and to recover Township attorney fees ^[1]. Citations can be issued by the Township Supervisor, the Zoning Administrator, or any Ottawa County Sheriff’s deputy ^[1].

There is no permit fee schedule for STRs because there is no STR permit. For lawful uses (B&B as a home based business in a residential district, or motel/hotel use in C-2), the applicable fees are the home-based-business permit fee or the standard site plan review fee, both set by Township resolution. Confirm current fee amounts with the Township Clerk before applying.

Because residential STRs are not a permitted use, Polkton does not run a township STR inspection program. Where STRs would be lawful (a C-2 motel/hotel use), the operator is subject to the standard building, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing inspections that Imperial Municipal Services (IMS) performs on behalf of the township ^[4], plus the Michigan Public Health Code for lodging.

For any rental property on private well and septic (which describes most rural Polkton parcels outside the small municipal-served area), the Ottawa County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Division regulates the well and on-site sewage system. A point-of-sale evaluation has been required since 1984 under the County Environmental Health Code, and the Health Department offers well and septic inspections specifically for short-term rental properties where local ordinances require one ^[5][6].

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are governed by the Michigan Building Code (currently MBC 2015) and the Michigan Residential Code, which the township enforces through IMS. Operators of lawful B&B establishments should additionally confirm fire-suppression and egress requirements with IMS during permit review.

The Zoning Ordinance does not set whole-home STR occupancy or quiet-hour caps because the use is prohibited township-wide outside C-2. For B&B establishments, the operating constraints baked into the definition are ^[1]:

• Must be in the dwelling itself (not in an accessory building)
• Live-in owner or live-in operator must be present and provide a morning meal
• Minimum three guest rooms, in addition to the rooms occupied by the live-in owner/operator

For motel/hotel uses in C-2, parking is governed by the parking schedule in Chapter 13: one parking space for each sleeping room, plus the standard requirements for any associated restaurant or office space ^[1]. Site plan review through the Planning Commission sets specific conditions around landscaping, screening, and signage at the time of approval.

General township nuisance, noise, and outdoor-storage rules apply to all properties regardless of rental status. There is no separately codified “quiet hours” provision; complaints are handled as nuisances under the zoning ordinance and via county sheriff response.

The defining recent change is Ordinance No. 112-20, which added Section 4.38 “Short-Term Rentals Prohibited” to the Zoning Ordinance. That same ordinance:

• Added a formal definition of “Short-Term Rental” (rental or subletting of any dwelling for less than 28 days) ^[1]
• Made clear that an STR cannot be approved as a home-based business ^[1]
• Repealed the previous “Tourist Home” definition ^[1]
• Updated the “Bed and Breakfast Establishment” definition to require live-in ownership/operation and at least three guest rooms ^[1]

There is no permit cap because there are no permits issued. There is no announced moratorium currently pending; the prohibition itself functions as the cap. The 2023 Polkton Master Plan reaffirmed agricultural preservation and rural-residential character as core goals for the township, which is consistent with continuing the STR prohibition in residential and agricultural districts ^[7].

If you are evaluating a C-2 parcel for a transient-lodging use, confirm with the Zoning Administrator (via IMS) whether the Planning Commission has any current overlay conditions on that corridor before investing in a site plan submission.