Cassopolis

121 N. Disbrow St., Cassopolis, MI 49031

Directions

🌐

Village Website

www.cassopolis-mi.us

Location: Cassopolis (red outline) over OpenStreetMap. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Area Overview

Cassopolis is the county seat of Cass County, sitting on Stone Lake in the rolling lake-and-farm country of southwest Michigan, roughly 30 minutes north of South Bend, Indiana. The village mixes a compact downtown along Broadway and Disbrow streets with single-family neighborhoods on the lakefront and along the village edges. Housing stock runs from older bungalows and frame homes to a smaller pool of newer single-family builds and a handful of multi-family parcels in the R-2 district ^[1].

Rental activity in Cassopolis is modest by southwest-Michigan standards — the village is inland, lacks Lake Michigan exposure, and has not seen the cap-and-permit pressure that drove ordinances in Berrien County’s lakeshore communities. Both short- and long-term rentals are permitted under the village’s Rental Housing chapter (Code Chapter 283), which uses a registration-plus-inspection framework administered by the Village Manager and Building Inspector ^[2]. There is no separate STR-only ordinance and no permit cap ^[3]. The 2025 Master Fee Schedule sets rental inspection at $75 on a two-year cycle, with escalating failure-to-comply fees ^[4].

The Zoning Ordinance is older (last comprehensive update August 25, 1997, with subsequent amendments through Ordinance 259) and the current Zoning Map was reissued November 2024 ^[5]^[6]. Investors and landlords should verify each parcel’s zoning district on the map before underwriting — then confirm intended residential use with the village’s contracted Code Enforcement / Zoning Administrator before closing ^[7].

Quick Status Summary

Short-Term Rentals ALLOWED

Short-term rentals are permitted in residential zoning districts under the village’s Rental Housing chapter (Code Chapter 283). No separate STR ordinance and no permit cap. Owners must register the unit with the Village Manager and complete a Building Inspector inspection before letting the dwelling ^[2]. STR operators must additionally notify the village in writing within 10 days of any change in the designated local agent ^[8]. Inspection fee is $75 on a two-year cycle ^[4].

Long-Term Rentals ALLOWED

Long-term rentals (leases of 30+ days) are permitted in residential zoning districts under the same Chapter 283 registration-and-inspection regime as STRs. No cap. Each rental dwelling unit must be registered with the Village Manager and pass Building Inspector inspection before letting ^[2]. Inspection fee is $75 every two years; passing units that draw no complaints are not re-inspected within that window ^[4]^[9].

Rental Regulations

1 Where STRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

Short-term rentals are permitted in the village’s residential zoning districts (R-1, R-2, R-3, and RMHD), which allow single-family and — in R-2 / R-3 — multi-family dwelling uses by right ^[6]^[7]. The village’s Zoning Ordinance does not classify short-term rental as a separate “commercial lodging” use; STRs operate within the underlying residential dwelling use, subject to Chapter 283 registration and inspection ^[2].

For commercial-zoned parcels (C-1, C-2, C-3) or mixed-use parcels, residential dwelling above a ground-floor commercial use may be permitted but should be confirmed on a parcel-specific basis with the village’s Zoning Administrator ^[7]. The full Zoning Ordinance has not been republished as a single consolidated machine-readable PDF since the 1997 enactment — amendments are tracked through individual ordinances (most recently Ordinance 259) and the November 2024 Zoning Map ^[5]^[6]. For any specific property, verify the zoning district on the map below, then confirm the intended rental use with the Zoning Administrator.

Click the map to open the full PDF.

🗺 Zoning Map (PDF)📄 Planning & Zoning Page 📧 Ask Zoning Admin

2 Registration & Permit Process

Submit your Rental Housing registration in person or by mail to the Village Manager at 121 N. Disbrow St., Cassopolis, MI 49031 ^[2]. Cassopolis does not currently offer an online portal for rental registration. Each owner, agent, designated representative, or landlord of any residential rental dwelling unit must register the unit and apply for an inspection by the Village Building Inspector before letting it ^[2].

Where to fileVillage Hall — 121 N. Disbrow St., Cassopolis

What to includeOwner / agent / landlord names, addresses, phone; description of the premises; number of units

New acquisitionsRegister within 10 days of acquiring ownership or control of a previously registered rental ^[2]

Local agent change (STRs)Notify Village in writing within 10 days ^[8]

Inspection scheduledBy Village Building Inspector after registration filed ^[2]

For investors: If you’re buying a property already registered as a rental, you have 10 days from closing to re-register the unit in your name ^[2]. Build that into your post-closing checklist.

📞 Call Village Hall 📧 Email Village Manager 🗺 Directions to Village Hall

3 Fees & Penalties

Fee figures below are taken directly from the Village of Cassopolis Master Fee Schedule, last updated March 10, 2025 ^[4].

Rental Inspection Fee$75 (every 2 years)

Failure to Comply — 1st missed appointment$60

Failure to Comply — 2nd missed appointment$120

Failure to Comply — 3rd missed appointment$180

Failure to Comply — 4th missed appointment$240

Failure to Comply — each consecutive$960

Zoning Verification Request$100 per request

Sign Permit$60

Initial inspection fees and any per-resolution administrative fees not enumerated on the Master Fee Schedule are set by resolution of the Village Board of Trustees and may be confirmed at registration ^[9]. Checks should be made out to the Village of Cassopolis ^[4].

📄 Master Fee Schedule (PDF)📞 Confirm Current Fees

4 Inspections & Safety Requirements

The Village Building Inspector inspects each registered rental dwelling unit. Units that pass without discrepancies and draw no legitimate complaints are inspected on a two-year cycle; units that fail or generate complaints revert to annual inspection for two years before returning to the regular cycle ^[9].

Minimum standards under Chapter 283, Article III (the village’s adopted Property Maintenance Code) include ^[10]:

Plumbing. Each unit must contain a kitchen sink connected to municipal water and sewer, plus a separate room with privacy containing a flush toilet, lavatory basin, and bathtub or shower — all connected to municipal water and sewer.
Smoke detectors. Required in each individual rental unit and in the hallways of any apartment or multiple-dwelling building.
Fire extinguishers. Required near kitchen facilities, with a minimum capacity of five (5) pounds.
Heating, ventilation, and lighting. Adequate heating, ventilation, and natural / artificial lighting per the adopted property maintenance code.

📜 Ch. 283 Art. III — Minimum Standards 📜 Ch. 283 Art. II — Registration & Inspection 🔧 Building / Inspections Page

5 Operating Rules (Occupancy, Noise, Outdoor Music)

STR operators in Cassopolis are bound by the village’s general nuisance, blight, and noise rules in addition to Chapter 283 ^[7]. The village contracts code enforcement out to MI Zoning Solutions, and complaints are routed through that office ^[7].

Outdoor music / amplified sound. A separate Outdoor Music Permit is required for amplified outdoor performance — hosts who advertise event-friendly venues should review the application before booking ^[11].
Blight, junk, and weeds. Mowing, vehicle storage, and exterior maintenance complaints are handled by the Code Enforcement Officer; an initial mowing violation runs $120, escalating with each repeat offense ^[4]^[7].
Sign placement. Property signs require a Sign Placement Application; sign permit fee is $60 ^[4]^[11].

📄 Outdoor Music Permit (PDF)📄 Sign Placement Application (PDF)🔧 Code Enforcement

6 Local Agent / 24-Hour Contact Requirement

If the property owner does not personally serve as the local agent, a designated local agent / contact must be on file with the village. Any change in the designated local agent or contact for a short-term rental unit must be reported to the village in writing within 10 days ^[8]. This requirement is aimed at remotely-managed properties to ensure the village always has a reachable point of contact for complaints, inspections, and emergencies.

Village Hall (rental registration questions): 269-445-8648
Code Enforcement Officer (Jason Pompey, MI Zoning Solutions): 269-535-7463
Code Enforcement email: zoningadmin@zoningsolutions.net

📧 Update Local Agent 🔧 Code Enforcement Page

1 Where LTRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

Long-term rentals (leases of 30+ days) are permitted in the residential zoning districts — R-1 (single-family), R-2 (single-family + two-family + small multiplexes up to 8 units per building), R-3, and RMHD — by right under the underlying residential dwelling use ^[6]. No separate “commercial lodging” classification applies to LTRs (that category, where it appears in code, is specific to short-stay/transient lodging) ^[7].

Where verification matters: Apartment / multi-family conversions, accessory-dwelling-unit buildouts, and rentals on commercial-zoned parcels each turn on parcel-specific zoning. Verify the parcel district on the November 2024 Zoning Map below, then confirm the intended dwelling use is permitted by right (or grandfathered) with the Zoning Administrator ^[7]^[6].

LTRs are not subject to any permit cap — the only village-side gate is Chapter 283 registration and a passing Building Inspector inspection ^[2].

Click the map to open the full PDF.

🗺 Zoning Map (PDF)📄 Planning & Zoning Page 📧 Ask Zoning Admin

2 Registration & Inspection Process

Submit your Chapter 283 rental registration in person or by mail to the Village Manager at 121 N. Disbrow St., Cassopolis, MI 49031 ^[2]. Each owner, agent, or landlord of an existing residential rental dwelling unit must register every dwelling unit and request an inspection by the Village Building Inspector ^[2]. Existing rentals were originally required to register within 90 days of the chapter’s enactment; today, every existing rental that has not previously been registered should be registered now and any new acquisition must be registered within 10 days ^[2].

Where to fileVillage Hall — 121 N. Disbrow St.

What to includeOwner / agent / landlord identifying info, premises description, unit count ^[2]

InspectionScheduled by Village Building Inspector after registration

Re-inspection cycle (passing units)Every 2 years ^[9]

New acquisitionsRegister within 10 days of acquiring ownership ^[2]

📞 Call Village Hall 📧 Email Village Manager 🗺 Directions to Village Hall

3 Fees & Penalties

Rental Inspection Fee$75 (every 2 years)

Failure to Comply — 1st$60

Failure to Comply — 2nd$120

Failure to Comply — 3rd$180

Failure to Comply — 4th$240

Failure to Comply — each consecutive$960

Fees taken directly from the Village of Cassopolis Master Fee Schedule (updated March 10, 2025) ^[4]. Initial registration administrative fees may also apply by resolution of the Village Board of Trustees ^[9].

📄 Master Fee Schedule (PDF)

4 Inspections & Safety Requirements

Long-term rentals are inspected on the same Chapter 283 cycle as STRs: passing units that draw no complaints are re-inspected every two years; units that fail or generate complaints revert to annual inspections for two years before returning to the regular cycle ^[9].

Minimum standards under Chapter 283, Article III include ^[10]:

Kitchen sink, flush toilet, lavatory, and bathtub or shower — each connected to municipal water and sewer.
Smoke detectors in every individual rental unit and in the hallways of multi-unit buildings.
Fire extinguisher near kitchen facilities, minimum capacity 5 pounds.
Adequate heating, ventilation, and lighting per adopted property maintenance code.

📜 Ch. 283 Art. III — Minimum Standards 🔧 Building / Inspections Page

5 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 / Michigan Legislature publishes a free Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlords covering leases, security deposits, repairs, and the eviction process ^[12]. These rules apply equally in the Village of Cassopolis and are not modified by local ordinance.

📄 MI Tenants & Landlords Guide (PDF)

Official Resources

Ordinances

Chapter 283 — Rental Housing (General Provisions)

Definitions and applicability

Ch. 283 Art. II — Registration & Inspection

Who must register, when, and how

Ch. 283 Art. III — Minimum Standards

Plumbing, smoke detectors, extinguishers

Village of Cassopolis — Code of Ordinances

Full code (eCode360)

Ordinance 259 — Zoning Ordinance Amendments

Latest consolidated zoning amendment

Forms & Applications

Master Fee Schedule (2025)

Rental inspection, zoning, and permit fees

PDF — file at Village Hall

Zoning Application

Building Permit Application

PDF — for repairs, additions, conversions

Site Plan Review Application

Required for new development / redevelopment

Required for amplified outdoor sound

Outdoor Music Permit

Sign Placement Application

Required for property signs

Maps

Cassopolis Zoning Map (November 2024)

PDF — district boundaries

Cass County GIS Parcel Viewer

Parcels, utilities, sewer, tax info

Portals & Lookups

🔍

BS&A Online — Property & Tax Lookup

Pay utility bill, look up parcels

🔍

Permits & Forms Document Center

All village applications in one place

Contact & Directions

Village Manager Email

manager@cassopolis-mi.us

📞

Code Enforcement / Zoning

Jason Pompey — 269-535-7463

📧

Zoning Administrator Email

zoningadmin@zoningsolutions.net