White River Township

Short-term rentals are listed as a Permitted Use by right in the AR Agricultural, R Residential, and WR Waterfront Residential districts and are unlimited in the C Neighborhood Commercial district.^[2] Everywhere except C-Commercial is bound by a township-wide cap of 55 STR lots total.^[2] Bed and breakfasts are a separate Special Land Use that is reviewed by the Planning Commission and is not counted against the STR cap.^[6]

Because boundaries between AR, R, and WR follow lot lines and shoreline contours, parcel-level zoning needs to be confirmed before purchase. Use the township’s Muskegon County zoning viewer or the Beacon parcel viewer, then confirm in writing with the Zoning Administrator.

Apply for an annual STR license by submitting the Short-Term Rental Permit Application in person at the Township Hall (7386 Post Rd, Montague) along with the $150 non-refundable fee.^[3][4] The Zoning Administrator reviews and issues licenses.

The application must include:^[3]

• Written proof of property ownership
• A $1,000,000 liability insurance certificate
• A satisfactory third-party rental inspection report completed within the past three years (template provided by the township)
• A current septic system evaluation rated 1, 1P, 2, or 2P by the Muskegon County Health Department (within the past three years)
• A floor plan showing every bedroom intended for rental use
• A site sketch showing parking, the access drive, the road, and shoreline (if applicable)
• Local agent contact information; the agent must live within 45 minutes of the property and be available 24/7 to respond to complaints^[3]
• Confirmation of Muskegon County accommodation-tax registration^[7]
• Any HOA, condo master deed, or subdivision restrictions that apply

STR license fee: $150 per year, non-refundable, due with the application and at every renewal.^[3]

Inspection costs: paid directly to the third-party inspector. The township does not perform the inspection and does not set the inspector’s rate; budget separately for it.^[8]

Civil infraction fines for violating the Zoning Ordinance (including the STR section) are $50 to $100 for a first offense and at least $200 for any subsequent offense within 12 months, plus the township’s attorney fees and costs.^[9] Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.^[9]

An STR license may also be suspended or revoked for false statements on the application, non-compliance with the ordinance, or unresolved tenant misconduct; in which case all STR activity on the property must cease.^[3]

Before the township will issue an STR license, a third-party inspector must complete the WRT STR inspection checklist and submit it with the application.^[8] The checklist must be re-passed at least every three years.^[3]

Required pass conditions include:^[8]

• Address numbers visible from the public right-of-way
• Doors, windows, steps, decks, and handrails in safe condition (guardrails at least 36 inches high, spindles less than 4 inches apart)
• Roof, siding, and trim in good repair; secure animal-resistant trash receptacles
• Swimming pools fenced with a self-closing, self-locking gate
• Operable smoke detectors per building code, a charged fire extinguisher, and carbon-monoxide detectors
• Sanitary water and sewer connections (public or private), working toilet, lavatory, tub/shower, and kitchen sink
• All sleeping areas have proper egress
• Outlet, switch, and junction box cover plates in place

The septic system must hold a current Muskegon County Environmental Health evaluation rated 1, 1P, 2, or 2P.^[3][10]

An STR lot may be occupied or used by only one family at a time.^[2] Maximum overnight and daytime occupancy are set in the license itself based on bedroom count and floor plan.^[11]

The owner must designate a local agent who lives within 45 minutes of the property and is reachable 24 hours a day to respond to complaints.^[3] Renters must be told in writing that the property is on the local agent’s contact list.

Commercial events (weddings, reunions, ticketed parties, or any gathering that is commercial in nature or for profit) are prohibited on STR lots.^[2] Properties used this way lose their STR priority and may be denied a future license.^[2]

Certain structures are categorically ineligible as STRs: tents, yurts, sheds, bunkhouses, boats, houseboats, pontoons, tiny houses below the minimum dwelling size, RVs, popup trailers, and any structure that was built or altered without required permits.^[2]

A lot accessed only by a joint driveway, access easement, or private road generally cannot be used as an STR.^[2] An exception applies only if all of the following are true:^[2]

• The improved gravel or paved roadbed is at least 15 feet wide at every point
• There is a 120-foot diameter turnaround or cul-de-sac at the end of the road or drive, built with the same materials as the road
• The road can support a 20-ton fire truck year-round
• The rental agreement discloses to guests that the property is on a private road not maintained by any government unit

If a property fails any one of these tests, it is ineligible regardless of the 55-lot cap. This rule was adopted on December 26, 2025 and is one of the more common reasons new applications are denied.^[2]

Total STR lots outside the C-Neighborhood Commercial district are capped at 55 township-wide.^[2] Priority within the cap goes to the STR lots that have been lawfully operating for the longest continuous period.^[2]

An existing STR loses its priority slot if any of the following are true:^[2]

• The dwelling has been a shed, trailer, tent, yurt, mobile home, or other non-stick-built structure
• It has ever been rented to more than one family at a time
• It has been used as a commercial event venue
• It has failed building, fire safety, or property maintenance codes
• It has not actually been rented for three consecutive years or more after Section 3.46 took effect

Recent changes: Section 3.46 was adopted February 6, 2025. Section 19.02 (Nonconforming Buildings) and a private-road restriction in §3.46(C)(7) were amended December 26, 2025.^[2] The current consolidated ordinance book is the February 2026 reprint linked below.^[12]