Burr Oak Township

The Township’s six zoning districts (A Agricultural, R-1 Residential, R-2 Residential Resort, R-3 Mobile Home Park, C Commercial, I Industrial) are silent on short-term rentals.^[2] A full text search of the 2016 Zoning Ordinance returns zero hits for ‘short-term rental,’ ‘vacation rental,’ ‘Airbnb,’ ‘VRBO,’ or ‘bed and breakfast,’ so STR use is neither expressly listed as a permitted use nor as a special exception use in any district.^[2]

What this means in practice: a single-family or two-family dwelling in the R-1, R-2, or A district is allowed as a residence,^[5] and renting that residence on a short-term basis is not addressed one way or the other in the ordinance. The R-2 Residential Resort District does allow ‘Resort Hotels’ as a Special Exception Use,^[6] which is a separate use type from a residential STR. Because the ordinance is silent, the Township defers to SAFEbuilt’s zoning interpretation for any specific parcel.

Verify the district for any specific property using the official Zoning Map (2018) and the Future Land Use Map (2017).

There is no Burr Oak Township short-term rental registration program, no STR permit, and no STR application. The Township does not issue an STR license and does not collect an STR fee.^[2] If a property change requires a building permit (additions, structural alterations, new septic), the permit is filed through SAFEbuilt at the Athens, MI office on a value-based application.^[3]

If a zoning interpretation or variance is needed (for example, to operate something the Zoning Administrator deems not residential in character), the Township ZBA Application or Special Exception Use Form is the path. Both forms go through SAFEbuilt and the Township Planning Commission/ZBA.

Burr Oak Township charges no STR-specific application fee, permit fee, or renewal fee because there is no STR program.^[2] The fees that most commonly affect an STR operator are the Noise Ordinance civil-infraction schedule and the Outdoor Assembly licensing fee for any event over 500 attendants.

Noise Ordinance (2007-2) civil-infraction fines:^[7]

Plus reasonable attorney fees and enforcement costs. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense.^[7]

Outdoor Assembly Ordinance (2006-1): a non-refundable $100 application fee, due at least 60 days before any event of 500+ attendants. Wedding receptions, open houses, family reunions, and other familial residential gatherings are expressly excluded from the assembly licensing requirement.^[8]

There is no Burr Oak Township rental-safety inspection program for short-term rentals. The Township does not perform recurring life-safety inspections on rental properties.^[2] Building inspections are triggered only when work requires a building permit, in which case SAFEbuilt inspects the work at the standard Michigan Residential Code milestones.^[3]

For STRs on private septic (most rural Burr Oak parcels are), the practical inspection that matters is the BHSJ on-site sewage evaluation when there is a change in dwelling use that increases bedroom count or occupancy load. BHSJ provides a ‘Change of Use for an Existing Water Supply and Sewage Disposal System’ application for that situation.^[9]

The Township-wide rules that apply to every short-term rental, regardless of zoning interpretation:

• Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Operating any radio, television, phonograph, or musical instrument during these hours in a way that is plainly audible at 50 feet, or audible inside a neighboring dwelling unit, is prima facie evidence of a Noise Ordinance violation. Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, and singing on the premises during the same hours are treated the same way.^[7]
• Construction hours: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. No construction, demolition, alteration, or repair work outside that window.^[7]
• Pet noise: Continuous or frequent animal noise audible at 50 feet is a Noise Ordinance violation.^[7]
• Outdoor events under 500 attendants connected to residential use (weddings, reunions, open houses) are expressly exempt from the Outdoor Assembly licensing requirement. Events 500+ require a license, 60-day advance application, $100 fee, and $1M public liability insurance.^[8]
• Parking on private property is governed by Section 18.1 of the Zoning Ordinance and any private deed restrictions.^[2]

Burr Oak Township does not impose its own occupancy cap on rental dwellings; on-site septic capacity is the practical ceiling for properties not connected to municipal sewer.^[4]

Even though Burr Oak Township does not collect a local STR fee, Michigan’s 6% Use Tax on transient accommodations under 30 days applies to every short-term rental statewide. Hosts collect, file, and remit through Michigan Treasury Online (MTO).^[10] Platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit this tax automatically for many hosts, but direct bookings still require host filing.

St. Joseph County does not impose a separate local accommodations excise tax that applies to Burr Oak Township short-term rentals.

Burr Oak Township’s last comprehensive Zoning Ordinance rewrite was 2016, with text amendments in 2019 (Solar Energy) and 2020 (Kennels/Dog Breeding; Lot Amendment), plus a 2022 Recreational Marihuana Special Exception Use ordinance.^[11] No short-term rental ordinance has been introduced, amended, or scheduled for hearing as of this guide’s verification date.

St. Joseph County has not adopted a county-wide STR registration program, and no surrounding municipality (Sturgis Township, Sherman Township, Burr Oak Village) has yet adopted one either, so there is no near-term regulatory pressure driving a change. Watch the monthly Township Board meeting and the Planning Commission agendas for any future zoning text amendment that introduces an STR definition.