Chikaming Township
Short-term & long-term rental regulations, fees, and investor resources for Berrien County, Michigan.
Area Overview
Chikaming Township sits along Lake Michigan in the southwest corner of Berrien County, comprising the unincorporated communities of Lakeside, Harbert, Sawyer, and Union Pier. Housing stock is a mix of lakefront second homes, year-round single-family residences, and a small commercial corridor along Red Arrow Highway. The area is the heart of "Harbor Country" and draws weekend and seasonal visitors primarily from the Chicago metro, roughly 90 minutes away.
Short-term rental activity is significant — STRs account for approximately 13% of the township's housing stock [1] — and is now actively capped by ordinance. Long-term rental supply is comparatively limited and is the primary path for new rental investment when STR permits are unavailable.
Quick Status Summary
Permitted township-wide under Ordinance 164 (effective 3/23/2026) [2], but capped at 550 active permits and processed first-come, first-served. Permits are non-transferable. Investors should not assume a new permit will be available for any specific property.
Permitted with annual registration. No cap. Lease term must be 31 days or longer. $50 initial registration, $25 annual renewal if filed by February 1 [3].
Rental Regulations
Where STRs Are Allowed (Zoning)
STRs operate under Ordinance 164 (cap-and-permit, township-wide) — but whether a specific parcel’s zoning district permits “Commercial Lodging” use is governed separately by the Zoning Ordinance use chart (Section 3.01) [12].
The specific by-district permissions aren’t reliably available in machine-readable form (Ordinance 164 was distributed as a scanned PDF, and the Section 3.01 use chart needs to be read directly). For any specific property, verify the zoning district on the map below, then confirm Commercial Lodging permission with the Zoning Administrator.
Click the map to open the full Zoning Maps page with section-by-section PDFs.
Registration & Permit Process
STR applications are submitted online only through the township’s third-party portal (Deckard) [3]. Paper or in-person applications are not accepted. The township opens application windows according to ordinance and processes complete applications first-come, first-served.
Fees & Penalties
STR registration uses a tiered, per-bedroom fee structure. The same schedule applies to renewals [3].
Fines must be paid in person at the Township Office or by check mailed to the Chikaming Township Rental Program. Online fine payment is not currently available.
Inspections & Safety Requirements
All new rental permits require an inspection before issuance. Renewals are inspected every other year [3]. Once an application is reviewed and accepted, applicants receive an email with instructions to schedule the property inspection.
Occupancy standards under Ordinance 164 [2]:
- Every habitable room must have at least 70 sq ft of floor area.
- Each bedroom occupied by more than one person requires at least 50 sq ft per occupant.
- Owners cannot advertise occupancy levels exceeding what the ordinance allows.
Operating Rules (Occupancy, Quiet Hours, Parking)
STR operators are bound by the Good Neighbor Policy [4], the Noise & Nuisance Ordinance [5], and the Fireworks Ordinance [6] in addition to Ordinance 164 [2].
- Private events restricted. Ordinance 164 states that private events should not be conducted at short-term rental premises.
- Occupancy advertising. Owners cannot advertise occupancy levels above what the ordinance permits.
- Trash. Containers may be left out only from 7 PM the night before pickup until end of pickup day; sufficient commercial trash service must be in place to handle renters without overflow.
- Signs. Property advertising signs may be displayed up to 90 days per calendar year (per zoning ordinance); signs may not be placed in the public right-of-way.
- Pools. Required to be fenced.
Local Agent / 24-Hour Contact Requirement
If the property owner does not serve as the local agent themselves, they must designate one in writing [2]. This requirement is aimed at investor-owned properties managed remotely.
Chikaming Township maintains a public-facing complaint and verification system through Deckard [7]:
- Rental Hotline: 269-231-3400
- Public STR Permit Lookup: str-public-portal.deckard.com
- Berrien County Non-Emergency Dispatch: 866-630-7679
Permit Caps, Moratoriums & Recent Changes
Chikaming Township overhauled its short-term rental framework in 2026.
- October 9, 2025: Township Board enacted a 90-day moratorium on new STR licenses [3]. Only properties with valid or pending 2025 licenses prior to that date were allowed to renew for 2026.
- February 12, 2026: Board adopted Ordinance 164 unanimously, replacing the prior 2018 registration framework [2].
- March 23, 2026: New license applications opened at 9:00 AM through the Deckard portal. As of March 20, 2026, approximately 90 permits were anticipated to be available [3].
- Permit cap: 550 active permits. Applications are processed first-come, first-served until the cap is reached.
- Permits are non-transferable — they do not convey with a property sale.
Context behind the change: STRs grew to roughly 13% of Chikaming’s housing stock (~520 homes) by 2025 [1]. Township leadership cited housing affordability for service workers, teachers, and public safety personnel as the driver for the cap.
Where LTRs Are Allowed (Zoning)
LTRs (31+ day leases) generally follow standard residential zoning. If a parcel is zoned for residential dwelling use, LTRs are permitted — no separate “Commercial Lodging” classification applies (that category is specific to short-term rentals) [12].
Where verification matters: For commercial, agricultural, or mixed-use-zoned properties, the underlying residential use itself must be permitted — verify the parcel’s zoning district on the map below, then confirm residential dwelling use is permitted by right (or grandfathered) with the Zoning Administrator.
LTRs are not subject to the 550 cap that applies to short-term rentals — only annual registration via the LTR application packet [3].
Click the map to open the full Zoning Maps page with section-by-section PDFs.
Registration & Permit Process
Long-term rental registration uses paper forms — submit in person or by mail to the township office [3].
- New permit: Long-Term Rental Permit Application packet (PDF)
- Renewal: Long-Term Rental Renewal form (PDF)
Required with the application: copy of property owner’s government-issued ID, floor plan of the rental property (showing utilities, electrical panel, doorways), and acknowledgment that the owner has read the noise/nuisance, zoning, and rental ordinances.
Fees & Penalties
Fee schedule as published on the Rental Permits page [3].
Inspections & Safety Requirements
All new long-term rentals require an inspection before issuance. Renewals are inspected every other year on the same cycle as STRs [3].
The application packet certifies that the property meets the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code (no peeling paint, no exposed electrical wiring, no missing electrical covers), has no open or expired building permits, complies with the Chikaming zoning ordinance, and — if a pool is on the property — that the pool is fenced [8].
Tenant Rights & Eviction Resources
Michigan landlord-tenant relationships are governed by state law (MCL 554.601 et seq.) and the summary proceedings act for evictions. The State Bar of Michigan publishes a free Practical Guide for Tenants and Landlords that covers leases, security deposits, repairs, and the eviction process [9]. These rules apply equally in Chikaming Township and are not modified by local ordinance.
Special Regulations
Chikaming Township has Lake Michigan shoreline subject to High Risk Erosion Area (HREA) and Critical Dune designations under MDEGLE jurisdiction. Investors evaluating lakefront properties should review these in addition to standard rental rules.
High Risk Erosion Areas & Critical Dunes
Portions of Chikaming’s Lake Michigan shoreline are designated as High Risk Erosion Areas and/or Critical Dune Areas, regulated by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (MDEGLE, formerly MDEQ) [10]. Construction, modification, and shoreline protection structures (sandbags, geotubes, seawalls) in these areas require state permits in addition to local approvals.
Septic & Sewer (Galien Sanitary District)
Most properties in Chikaming Township are on private septic systems. The Galien Sanitary District serves a portion of the township [11]. Buyers of any property using septic should request the most recent inspection records from the Berrien County Health Department before closing — failed or undersized septic systems are a common surprise on older lakefront cottages and are expensive to remediate.
Official Resources
Property Tax Treatment
Explore Rental Guides — Berrien County
All 39 municipalities in Berrien County. Click any to view its rental guide — or request one if it’s not yet live.
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Sources & Downloads
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1Harbor Country News — Rental Ordinance adopted in Chikaming Townshiphttps://www.harborcountry-news.com/news/rental-ordinance-adopted-in-chikaming-township/article_464d1a08-74cd-11e8-8f43-9f681b898165.htmlContext on STR growth and board rationale for capVerified: 2026-04-17
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2Chikaming Township — Ordinance 164 (STR, adopted 2/12/2026)https://www.chikamingtownship.org/s/2-12-26Ordinance164STR.pdfFull ordinance text (PDF)Verified: 2026-04-17
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3Chikaming Township — Rental Permits pagehttps://www.chikamingtownship.org/rental-permitsFees, moratorium timeline, application portal, inspection scheduleVerified: 2026-04-17
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4Chikaming Township — Good Neighbor Policyhttps://www.chikamingtownship.org/s/Good-Neighbor.pdfTownship ordinanceVerified: 2026-04-17
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5Chikaming Township — Noise & Nuisance Ordinancehttps://www.chikamingtownship.org/s/Noise-and-Nuisance.pdfTownship ordinanceVerified: 2026-04-17
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6Chikaming Township — Fireworks Ordinance (Ord. 145)https://www.chikamingtownship.org/s/Ord145-fireworks.pdfTownship ordinanceVerified: 2026-04-17
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7Chikaming Township — Rental Public Informationhttps://www.chikamingtownship.org/rental-public-informationComplaint hotline and Deckard public portal infoVerified: 2026-04-17
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8Chikaming Township — Rental Application Packet (LTR)https://www.chikamingtownship.org/s/Rental-packet.pdfLTR application, affidavit requirements, property maintenance code referenceVerified: 2026-04-17
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9Michigan Legislature — A Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlordshttps://www.legislature.mi.gov/publications/tenantlandlord.pdfStatewide landlord-tenant law, leases, eviction processVerified: 2026-04-17
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10Chikaming Township — Shoreline Sustainability pagehttps://www.chikamingtownship.org/shoreline-erosionHREA, Critical Dunes, MDEGLE references, sandbag permittingVerified: 2026-04-17
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11Chikaming Township — Galien Sanitary Districthttps://www.chikamingtownship.org/galien-sanitarySewer district serving a portion of the townshipVerified: 2026-04-17
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12Chikaming Township — Zoning Ordinance (effective 3/4/2023)https://chikaming-mi-township.squarespace.com/s/Chikaming-Zoning-Ordinance-Effective-March-4-2023-with-Map.pdfFull zoning ordinance PDF. Section 3.01 use chart governs where Commercial Lodging (STR use) is permitted by district.Verified: 2026-04-17