Official Buyer Advisory
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Pavilion Township
Short-term & long-term rental regulations, fees, and investor resources for Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Area Overview
Pavilion Township is a rural township of roughly 6,400 residents spread across about 36 square miles of farmland, woodlots, and scattered residential subdivisions in southeastern Kalamazoo County [1]. It wraps around the unincorporated community of Scotts and sits directly southeast of the city of Portage, whose suburban edge has gradually pushed toward the township’s western border [1]. The Township Hall sits at 7510 East Q Avenue in Scotts, and the township office keeps regular weekday hours [2].
For rental investors and landlords, Pavilion Township is a light-regulation environment. The township has adopted no short-term rental ordinance, and it runs no rental registration, licensing, or inspection program for long-term rentals [12]. Its land-use rulebook is a single zoning ordinance, codified and kept current online and most recently amended through Ordinance No. 183 in June 2025 [4]. That makes the code easy to read, but it offers no guidance on vacation rentals, because it never defines or mentions them [4]. Renting a home on a long-term lease is treated as ordinary residential use, while a short-term rental falls into a genuine gray area.
Two practical details shape due diligence here. Building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits are not issued by the township or by Kalamazoo County; Pavilion Township contracts with Associated Government Services (AGS), a private regional building department that also performs zoning administration and code enforcement for the township [5][6]. And because municipal sewer reaches only part of the township, most properties rely on a private septic system permitted through Kalamazoo County, and the county’s sizing rules tie the number of bedrooms, and therefore the number of overnight guests a property can legally support, to the capacity of that system [10][11].
Quick Status Summary
Pavilion Township has no short-term rental ordinance, no STR registration, and no STR permit requirement [12]. The zoning ordinance does not define or mention short-term rentals; the only paid-lodging use it recognizes is a commercial Hotel/Motel use, permitted only in the C-2 General Commercial district [4]. A whole-house short-term rental in a residential or agricultural district is therefore neither expressly permitted nor expressly prohibited. This is a real gray area. Before relying on nightly-rental income, confirm directly with the township’s zoning administrator that a short-term rental is acceptable on your specific parcel [5][6].
Long-term rentals are permitted as ordinary residential use wherever the zoning ordinance allows a dwelling, and Pavilion Township operates no rental registration, license, or inspection program [4][12]. There are no township rental fees and no recurring township rental inspection. Standard Michigan landlord-tenant law applies, and any renovation work still requires a permit through the township’s contracted building department, AGS [5].
Rental Regulations
Where STRs Are Allowed (Zoning)
Pavilion Township’s zoning ordinance does not address short-term rentals anywhere in its residential or agricultural districts. There is no short-term rental, vacation rental, or transient-rental use category, and the only paid-lodging use the code defines is a commercial Hotel/Motel use (which the ordinance groups with tourist homes), permitted only in the C-2 General Commercial district [4].
The ordinance divides the township into fifteen districts: A-1 (Rural-Agriculture) and A-2 (Agriculture); R-1 through R-5 (residential, ranging from single-family to high-density multiple-family); R-6 (Mobile Home Park); C-1 and C-2 (commercial); I-1, I-2, and I-3 (industrial); an Open Space Preservation overlay; and the Scotts Mixed Use district [4]. None of these list a whole-house short-term rental as either a permitted or a prohibited use, and the ordinance contains no bed-and-breakfast or boarding-house category either [4].
Because an STR is neither named as a permitted use nor expressly banned, the only way to get a definitive answer for a specific parcel is to ask the township’s zoning administrator. Pavilion Township contracts zoning administration to Associated Government Services (AGS), and the Township Office can route a zoning question to the right reviewer [5][6]. Confirm which district a parcel falls in on the 2023 zoning map [7].
Is There an STR Permit or Registration?
No. There is no short-term rental permit, registration, or license to file with Pavilion Township, because the township operates no STR program of any kind [12].
Confirm the current state of play with the Township Office before underwriting a short-term rental, and watch Planning Commission and Township Board agendas for any proposed rental ordinance [3].
Operating Rules: Noise, Nuisance & Guest Conduct
Pavilion Township sets no STR-specific occupancy cap, quiet-hours window, or parking standard, but two township ordinances that apply to every property would govern a short-term rental’s guests: the Anti-Noise and Public Nuisance Ordinance and the Litter Ordinance [8][9].
The Anti-Noise and Public Nuisance Ordinance sets enforceable limits on excessive noise and on activity that rises to a public nuisance, and it applies to a parcel regardless of whether the occupant is an owner, a long-term tenant, or an overnight guest [8]. The Litter Ordinance sets parallel standards for trash, debris, and outdoor accumulation [9]. A short-term rental whose guests generate repeated noise or nuisance complaints is the single most common reason a Michigan township moves to draft a dedicated STR ordinance, so an operator’s strongest protection is to manage guest conduct proactively.
Standard good-neighbor practice still applies: cap guest counts to what the home and its septic system can support, set clear quiet hours in the house rules, and provide a local contact who can respond quickly to a complaint.
What Still Limits a Short-Term Rental
Even with no STR ordinance, three things still constrain a short-term rental in Pavilion Township: private septic capacity, the building and safety code enforced through AGS, and the underlying zoning use rules [4][5][11].
Septic capacity. Municipal sewer reaches only part of the township, so most properties operate on a private septic system permitted by Kalamazoo County [10]. A septic system is sized by bedroom count, and the county sanitary code ties allowable occupancy to that sizing, so a property cannot legally sleep more guests than its septic permit supports [11]. Before marketing a high-occupancy short-term rental, pull the septic permit and confirm the rated bedroom count.
Building and safety code. Any renovation, bedroom addition, or change-of-use work needed to stand up a rental requires permits and inspections through AGS, the township’s contracted building department, which also issues Certificates of Occupancy [5]. Zoning use. Although STRs are not named, the parcel must still sit in a district that allows a dwelling, and the structure must remain a legal dwelling unit under the ordinance [4].
Could Pavilion Township Regulate STRs Later?
Yes, and an investor relying on short-term rental income should treat that as a real possibility. Any new short-term rental ordinance would originate with the Planning Commission and be adopted by the Township Board at a public meeting [3].
Small rural Michigan townships have increasingly adopted short-term rental ordinances over the past several years, and Pavilion Township could follow. The township does actively maintain its land-use code: the zoning ordinance was most recently amended through Ordinance No. 183 in June 2025 [4]. Because Pavilion issues no STR permit or registration today, an operation started now has no paperwork on file to anchor a grandfathered-use argument if the rules change [12]. The practical defense is to stay informed, since Township Board and Planning Commission meetings are open to the public.
Where LTRs Are Allowed (Zoning)
Long-term rentals are permitted wherever Pavilion Township’s zoning ordinance allows a dwelling. Single-family dwellings are a permitted use in the R-1, R-2, and R-3 residential districts; the R-3 district also permits two-family dwellings; and the R-4 and R-5 districts permit multiple-family dwellings such as apartments [4].
A single-family dwelling is also an allowed use on A-1 (Rural-Agriculture) and A-2 (Agriculture) parcels, which is where many of the township’s rural rental houses sit [4]. Zoning regulates how land is used, not whether the occupant owns or rents, so leasing a legal dwelling on a term of a month or longer needs no special zoning approval [4]. Verify a parcel’s district on the 2023 zoning map [7]. For a commercial or industrial parcel, confirm with the township’s zoning administrator that the residential dwelling use is permitted or is a legal pre-existing use before counting on rental income [5][6].
Is There a Rental Registration or Inspection Program?
No. Pavilion Township has no long-term rental registration, no rental license, no rental inspection program, and no township rental fees [12].
This is common for small rural Michigan townships. Unlike the cities of Kalamazoo and Portage, which run landlord licensing and recurring rental-inspection cycles, Pavilion Township leaves rental housing to state law and to its general property ordinances [12]. One narrow exception exists: the township’s Mobile Home Registry and Inspection Ordinance requires registration and inspection of mobile homes, but it does not apply to conventional single-family or multiple-family rental housing [14].
Permits, Inspections & Property Standards
Any building, electrical, mechanical, or plumbing work on a rental requires a permit through Associated Government Services (AGS), Pavilion Township’s contracted building department, not the township office and not Kalamazoo County [5][6].
AGS reviews plans, issues permits, performs the required inspections, issues Certificates of Occupancy, and handles code enforcement and on-site sewer inspections for the township; it can be reached at 269-629-0600 [5][6]. The Township Office handles zoning questions, address requests, and ordinance matters [2]. There is no rental-specific inspection in Pavilion Township, but any renovation triggers an AGS inspection, and the township’s Litter Ordinance sets a baseline exterior-condition standard that applies to every parcel, rented or owner-occupied [9]. Current permit and application fees are posted in the township’s building and permit fee schedule [5].
Tenant Rights & Eviction Resources
Michigan state law, not any Pavilion Township ordinance, governs leases, security deposits, repairs, and evictions here [13].
Michigan landlord-tenant relationships run on state statute, including the cap on security deposits at one and a half months’ rent and the summary-proceedings process a landlord must follow in district court to evict a tenant [13]. The Michigan Legislature publishes a free booklet, A Practical Guide for Tenants and Landlords, that walks through leases, deposits, repair obligations, and the eviction timeline [13]. Because Pavilion Township has adopted no rental ordinance, there are no additional local tenant protections or landlord obligations beyond state law and the township’s general property ordinances [12].
Official Resources
Property Tax Treatment
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Looking at a rental property in Pavilion Township?
Pavilion Township's light regulatory footprint can favor an investor, but the gray area around short-term rentals, the private-septic limits on occupancy, and the AGS permit process all shape whether a property pencils out. I help buyers and landlords across Kalamazoo County weigh exactly these local factors.
Sources & Downloads
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1Census Reporter – Pavilion Township Profile https://censusreporter.org/profiles/06000US2607762960-pavilion-township-kalamazoo-county-mi/Population (about 6,400, 2020 census) and land area (about 36 square miles)Verified: 2026-05-21
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2Pavilion Township – Contact Us https://www.paviliontwpmi.gov/contact-usTownship office phone 269-327-0462, supervisor email, Township Hall address 7510 East Q Avenue, Scotts, MI 49088, and weekday office hoursVerified: 2026-05-21
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3Pavilion Township – Meet Your Township Officials https://www.paviliontwpmi.gov/meet-your-township-officialsTownship officials and the Township Board and Planning Commission structure that would originate any future ordinanceVerified: 2026-05-21
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4Pavilion Township Zoning Ordinance (Part 200, Ord. No. 91) – Municode https://library.municode.com/mi/pavilion_township/codes/compilation-general_and_zoning?nodeId=PT200_200.000ZOORORNO91ADFE121990Codified zoning ordinance: 15 districts; Hotel/Motel use permitted in C-2 only; no short-term rental, vacation rental, or bed-and-breakfast use category; codified through Ordinance No. 183 (June 2025)Verified: 2026-05-21
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5Pavilion Township – Building Permits https://www.paviliontwpmi.gov/building-permits-zoningTownship contracts building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, zoning, code enforcement, and on-site sewer inspections to Associated Government Services (AGS), 269-629-0600; links the township permit fee scheduleVerified: 2026-05-21
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6Associated Government Services (AGS) – Pavilion Township https://agsbuildingdept.weebly.com/pavilion-township.htmlConfirms AGS is the contracted building and zoning agency for Pavilion Township; links the zoning ordinance and zoning mapVerified: 2026-05-21
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7Pavilion Township Zoning Map (2023) https://www.paviliontwpmi.gov/_files/ugd/222eb1_cabb8df228774729b1f474595e5b23e6.pdfOfficial 2023 zoning map showing district boundariesVerified: 2026-05-21
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8Pavilion Township Anti-Noise and Public Nuisance Ordinance (Part 90) – Municode https://library.municode.com/mi/pavilion_township/codes/compilation-general_and_zoning?nodeId=PT90_90.000ANISPUNUORNO15ADMA91964Township noise and public-nuisance standards applying to all parcels and occupantsVerified: 2026-05-21
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9Pavilion Township Litter Ordinance (Part 111) – Municode https://library.municode.com/mi/pavilion_township/codes/compilation-general_and_zoning?nodeId=PT111_111.000LIORNO161ADMA142018EFJU142018Trash, debris, and exterior-condition standards applying to all parcelsVerified: 2026-05-21
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10Kalamazoo County – On-Site Sewage Treatment https://www.kalcounty.gov/295/Sewage-TreatmentCounty septic permitting for properties not served by municipal sewerVerified: 2026-05-21
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11Kalamazoo County Sanitary Code (PDF) https://www.kalcounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/840/Kalamazoo-County-Sanitary-Code-PDFOn-site sewage rules; septic system sizing ties to bedroom count and allowable occupancyVerified: 2026-05-21
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12Pavilion Township – Ordinances https://www.paviliontwpmi.gov/ordinancesTownship index of adopted ordinances; confirms no short-term rental ordinance and no general rental-registration program existsVerified: 2026-05-21
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13Michigan Legislature – A Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlords https://www.legislature.mi.gov/publications/tenantlandlord.pdfStatewide landlord-tenant law: leases, security deposits, repairs, and the eviction processVerified: 2026-05-21
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14Pavilion Township Mobile Home Registry and Inspection Ordinance (Part 151) – Municode https://library.municode.com/mi/pavilion_township/codes/compilation-general_and_zoning?nodeId=PT151_151.000MOHOREINORNO31ADMA91970Only township registry-and-inspection ordinance touching rentals; applies to mobile homes, not conventional residential rentalsVerified: 2026-05-21