White Pigeon Township

White Pigeon Township’s Chapter 34 Zoning ordinance does not separately define or regulate short-term rentals.^[5] There is no STR overlay, no Tourist Home use class, and no Vacation Rental use class. Whether a particular parcel can be operated as an STR depends on (1) the zoning district the parcel sits in, (2) whether the activity falls under a residential dwelling use as defined in Section 34-4, and (3) whether the township interprets short-term occupancy as a Bed and Breakfast or similar use that may require a Special Use Permit under Article V.^[8]

Because the ordinance is silent on STRs specifically, the parcel-level zoning interpretation controls. Confirm the district using the FetchGIS parcel viewer below, then call the Township office at (269) 483-7043 before listing.

There is no STR-specific registration, license, or permit issued by White Pigeon Township.^[5][6] An operator does not file an STR application with the Township office because no such application exists. What an operator does file, when relevant, is a standard Zoning Inspection Permit for any building, addition, change of use, or accessory structure on the parcel, and a separate Building Permit if construction is involved.^[6]

Important procedural notes from the Applications & Permits page: zoning inspection permit signatures must be notarized (a notary is normally available at the Township office during business hours), and no building permit will be issued until a zoning inspection has been completed and paid for.^[6] If the Zoning Administrator determines that operating an STR on a specific parcel requires a Special Use Permit (e.g., the use is interpreted as a Bed and Breakfast), a separate Special Use Permit Application goes to the Planning Commission for a public hearing.^[8]

The Township does not publish a public fee schedule online.^[6] Per the Applications & Permits page, ‘no application for zoning inspection requests or building permits will be started unless paid for at the time of filing,’ so applicants are expected to call the office and confirm the current dollar amount before submitting.^[6]

Penalties for operating without required zoning approval, or for nuisance and noise violations, are issued via the Township’s Ordinance Violation Complaint process, which routes complaints to the Township for enforcement under Chapter 1 general penalty provisions.^[9] If the Township determines a violation, civil infraction citations and per-day fines can follow under MCL 600.8701 et seq. as adopted by the Township.

For current zoning inspection and building permit fees, call (269) 483-7043 during office hours (Tue/Thu/Fri 9 AM-1 PM, Wed 1-5 PM).

The Township does not conduct recurring rental inspections. What it does inspect is any new construction, addition, or change of use that triggers a building, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical permit.^[6] Each of those permits is a separately filed application with its own inspection cycle.

For STR operators, the safety items most likely to come up in a zoning inspection are: lot coverage and setback compliance, parking on the parcel rather than on the road shoulder, septic capacity if the parcel is not on municipal sewer (Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency reviews on-site septic),^[10] and well water testing if the parcel uses a private well.^[11] Smoke alarms, CO alarms, and egress windows are governed by the Michigan Building Code rather than a local rental inspection program.

There is no STR-specific occupancy cap, quiet-hours rule, or parking limit on the books at White Pigeon Township.^[5] Operators are subject to the general nuisance and disorderly conduct provisions of Chapter 7, which prohibit conduct that disturbs the public peace, and to any State of Michigan noise standards that local law enforcement enforces by complaint.^[12]

Practical operator guidance: keep guest counts within the sleeping capacity of the dwelling as defined by the Michigan Building Code (typically 2 persons per bedroom plus 2), park guest vehicles entirely on the parcel rather than on US 12 or township roads, take trash and recyclables to the curb only on the township’s standard pickup days, and communicate quiet hours (10 PM-7 AM is a reasonable default that matches typical Michigan township practice) to guests in the listing and house manual.

Michigan imposes a 6% Use Tax on rentals of 30 days or fewer, separate from any local rules.^[13] An STR operator registers with the Michigan Department of Treasury, collects 6% on the rental rate (and any cleaning or pet fees rolled into the booking), and remits monthly or quarterly through Michigan Treasury Online (MTO). Some booking platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo) collect and remit Michigan Use Tax on the operator’s behalf for bookings made through the platform; direct bookings remain the operator’s responsibility.

This is a state obligation, not a township obligation. White Pigeon Township does not collect, remit, or verify Use Tax compliance, and there is no local hotel/motel or accommodations tax in the township.

No STR ordinance has been adopted, proposed, or publicly discussed by White Pigeon Township as of May 2026.^[4] The township has had board-level turnover following the 2023 recall and subsequent special election, and current ordinance priorities are focused on operational fundamentals (FOIA, addressing, demolitions, boundary adjustments) rather than rental regulation.^[3]

Items to watch over the next 12-18 months: (1) any move by the Planning Commission to amend Chapter 34 to add an STR or vacation rental use class, which would show up on a public hearing notice; (2) any move by the County to layer a county-wide health or registration overlay, similar to what some Lake Michigan counties have considered; (3) any change at the State level to require uniform STR registration, which would preempt local silence. Subscribe to the Township meeting schedule for hearing notices.