Three Rivers

The City does not publish a separate zoning carve-out for short-term rentals. Chapter 30 of the City Code (the Zoning Ordinance) sets the residential, business, and industrial districts; the most recent substantive change to residential zoning was Ordinance 856 in 2023, which consolidated the prior R-1 and R-2 districts.^[3][9] STR-specific permissions or prohibitions by district are not separately codified in public-facing materials we could verify — for any property, verify the underlying zoning and confirm STR status in writing with the Building & Zoning Director before underwriting.

Submit the City of Three Rivers Annual Rental Registration form to the City Clerk on or before August 1 each year, accompanied by the registration fee.^[1] Forms are linked from the Building & Zoning Department page; you can also email the Building & Zoning Director directly to confirm submission paths for STR use.

STRs use the same Chapter 13 registration mechanism as long-term rentals; no separate STR application is published. Confirm STR-specific paperwork (if any) with Building & Zoning before listing.

The FY26 Comprehensive Fee Schedule (Section 6-7) sets the rental fees applied to all registered units, including STRs operating under Chapter 13.^[2]

Fees are reviewed and adjusted twice annually before the City budget cycle (typically in June). Confirm the current schedule on the City Fees page before paying.^[2]

Every rental unit in the City — STR or LTR — is inspected at least once every two years under Chapter 13 (Sec. 13-15.1(A)).^[1] Inspections are performed by SAFEbuilt under contract with the City; SAFEbuilt also acts as the City Zoning Administrator and Building Official.^[4] Common items the inspector checks include:

• Smoke and CO alarms on every level and in each sleeping room, installed per the Michigan Residential Code.
• Egress windows or doors from each sleeping room.
• Electrical, plumbing, heating in working order: no exposed splices, GFCI in wet locations, properly vented heating equipment.
• Exterior & property maintenance: roof, siding, stairs, handrails, walks, and grounds maintained.
• Posting: current license available on request; copies of the inspection report kept in the property’s rental file.

If violations are found, a second inspection is scheduled and billed separately ($76 FY26).^[2] Additional subsequent inspections after a failed re-inspection are billed at the higher additional-inspection rate.

Inspection entry requires the consent of the owner or owner’s agent or a court order; emergency entry is authorized for imminent-danger conditions (Sec. 13-15.2 & 13-15.3).^[1] Mobile homes are inspected on a three-year cycle per MCL 125.2307 (Sec. 13-15.1(H)).^[1]

The City does not publish STR-specific occupancy caps or operating rules beyond the general standards in Chapter 13 and the City’s nuisance/noise ordinances enforced by the Three Rivers Police Department Code Enforcement officers.^[7]

• Occupancy. Chapter 13 incorporates Michigan Residential Code minimums for habitable rooms and egress; specific occupancy is set by bedroom count and Code egress capacity for each unit at inspection.
• Quiet hours / noise. Citywide noise rules apply via the Three Rivers City Code; complaints route through Code Enforcement / Police non-emergency.^[7]
• Parking. On-site parking minimums are set by the underlying zoning district; on-street guest parking is subject to City parking rules.
• “Family” definition. Chapter 13 defines family as an individual or married couple and their children, plus up to two additional related persons living as a single housekeeping unit (Sec. 13-2).^[1] Group rentals to unrelated occupants beyond that count may trigger a separate boarding-/rooming-house classification under the Code.

Three Rivers’ rental framework has been stable in recent years. Notable recent ordinance activity includes:

• 2023 — Ordinance 856: Consolidated the R-1 and R-2 zoning districts in Chapter 30 (Zoning Ordinance). The change is reflected in the City’s Master Plan Implementation List.^[9]
• Annual fee schedule updates: The Comprehensive Fee Schedule is reviewed and adjusted twice annually as part of the budget process; the FY26 schedule raised the per-unit annual registration fee from $26 to $27 and bumped most inspection-fee tiers by roughly 3 percent.^[2]
• SAFEbuilt building-services contract: SAFEbuilt continues as the City’s contracted inspection and zoning-administration provider.^[4]

No STR-specific ordinance has been adopted as of this guide’s last-verified date. Watch the City’s Ordinances page and CivicWeb document portal for new code activity.