Watson Township

Watson Township’s zoning ordinance does not separately define or regulate “short-term rental,” “transient rental,” or “vacation rental” uses ^[2]. The ordinance addresses lodging-style uses through three specific categories, each with different district eligibility under Appendix B (Quick Reference to Permitted Uses and Special Uses) ^[12]:

• Tourist Home — defined as “a building, other than a hotel, boarding house, lodging house, or motel, where lodging is provided by a resident family in its home for compensation, mainly for transients” ^[11]. This category contemplates a host-present arrangement, not an unhosted whole-house rental.
• Bed and Breakfast Establishments — permitted as a Type II Home Occupation (Special Use Permit through the Planning Commission) in the A-1, A-2, R-1, R-2, and LRD districts ^[13].
• Hotels, Motels and Motor Courts — permitted only in the C-1 Commercial district ^[12].

Unhosted, whole-house STRs (the typical Airbnb / VRBO model) fall outside these defined categories. Because the zoning ordinance regulates uses by enumeration (only listed uses are permitted in each district), an unlisted use defaults to not permitted unless and until the Planning Commission or Zoning Administrator interprets it otherwise. For any specific property, verify the zoning district on the current map and confirm the permitted use in writing with the Zoning Administrator before listing.

Click to open the current Watson Township Zoning Map (PDF). The full zoning ordinance text is hosted on Municipal Code Online.

There is no township-level short-term rental registration, license, or permit to file with Watson Township ^[3]. The township does not maintain an STR portal, an application form, or a rental license. The Zoning Inspector and Planning Commission are the appropriate paths for confirming zoning use or applying for a Special Use Permit (e.g., a bed and breakfast).

What investors and operators still need to handle independently of the township:

• Michigan Treasury — Use Tax on Accommodations. Operators of rentals under 30 days must register with the Michigan Department of Treasury and remit the 6% Use Tax on accommodations on gross rental receipts.
• Building / mechanical / electrical / plumbing permits. Watson Township does not operate its own building department; these inspections are handled by the State of Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes (LARA) where the township has not contracted with a third-party inspector ^[7].
• Special Use Permit (for B&B). A Bed and Breakfast in A-1, A-2, R-1, R-2, or LRD requires a Special Use Permit from the Planning Commission under Chapter 15 of the zoning ordinance ^[13]. The standard SUP application packet is published on the Forms & Applications page ^[15].
• Zoning compliance sign-off. Before listing, confirm in writing with the Zoning Inspector that the parcel’s zoning district permits the proposed rental use.

Watson Township does not charge a township-level short-term rental fee or annual rental registration fee as of May 2026 ^[3]. There is no township STR permit to renew. The costs to budget for instead are state, county, and case-specific zoning-application fees:

Confirm current fee amounts directly with the township office; published fee schedules are not posted on the township website and are set by board resolution. If the township enacts a short-term rental ordinance in the future, this section will be updated.

Watson Township does not run a periodic STR safety-inspection program. Inspections are triggered only by new construction, additions, alterations, or change-of-use that require a building permit, and are performed under the State of Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes (LARA) since the township has not adopted its own building department ^[7].

For any STR or LTR property, standard Michigan habitability and safety expectations still apply:

• Smoke and CO detectors meeting Michigan Residential Code on each habitable level and outside each sleeping area.
• Egress windows in any bedroom; every sleeping room must have at least one operable emergency escape opening.
• Functioning utilities (water, electricity, heat capable of maintaining 68°F).
• Septic system in working order if not on municipal sewer; permits and records handled by Allegan County Environmental Health ^[16].
• Well water permitted and (recommended) tested for safe drinking-water parameters if not on municipal water ^[16].
• Lake-residential (LRD) parcels on Miner Lake or Selkirk Lake also fall under Michigan EGLE inland-lakes-and-streams jurisdiction for any shoreline alteration.

Operating rules for rentals in Watson Township are governed by the zoning ordinance plus a short set of police-power / general ordinances on noise, blight, and parks ^[2][17]. The township does not maintain a separate short-term-rental “Good Neighbor” policy.

• Noise / nuisance. Wind energy and similar Section 21B standards reference a 55 dB(A) property-line limit between 9:00 PM and 9:00 AM as a benchmark ^[2]; general residential noise complaints are filed with the Ordinance Enforcement Officer (Jim Davis, codes@watsontownshipmi.gov, (616) 633-4369) ^[7]. After-hours emergencies in unincorporated areas are handled by the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office.
• Blight / junk / abandoned property / excessive animals. All routed through the Ordinance Enforcement Officer ^[7].
• Home occupations. Type I home occupations are permitted by right in A-1, A-2, R-1, R-2, and LRD subject to Section 22.15 conditions (under 500 sq ft or 25% of floor area, no detached accessory building, no employees outside the household, no signs in R-1 / R-2 / LRD) ^[2]. Type II home occupations require Planning Commission Special Use Permit approval.
• Parks Regulation Ordinance (Ord. 2022-3). Sets rules for behavior in township parks; relevant if a rental property hosts gatherings spilling into a township park ^[17].
• Mining Operations (Chapter 17). Surface mining and gravel pits require a Special Land Use Permit and bond — rare for a rental investor but relevant on larger agricultural parcels ^[4].
• Fireworks. Michigan’s Fireworks Safety Act allows consumer-grade fireworks on certain days; townships may further restrict use between 11:30 PM and 8:00 AM on most days.
• Trash. The township operates a periodic Recycling Program but no curbside trash mandate — STR operators should arrange private waste service to handle renter turnover without overflow ^[18].

Watson Township has been amending portions of its zoning framework over the past several years. None of these amendments create a stand-alone short-term rental ordinance, but they do affect what can be built or operated on specific parcels.

• Zoning Map (Adopted March 27, 2024). Current operative zoning map — the prior map dated to the early 2020s. Investors should use this version for any due-diligence work ^[8].
• Chapter 17 — Earth Removal, Quarrying, Mining and Related Mineral Extraction Activities (as adopted, December 2023). Sets the Special Land Use Permit requirements, bonds, and conditions for mining operations — relevant on larger agricultural parcels ^[4].
• Secondary Residence Ordinance (December 2023). Sets the rules under which a secondary (accessory) residence may be added to a parcel — relevant for any property considering an ADU-style detached or attached secondary dwelling ^[5].
• Wind and Solar Energy Ordinance (2014). Standalone chapter regulating on-site wind energy systems (under 65 ft as permitted use, taller as SUP) and solar energy collection systems ^[6].
• Parks Regulation Ordinance (Ord. 2022-3). Sets behavior rules in township-owned parks ^[17].