Comstock Charter Township
Short-term & long-term rental regulations, fees, and investor resources for Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Area Overview
Comstock Charter Township wraps around the eastern edge of the City of Kalamazoo, straddling the Kalamazoo River and the I-94 corridor between Kalamazoo and Galesburg. It is a charter township in a metro setting rather than a vacation-destination community: housing runs from established suburban subdivisions to riverfront and semi-rural parcels toward the eastern townline. For a rental investor, the practical takeaway is that Comstock sits inside the year-round Kalamazoo rental market, where demand comes from long-term tenants rather than weekend visitors.
That market context shapes how Comstock regulates rentals — or, more precisely, how lightly it does. The township has no short-term-rental ordinance and no rental registration, licensing, or inspection program of any kind [2][3]. A landlord here does not file a rental permit, does not pay an annual rental fee, and does not schedule a township rental inspection, because none of those requirements exist [4]. Rental property condition is instead handled reactively, through the township’s nuisance and blight ordinances, on a complaint basis [7].
Comstock’s land-use rules were substantially rewritten in the current Zoning Ordinance, which took effect October 18, 2024 [1]. That rewrite did not add short-term-rental regulation, so STRs remain unaddressed in the township code as of this guide’s verification date. Investors should treat that absence as the current state of the law rather than a permanent guarantee: a township that has no STR ordinance today can adopt one, and the place to watch for early signals is the Planning Commission. Everything below reflects the rules on the books now, each point linked to its official source.
Quick Status Summary
Comstock Charter Township has no short-term-rental ordinance, registration requirement, or permit program [2][3]. STRs are not addressed in the township’s zoning code, so a short-term rental is treated as the ordinary residential use of the dwelling on its parcel [1]. The practical effect is that there is no local STR permit to obtain today — but also no local rule guaranteeing STRs stay unregulated. State-level obligations still apply, including the 6% Michigan use tax on stays under 30 days [10]. Confirm a parcel’s zoning district, and check for HOA or deed restrictions, before relying on short-term-rental income.
Long-term rentals are permitted as a standard residential use anywhere Comstock’s zoning allows a dwelling [1]. The township runs no rental registration, licensing, or periodic inspection program, so there is no rental permit to file and no annual rental fee [3][4]. Property condition is enforced reactively through the township’s nuisance and blight ordinances [7]. Leases, security deposits, and evictions are governed by Michigan state law, not by any Comstock ordinance [11].
Rental Regulations
Are Short-Term Rentals Allowed in Comstock Township?
Short-term rentals are not regulated by Comstock Charter Township. There is no STR ordinance, no registration requirement, and no permit to apply for [2][3].
The township’s current Zoning Ordinance, effective October 18, 2024, contains no provisions for short-term rentals, vacation rentals, or transient lodging of dwellings [1]. The one related use, “bed and breakfast,” appears only in the township’s non-residential use matrix and is not a permitted use in any residential district [1]. Because the code is silent on the practice, a home rented for short stays is treated as the ordinary residential dwelling use of that parcel.
For an investor, that cuts two ways. There is no local barrier to entry and no permit cost, which is unusual in southwest Michigan. But there is also no local protection: a township with no STR ordinance can adopt one, and several Michigan townships have done exactly that. Treat “unregulated” as the current state of the law, not a guarantee.
Where Can STRs Operate? (Zoning Districts)
Because Comstock has no short-term-rental use category, an STR can operate wherever the zoning district permits a residential dwelling [1]. There is no separate “lodging” or “tourist home” classification that an STR must satisfy in residential areas.
The Zoning Ordinance establishes these residential and residential-agricultural districts [1]:
- AGR — Agriculture-Residential
- A-H — Agriculture-Horticulture
- R1-A and R1-B — Single-Family Residential
- R1-C — Cluster Housing
- RM and RM-C — Multiple-Family Residential
- RSM — Senior Citizens Multiple-Story Residential
- RMH — Mobile Home Park
Verify any specific parcel two ways before you rely on it: locate the parcel on the official township zoning map [8], then confirm the district and the permitted dwelling use with the Zoning Administrator. Zoning districts can change at the parcel line, and a map alone will not tell you about a nonconforming or grandfathered use.
What Permits Does an STR Owner Still Need?
No STR permit exists — but four other approvals can still apply to a short-term rental property in Comstock.
Building permits. Any construction, structural alteration, deck, or renovation requires a building permit through the Kalamazoo Area Building Authority (KABA), which handles building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits for the township [5][6].
Zoning compliance for a change in use. If you convert a property to a use different from its current one, the township requires a Change in Use of Property zoning compliance permit before the new use begins [3].
Accessory dwelling units. Adding an ADU — for example, a rentable unit above a garage — is governed by the township’s ADU rules and its own permit package [3].
Septic approval. For any property not on public sewer, on-site septic permits and evaluations run through the Kalamazoo County on-site septic program; a failed or undersized system is a common and expensive surprise on older parcels [14].
What Operating Rules Apply — Nuisance, Noise & Blight?
A short-term rental in Comstock has no STR-specific operating rules, but it is fully subject to the township’s general nuisance, blight, and property-maintenance ordinances [7].
Comstock enforces property standards reactively. The township’s Ordinance Enforcement Officer acts on complaints rather than running scheduled inspections, and the township publishes a list of six common blight violations — including junk, litter and debris, inoperable vehicles, and tall grass and weeds — as the conditions most often cited [7][13]. A guest-heavy property that generates trash overflow, parking spillover, or noise complaints is exposed under these same ordinances, even though none of them is labeled a “short-term rental” rule.
Anyone — a neighbor, or the owner checking on a managed property — can report a violation through the township’s Ordinance Complaint Form [3]. For an out-of-area owner, the practical advice is to line up responsive local management before the first booking, because complaint response is how problems surface here.
What Taxes and State Rules Apply to an STR?
Even with no local STR ordinance, Michigan’s 6% state use tax applies to every short-term rental booking — any stay under 30 days [10].
Michigan imposes its use tax on “rooms or lodging” furnished to the public, which includes vacation rentals, second homes, and rooms in private residences rented for fewer than 30 continuous days [10]. The person providing the lodging is responsible for collecting the 6% from the guest and remitting it to the Michigan Department of Treasury. A stay of more than one month to the same tenant is exempt — that is the line that separates a taxable short-term rental from an untaxed long-term tenancy [10].
Two practical notes. First, major booking platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo often collect and remit the Michigan use tax on the host’s behalf, but the legal responsibility still sits with the property owner — confirm what your platform actually does. Second, Michigan does not authorize a separate local sales or use tax on top of the 6%, so there is no Comstock or Kalamazoo County lodging tax layered onto a booking [10].
Are Long-Term Rentals Allowed in Comstock Township?
Yes. Long-term rentals are permitted as a standard residential use throughout Comstock Charter Township, in any district where the zoning allows a dwelling [1].
A long-term rental — generally a lease of 30 days or longer — is not a separate, specially regulated use in Comstock. There is no rental cap, no separate “rental” zoning category, and no approval the township must grant before a homeowner leases a property to a tenant [1][3]. A single-family home, a unit in a multi-family building in the RM or RM-C districts, or a mobile home in an RMH park can all be operated as long-term rentals on the same footing as any other occupied dwelling.
What that means in practice is that the compliance work for a Comstock landlord is light at the township level. The rules that do bind you are covered in the accordions below: zoning for the parcel, the township’s blight and property-maintenance ordinances, and Michigan’s statewide landlord-tenant law.
Where Can LTRs Operate? (Zoning Districts)
A long-term rental can operate in any Comstock zoning district that permits a residential dwelling [1]. Single-family rentals fit the single-family districts; multi-family rentals belong in the districts that allow multiple-family dwellings.
The Zoning Ordinance establishes these residential and residential-agricultural districts [1]:
- AGR — Agriculture-Residential
- A-H — Agriculture-Horticulture
- R1-A and R1-B — Single-Family Residential
- R1-C — Cluster Housing
- RM and RM-C — Multiple-Family Residential
- RSM — Senior Citizens Multiple-Story Residential
- RMH — Mobile Home Park
Before relying on a parcel, locate it on the official township zoning map [8] and confirm both the district and the permitted dwelling type with the Zoning Administrator. This matters most for a multi-family plan: a building with more units than the district allows is a zoning problem regardless of who the tenants are.
Does Comstock Require Rental Registration or Inspection?
No. Comstock Charter Township does not require landlords to register a rental property, hold a rental license, or pass a periodic rental inspection — no such program exists [3][4].
The township’s permit and form library lists building, zoning, sign, land-division, and home-occupation applications, but no rental registration or rental license form, because there is no program to apply to [3]. The township fee schedule, last amended December 15, 2025, likewise contains no rental registration fee and no rental inspection fee [4].
For an investor running the numbers, that removes a recurring cost and an inspection-scheduling burden that landlords face in many Michigan cities. The trade-off is that property condition is policed reactively rather than proactively — covered in the next accordion — so the absence of an inspection program is not the same as the absence of standards.
How Is Rental Property Condition Enforced?
Rental property condition in Comstock is enforced reactively — through the township’s nuisance and blight ordinances, on a complaint basis, by the Ordinance Enforcement Officer [7].
Rather than a scheduled inspection cycle, the township responds to reported violations. Its Ordinance Enforcement page identifies six common blight violations as the conditions most frequently cited — among them junk, litter and debris, inoperable or unlicensed vehicles, and overgrown grass and weeds [7]. The township’s broader nuisance and property-maintenance standards are part of its codified general ordinances [9].
A complaint can be filed by anyone using the township’s Ordinance Complaint Form [3]. For a landlord, the takeaway is straightforward: a rental that is kept in good repair and does not generate neighbor complaints will rarely hear from the township, while a neglected property can draw enforcement at any time. There is no inspection calendar to plan around — only a standard to keep meeting.
What Are a Tenant's Rights — and a Landlord's — in Comstock?
Leases, security deposits, and evictions in Comstock are governed entirely by Michigan state law — there is no local landlord-tenant ordinance [11].
A few rules every Comstock landlord and tenant should know, all set at the state level [11][12]:
- Security deposits are capped at one and one-half months’ rent, and the landlord must account for the deposit in writing within 30 days after the tenancy ends.
- Self-help eviction is illegal. A landlord cannot change the locks, shut off utilities, or remove a tenant’s belongings — removing a tenant requires a court order.
- Eviction runs through the district court. It begins with a written demand for possession; for nonpayment of rent, the tenant has seven days to pay or move before the landlord can file.
- Habitability is the landlord’s duty — working plumbing, heat, and electrical systems are not optional.
For plain-language explanations and court forms, Michigan Legal Help and the Michigan Legislature’s Practical Guide for Tenants and Landlords are the two authoritative free resources [11][12].
Official Resources
Property Tax Treatment
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Buying, selling, or investing in Comstock Charter Township?
Comstock sits in the metro Kalamazoo rental market, where long-term tenants — not vacationers — drive demand. I help investors and homeowners read the local rules in Comstock and across Kalamazoo County so you know what a property can legally do before you buy.
Sources & Downloads
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1Comstock Charter Township — Zoning Ordinance (effective Oct 18, 2024) https://comstockmi.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Zoning-ordinance-04-02-2025-update.pdfCurrent zoning ordinance. Contains no short-term-rental provisions; residential districts listed in Article 3.Verified: 2026-05-21
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2Comstock Charter Township — Ordinances https://comstockmi.gov/ordinances/Township ordinance index. No short-term-rental ordinance is listed.Verified: 2026-05-21
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3Comstock Charter Township — Applications & Forms https://comstockmi.gov/applications-forms/Permit and form library. No rental registration or STR permit form exists.Verified: 2026-05-21
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4Comstock Charter Township — List of Various Township Fees (Dec 15, 2025) https://comstockmi.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/List-of-Various-Township-Fees-12-15-2025.pdfTownship fee schedule. Contains no rental registration fee and no rental inspection fee.Verified: 2026-05-21
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5Comstock Charter Township — Building Department https://comstockmi.gov/building-department/Building permits are handled for the township by the Kalamazoo Area Building Authority (KABA).Verified: 2026-05-21
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6Kalamazoo Area Building Authority — Permit Applications https://kaba-mi.org/applications/Residential building permit application and submission options for KABA-served municipalities.Verified: 2026-05-21
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7Comstock Charter Township — Ordinance Enforcement https://comstockmi.gov/ordinance-enforcement/Complaint-based blight and nuisance enforcement; lists six common blight violations.Verified: 2026-05-21
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8Comstock Charter Township — Zoning Map (2025 update) https://comstockmi.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Zoning-Map-24×36-2025-Update.pdfOfficial township zoning district map.Verified: 2026-05-21
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9Comstock Charter Township — Code of Ordinances (Municode) https://library.municode.com/mi/comstock_charter_township,_(_kalamazoo_co.)/codes/compilation-general_ordinancesCodified general ordinances, including nuisance and property-maintenance provisions.Verified: 2026-05-21
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10Michigan Department of Treasury — Use Tax https://www.michigan.gov/taxes/business-taxes/sales-use-tax/use-tax-16% state use tax applies to rooms or lodging rented to the public for under 30 days.Verified: 2026-05-21
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11Michigan Legislature — A Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlords https://www.legislature.mi.gov/publications/tenantlandlord.pdfStatewide landlord-tenant law: leases, security deposits, and the eviction process.Verified: 2026-05-21
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12Michigan Legal Help — Tenant Rights and Responsibilities https://michiganlegalhelp.org/resources/housing/tenant-rights-and-responsibilitiesPlain-language tenant rights, habitability, and eviction resources.Verified: 2026-05-21
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13Comstock Charter Township — Staff Directory https://comstockmi.gov/staff-directory/Township department contacts, including the Zoning Administrator and Ordinance Enforcement Officer.Verified: 2026-05-21
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14Kalamazoo County — Sewage Treatment (On-Site Septic) https://www.kalcounty.gov/295/Sewage-TreatmentCounty on-site septic permits and evaluations for non-sewered properties.Verified: 2026-05-21