Moorland Township
Short-term & long-term rental regulations, fees, and investor resources for Muskegon County, Michigan.
Area Overview
Moorland Township is a rural agricultural township in eastern Muskegon County, covering roughly 35.7 square miles with a 2026 population near 1,733 residents.[1] The community is dominated by open farmland and woodlands rather than tourist infrastructure, and the township hall and offices sit on Apple Avenue near the Ravenna village line.[2]
There is no Moorland-specific short-term rental ordinance, no rental registration program, and no annual landlord licensing. Day-to-day rental activity is governed by the township’s base zoning ordinance (compiled at Municode) and by state-level landlord-tenant law.[3] Building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing inspections are handled by Michigan Township Services in Fruitport rather than by township staff directly.[4]
If you are looking at a Moorland property as a rental investment, the practical workflow is: verify the parcel’s zoning district on the official zoning map, confirm intended use with Zoning Administrator Dan Nutt or Zoning Enforcer Jeff Ream, pull any required Application for Zoning Approval, and then route building permits through Michigan Township Services.[5][6]
Quick Status Summary
The Moorland Township Compilation of General and Zoning Ordinances does not contain an STR-specific section, a rental registration program, or a permit cap. Short-term rentals are neither expressly authorized nor expressly prohibited at the township level. Confirm any specific property with Zoning Administrator Dan Nutt before listing.
Long-term residential rentals are permitted under base zoning in Moorland’s residential and agricultural-residential districts, with no local landlord licensing or annual inspection program. State law (Michigan PA 348 of 1972 and the Truth in Renting Act) governs leases, security deposits, and eviction procedure.
Rental Regulations
Where STRs Are Allowed (Zoning)
There is no STR-specific zoning provision in Moorland Township. Rentals follow the same district rules as any residential occupancy. The township’s two principal zoning districts are A-1 Prime Agricultural (the largest district by area) and A-2 Agricultural-Residential; single-family dwellings are a permitted principal use in both, with additional districts addressed in the compiled ordinance.[7][8] Because the ordinance does not name short-term rental, transient rental, or vacation rental as a use, by-right STR status at the parcel level should be confirmed with the Zoning Administrator before listing.[3]
Registration & Permit Process
There is no rental registration, STR permit, or licensing program operated by Moorland Township. The submission path for any new construction, conversion, or change of use that does require approval is the township’s Application for Zoning Approval filed at the Moorland Township office at 12416 Apple Avenue, Ravenna.[5] Any use that the zoning ordinance flags as a special land use (for example, a true bed-and-breakfast operation if you push past base residential use) requires the separate Special Land Use Application and Planning Commission review.[9]
Fees & Penalties
Moorland Township does not publish a separate STR fee schedule because no STR program exists. Standard zoning approval and special-land-use review fees are set by Planning Commission resolution and confirmed at the township office on filing.[5] Building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permit fees are set by Michigan Township Services (the contracted inspection authority), not by Moorland Township directly.[4] If you operate a use that requires zoning approval without one, the standard enforcement path is a written zoning violation from the Zoning Enforcer and, if unresolved, civil infraction or injunctive action through the township attorney.[3]
Inspections & Safety Requirements
There is no recurring rental inspection program in Moorland Township. Inspections are triggered by permitted work (new construction, additions, electrical, mechanical, plumbing) and are administered by Michigan Township Services at 384 N. Third Street, Suite E, Fruitport, MI 49415, phone (231) 865-3310.[4] Properties on private well and septic, which is the norm in this rural township, fall under Muskegon County Public Health for septic permits, evaluations, and well permits.[10][11] Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are required by Michigan building code in dwellings used for rental occupancy.
Operating Rules (Noise, Nuisance, Open Burning)
Even without an STR ordinance, guests must comply with township-wide rules. The Excessive Noise Ordinance No. 03-60 (effective May 3, 2007) makes it unlawful to create noise that unreasonably disturbs neighbors; complaints are enforced via the Muskegon County Sheriff and the township zoning enforcer.[12] Open burning of leaves, brush, or yard waste requires a free DNR burn permit pulled the morning of the burn at the State of Michigan burn-permit portal.[13] Operators of any rental should bake those two rules into their house manual; they are the most common source of neighbor friction in rural Muskegon County townships.
Permit Caps, Moratoriums & Recent Changes
There is no STR permit cap and no STR moratorium in Moorland Township as of May 2026, because there is no STR program to cap. The township’s compiled ordinance does not show any recent STR-related amendments; the most recent rental-adjacent action visible on the township calendar is administrative (Planning Commission and Board of Trustees meetings on a standard monthly cadence).[2] If Michigan adopts statewide STR legislation that preempts or requires local action, that would change here as it would across all 55+ municipalities tracked on this site. Until then, the controlling document is the underlying zoning ordinance plus state landlord-tenant law.[3][14]
Where LTRs Are Allowed (Zoning)
Long-term, single-family residential rentals are a permitted principal use in Moorland’s two main zoning districts: A-1 Prime Agricultural and A-2 Agricultural-Residential.[7][8] The township does not draw any zoning distinction between an owner-occupied home and a leased single-family home, so a standard 12-month residential lease in either district carries no zoning approval requirement beyond the ordinary use-by-right. Multi-family and manufactured-home park uses are handled in different sections of the compiled ordinance and may require special-use review on a parcel-by-parcel basis.[3]
Registration & Permit Process
Moorland Township does not operate a long-term rental registration program. There is no annual landlord license, no rental certificate of compliance, and no recurring inspection fee. A landlord renting a single-family home in Moorland does not file anything with the township to begin leasing.[3] If the rental involves new construction, an addition, or a change of use (for example, converting an accessory structure into a dwelling), the underlying work needs an Application for Zoning Approval filed with the township and building permits issued by Michigan Township Services.[5][4]
Fees & Penalties
Because there is no rental registration program, there are no annual rental fees in Moorland Township. The only municipal fees that touch a typical landlord are zoning-approval fees for permitted work and building-permit fees through Michigan Township Services, both of which are set by separate schedules and confirmed at the time of application.[5][4] Penalties for operating beyond what zoning allows (for example, an unpermitted second dwelling unit) move through standard zoning enforcement, civil infraction, and, if necessary, court action.[3] State law governs late-rent and lease-breach remedies separately.[14]
Inspections & Safety Requirements
Moorland Township does not conduct a recurring rental-inspection cycle. Inspections happen only when triggered by permitted work and are performed by Michigan Township Services in Fruitport at (231) 865-3310.[4] Most Moorland parcels rely on private well water and on-site septic; Muskegon County Public Health administers well permits, septic permits, and existing-system evaluations that are often pulled at point of sale or before any expansion of bedroom count.[10][11] Smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and ground-fault outlets in wet locations are required by Michigan building code; landlords should confirm working smoke alarms at every change of tenant.
Tenant Rights & Eviction Resources
Tenant-landlord relationships in Moorland Township are governed by Michigan state law, not by local ordinance. The two foundational statutes are the Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act (PA 348 of 1972), which covers security deposits, inventories, and termination,[14] and the Truth in Renting Act (PA 454 of 1978), which sets disclosure requirements and lease-clause prohibitions for written leases.[15] Evictions move as summary proceedings in Muskegon County 60th District Court after the appropriate state-form notice (a 7-day Demand for Possession for nonpayment of rent or a 30-day Notice to Quit for termination).[16] Landlords should keep written records and use the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) form set; a stamped Demand for Possession before filing is essential.
Official Resources
Property Tax Treatment
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Buying, selling, or investing in Moorland Township?
Moorland is a small rural township with no STR program — that creates both flexibility and ambiguity. I help investors and homeowners read the zoning ordinance the way the township enforcer does, so you know exactly what you can and can't do at a specific Moorland parcel before you put earnest money down.
Sources & Downloads
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1Moorland Township — Wikipedia / Census profile https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moorland_Township,_MichiganPopulation, area, geography baselineVerified: 2026-05-16
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2Moorland Township official website https://moorlandtwp.com/Hours, address, calendar, departmentsVerified: 2026-05-16
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3Moorland Township Compilation of General and Zoning Ordinances (Municode) https://library.municode.com/mi/moorland_township,_(muskegon_co.)/codes/compilation-general_and_zoningAuthoritative ordinance text — searched for STR/rental/registration languageVerified: 2026-05-16
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4Building & Zoning department page https://moorlandtwp.com/building-zoning/Identifies Michigan Township Services as inspection authority; names zoning admin Dan Nutt and enforcer Jeff ReamVerified: 2026-05-16
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5Forms & Permits page https://moorlandtwp.com/forms-permits/Application for Zoning Approval, Special Land Use, zoning map, land division formsVerified: 2026-05-16
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6Building & Zoning contact block https://moorlandtwp.com/building-zoning/Direct phone for Zoning Enforcer Jeff Ream (231) 777-2078Verified: 2026-05-16
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7A-1 Prime Agricultural District (§ 300.600) https://library.municode.com/mi/moorland_township,_(muskegon_co.)/codes/compilation-general_and_zoning?nodeId=PA300_300.000ZOORADDE91996_300.600PRAGDIPermitted and special uses — covers most of township areaVerified: 2026-05-16
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8A-2 Agricultural-Residential District (§ 300.700) https://library.municode.com/mi/moorland_township,_(muskegon_co.)/codes/compilation-general_and_zoning?nodeId=PA300_300.000ZOORADDE91996_300.700AGSIDIResidential lots with limited ag overlayVerified: 2026-05-16
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9Special Land Use Application (revised 2023) https://moorlandtwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Special-Land-Use-Appl-Revised-2023.pdfPlanning Commission special-use review formVerified: 2026-05-16
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10Muskegon County Septic Permits & Evaluations https://co.muskegon.mi.us/1042/Septic-Permits-EvaluationsCounty Public Health is the on-site sewage authorityVerified: 2026-05-16
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11Muskegon County Well Permits & Evaluations https://co.muskegon.mi.us/1043/Well-Permits-EvaluationsPrivate well permitting authorityVerified: 2026-05-16
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12Excessive Noise Ordinance No. 03-60 https://library.municode.com/mi/moorland_township,_(muskegon_co.)/codes/compilation-general_and_zoning?nodeId=PA143_143.000EXNOORNO03-60EFMA32007_143.001TITownship-wide noise rule effective May 3, 2007Verified: 2026-05-16
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13Michigan DNR Burn Permit portal https://www.dnr.state.mi.us/burnpermits/State permit required before any outdoor burningVerified: 2026-05-16
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14Michigan Landlord-Tenant Relationships Act (PA 348 of 1972) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-Act-348-of-1972.pdfSecurity deposits, inventories, termination proceduresVerified: 2026-05-16
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15Michigan Truth in Renting Act (PA 454 of 1978) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-act-454-of-1978.pdfLease disclosure requirements and prohibited clausesVerified: 2026-05-16
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16Michigan Summary Proceedings Act (MCL 600.5701–5759) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-600-5701Eviction procedure backbone for landlord summary proceedings in district courtVerified: 2026-05-16