Rental Investment Guide

Mendon Township

Short-term & long-term rental regulations, fees, and investor resources for St. Joseph County, Michigan.

Updated May 2026
📞
Township Hall
(269) 496-7708
📧
Zoning Administrator (Matt Jorgensen)
swmizoning@gmail.com
🗺
Directions
136 W Main St, Mendon, MI 49072
🌐
mendontwp.com
mendontwp.com

Area Overview

Mendon Township is a rural township in northeastern St. Joseph County, Michigan, wrapping around (but separate from) the Village of Mendon along the St. Joseph River and Pickerel Lake.[1] The township is predominantly agricultural with a mix of single-family homes, a small lakefront cottage market on Pickerel Lake, and farmsteads. Most rental activity is long-term single-family housing rather than short-term vacation rentals.

Unlike larger lakeshore communities, Mendon Township does not publish a stand-alone short-term rental ordinance or operate a township-level rental registration and inspection program. Rental rules come from three sources: the township zoning ordinance (administered by zoning admin Matt Jorgensen of SWMI Zoning), the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act,[2] and the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency’s environmental health code for water wells and septic systems.[3]

Because the township’s official site lists Ordinances, Forms, and Permit Applications but does not currently host their text or PDFs online (verified May 2026), investors and landlords must confirm by-parcel zoning, permit requirements, and any deed restrictions directly with the zoning administrator before listing or leasing a property. The township board meets the 1st Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm.[4]

Quick Status Summary

Short-Term Rentals VERIFY LOCALLY

Mendon Township has no published stand-alone short-term rental ordinance, permit cap, or registration program. By-district permission for nightly/weekly rentals defaults to the township zoning ordinance, which is not posted online — for any specific parcel, confirm with zoning administrator Matt Jorgensen (swmizoning@gmail.com) before listing on Airbnb, Vrbo, or similar platforms.[5]

Long-Term Rentals ALLOWED

Long-term residential leases are allowed in Mendon Township under Michigan landlord-tenant law. The township does not operate a local rental registration or inspection program; new well/septic systems serving rentals must be permitted through the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, and any structural work requires a building permit through the township building official.[3]

Rental Regulations

🗺️ Where STRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

By-district permission for short-term rentals is not posted on the township’s website. Mendon Township’s Ordinances page and Forms and Ordinances page currently show placeholder content with no zoning text or map available for download (verified May 2026).[5] For any specific parcel, you must contact the township zoning administrator directly.

To confirm whether nightly/weekly rentals are allowed at an address, do all three of these:

  1. Email Matt Jorgensen at swmizoning@gmail.com with the parcel address and ask for the zoning district and whether short-term rentals are a permitted, accessory, or special use in that district.
  2. Look up the parcel on the St. Joseph County FetchGIS portal to confirm dimensions, frontage, and any overlays.[6]
  3. Visit Township Hall during posted office hours to review the zoning ordinance in person (an appointment with the clerk is required since the ordinance is not online).[4]

Michigan Public Act 110 of 2006 (the Zoning Enabling Act) gives townships authority to regulate land use including short-term rentals through their zoning ordinance.[2] Until you have written confirmation from the zoning administrator, do not assume STR use is permitted by-right.

📧 Ask Zoning Admin🗺️ Parcel Viewer📞 Township Hall
📝 Registration & Permit Process

Mendon Township does not operate a stand-alone short-term rental registration or permit program. There is no STR application form, no annual STR fee, and no STR portal published by the township.[5] If the zoning administrator confirms STR use is allowed at your parcel, the only baseline permits typically required are:

State of Michigan does not require a state-level STR license; sales/lodging-related obligations (use tax) are handled at the state level.

📧 Zoning Admin📞 Building Official📄 Sewage/Water Permits
💵 Fees & Penalties

No township short-term rental application fee, registration fee, or annual STR permit fee is published on the Mendon Township website (verified May 2026).[5] The township has not adopted a stand-alone STR ordinance with a fee schedule.

Fees that may still apply at the parcel level when adding or operating an STR:

  • Building permit fees set by the township building official based on the State of Michigan fee schedule and project valuation; contact Joe Wickey at (269) 816-4951 for a quote on a specific scope.[4]
  • BHSJ septic and well permit fees — paid at time of application; see BHSJ Sewage and Water Permits for current fee tables.[3]
  • Zoning enforcement penalties — operating in a district where the zoning administrator has determined STRs are not permitted can result in a municipal civil infraction or zoning-violation action through the township’s code compliance officer (Matt Jorgensen, who also serves as zoning administrator).[4]

If a written, current STR fee schedule is later adopted by the township board, this guide will be updated. Until then, assume there is no township STR-specific fee but verify directly before listing.

📧 Code Compliance📞 Township Clerk
📋 Operating Rules (Septic, Wells, Noise, Burn)

Even without a township STR ordinance, three substantive rule sets apply to any short-term rental in Mendon Township:

  1. Septic capacity — the BHSJ Environmental Health Code (Section IV) ties on-site sewage system sizing to the number of bedrooms.[8] If you market a 3-bedroom home as sleeping 10, you can be cited for exceeding the design load of your septic system. Pull the original septic permit from BHSJ before setting your max-occupancy on a listing.
  2. Drinking water — private wells serving rentals are subject to BHSJ inspection and water-quality requirements; a Type II Non-Community public water supply designation is triggered if a property serves 25+ unique people per day for 60+ days per year.[9]
  3. Michigan state law — state right-to-farm, fireworks, and noise statutes apply by default; Michigan’s Fireworks Safety Act allows consumer fireworks on the day before, day of, and day after national holidays unless the township has adopted a more restrictive local fireworks ordinance.[2]

The township does not publish a noise ordinance, quiet-hours rule, or short-term rental conduct code (verified May 2026). Best practice: include reasonable quiet-hours (10pm-8am) and max-occupancy language in your house rules as a self-imposed standard.

📜 BHSJ Health Code (PDF)🛠️ BHSJ Septic Page💧 BHSJ Wells Page
🗺️ Where LTRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

Long-term single-family residential leasing is allowed in residentially-zoned districts of Mendon Township under Michigan landlord-tenant law and the township zoning ordinance.[2] Multi-family rental projects, mobile-home rentals, and accessory dwelling units may require a special-use permit; the zoning ordinance is not posted on the township website, so confirm directly with zoning administrator Matt Jorgensen at swmizoning@gmail.com before assuming any non-single-family rental configuration is permitted.[5]

To verify zoning for a specific parcel, follow the same steps as STRs:

  1. Pull the parcel record from the St. Joseph County FetchGIS portal.[6]
  2. Email Matt Jorgensen the parcel address and ask for the zoning district and the permitted, accessory, and special uses in that district.
  3. Confirm any private restrictions (deed covenants, lake association rules) — these are not enforced by the township but can independently bar leasing.
📧 Ask Zoning Admin🗺️ Parcel Viewer📄 Deed Search
📝 Registration & Permit Process

Mendon Township does not operate a long-term rental registration program and does not require landlords to obtain a township-level rental license, certificate of compliance, or annual rental permit (verified May 2026 — the township’s Permit Applications page and Forms and Ordinances page show placeholder content with no rental forms).[5] This is the norm for most small rural townships in Michigan.

What landlords still need to do:

  • Confirm zoning permission with the zoning administrator (see "Where LTRs Are Allowed" above).
  • Pull a building permit through township building official Joe Wickey ((269) 816-4951, jwickey00@gmail.com) for any structural or accessory-dwelling work before leasing.[4]
  • Register any new septic or well system with the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency.[3]
  • Comply with federal Lead-Based Paint Disclosure (1978 or older housing) and Michigan landlord-tenant law security-deposit and notice requirements (see "Tenant Rights & Eviction Resources" below).
📧 Zoning Admin📞 Building Official💻 BS&A Property Lookup
💵 Fees & Penalties

Mendon Township does not charge a long-term rental registration fee, annual rental license fee, or inspection fee (verified May 2026).[5] There is no fee schedule for LTRs published by the township because no LTR program exists at the township level.

Possible parcel-level fees that may still apply to a rental property:

  • Building/trade permit fees through the township building official based on the State of Michigan fee schedule and scope of work.[4]
  • Property taxes — non-homestead (rental) properties are taxed at the higher non-Principal Residence Exemption (non-PRE) millage rate; check current taxable values and millages on the Mendon Township BS&A portal or via the county Property Records & Tax Search.[10]
  • Penalties for code violations — operating with an unpermitted structure or in violation of zoning can be addressed as a municipal civil infraction by the township code compliance officer.[4]
💻 Tax/Property Records📧 Code Compliance
⚖️ Tenant Rights & Eviction Resources

Without a local rental ordinance, landlord-tenant rights in Mendon Township are governed by Michigan state law. The most load-bearing rules:

  • Security deposit cap — Michigan caps residential security deposits at 1.5 months’ rent (MCL 554.602). The landlord must give the tenant a notice of bank where the deposit is held within 14 days of receipt.[11]
  • Notice to enter — Michigan does not have a statutory landlord-entry notice period, but lease language and reasonable notice (commonly 24 hours) is best practice.
  • Eviction venue — landlord-tenant cases for Mendon Township are heard in the 3B District Court in Centreville; the court handles summary proceedings for nonpayment and breach of lease.[12]
  • Federal lead disclosure — for any pre-1978 rental, the EPA/HUD lead-based paint disclosure form is required at lease signing.

For tenants in need of free legal help, Michigan Legal Help (michiganlegalhelp.org) offers self-help packets for eviction defense, security-deposit return, and habitability claims; St. Joseph County legal aid referrals also go through the 45th Circuit Court’s Friend of the Court office.[13]

⚖️ 3B District Court📞 Friend of the Court

Official Resources

Ordinances
📜
BHSJ Environmental Health Code
Sewage disposal and water well code for St. Joseph County (PDF)
📘
Michigan Zoning Enabling Act — Act 110 of 2006
State enabling statute for all Michigan township zoning ordinances
Forms & Applications
🛠️
BHSJ Septic Permit Information
On-site sewage disposal permit details and application
💧
BHSJ Well Permit Information
Water well permit details and application
📄
BHSJ Sewage and Water Permits Resources
Downloadable permit applications and fee info
Maps
🗺️
St. Joseph County FetchGIS Parcel Viewer
Parcels, dimensions, ownership, aerial imagery
Portals & Lookups
💻
BS&A Online — Mendon Township
Property tax lookup, assessment, payment portal
📂
St. Joseph County Property Records & Tax Search
County-wide property and tax history search
📜
St. Joseph County Register of Deeds — Property Search
Deed and recorded-document search (covenants, easements)
Contact & Directions
📞
Township Hall
136 W Main St, Mendon, MI 49072 — (269) 496-7708
📧
Zoning Administrator — Matt Jorgensen
swmizoning@gmail.com — also serves as code compliance officer
👷
Building Official — Joe Wickey
jwickey00@gmail.com — (269) 816-4951
🧾
Township Assessor — Dale Hutson
(269) 432-2834 — assessment and PRE questions
👥
Township Officials & Board
Supervisor, Clerk, Treasurer, Trustees, Planning Commission
Other Resources
🏛️
Main Municipal Site
Mendon Township official homepage (mendontwp.com)
⚖️
3B District Court — Landlord-Tenant Venue
Centreville court hearing Mendon Township eviction cases
📅
Township Board Agendas & Minutes
Board and Planning Commission meeting records

Property Tax Treatment

i
Important for investors: A property used as a rental in Michigan is generally classified as non-homestead, which is taxed at the full local millage rate (no Principal Residence Exemption). Short-term rental income may also be subject to the Michigan Use Tax on transient accommodations. Consult a CPA before underwriting any deal — these are not opinions, they are starting points for your own tax research.
📊
Michigan Property Tax Guide
PRE, millage, transfer rules
🏛
Michigan Treasury
State tax info

Explore Rental Guides — St. Joseph County

Every municipality in St. Joseph County. Click any to view its rental guide — or request one if it’s not yet live. View the St. Joseph County hub →

STRs Allowed
STRs Capped/Limited
STRs Heavily Restricted
STRs Not Allowed
Unverified
Guide Coming Soon

Looking at a property in a different county? View all Southwest Michigan rental guides →

Buying, selling, or investing in Mendon Township?

I help investors and homeowners navigate short-term and long-term rental rules across St. Joseph County and the rest of southwest Michigan, including small rural townships like Mendon where the rules live in the zoning admin's inbox rather than on the township website.

Schedule a Consultation Call (269) 235-9910

Sources & Downloads

  1. 1
    Mendon Township — History page (geographic context) https://mendontwp.com/history/
    Confirms township location, population, and relationship to Village of Mendon
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  2. 2
    Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, Public Act 110 of 2006 https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-Act-110-of-2006.pdf
    State statute granting townships zoning authority including over short-term rentals
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  3. 3
    Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency — Sewage Disposal Systems https://www.bhsj.org/programs/36
    Health-department permits required for septic systems serving any St. Joseph County rental
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  4. 4
    Mendon Township — Officials page https://mendontwp.com/officials/
    Verified board, planning commission, and building/zoning contact list including Matt Jorgensen and Joe Wickey
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  5. 5
    Mendon Township — Forms and Ordinances page (verified placeholder content) https://mendontwp.com/documents/
    Page exists but body content is the default 'Your Content Goes Here' placeholder — no ordinance PDFs or rental forms are published
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  6. 6
    St. Joseph County FetchGIS Parcel Viewer https://app.fetchgis.com/?currentMap=stjo
    Authoritative county GIS portal for parcels, ownership, and aerial imagery
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  7. 7
    BHSJ Water Wells page https://bhsj.org/programs/35
    Permit and water-quality testing requirements for wells serving rentals
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  8. 8
    BHSJ Environmental Health Code (PDF) https://bhsj.org/uploads/resource/attachment/113/EnvironmentalHealthCode91.pdf
    Section IV ties septic system design load to number of bedrooms — relevant for STR max-occupancy claims
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  9. 9
    Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency — Type II Non-Community Water Supply https://www.bhsj.org/programs/38
    Threshold for when a rental's private well becomes a regulated public water supply
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  10. 10
    St. Joseph County Property Records & Tax History Search https://stjosephcountymi.gov/government/equalization/property-records-tax-history-search/
    County-wide property and tax search portal
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  11. 11
    Michigan Compiled Laws — Security Deposit Act (MCL 554.602) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-Act-348-of-1972.pdf
    Michigan landlord-tenant security deposit cap of 1.5 months' rent
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  12. 12
    3B District Court — St. Joseph County https://stjosephcountymi.gov/government/courts-law-enforcement/3b-district-court/
    Court of jurisdiction for Mendon Township landlord-tenant summary proceedings
    Verified: 2026-05-18
  13. 13
    St. Joseph County Friend of the Court https://stjosephcountymi.gov/government/courts-law-enforcement/friend-of-the-court/
    Court services and legal-aid referral source
    Verified: 2026-05-18
How this guide is produced. This rental guide is researched and drafted with assistance from Claude, an AI model made by Anthropic, working from the official municipal sources linked in this page. AI can make mistakes — any fact that would materially affect a purchase or rental decision should be verified against the official source cited above and confirmed directly with the municipality. See an error? Email a correction.