Richland Township
Short-term & long-term rental regulations, fees, and investor resources for Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Area Overview
Richland Township sits in northern Kalamazoo County and wraps around the separate Village of Richland, with frontage on the north and east shores of Gull Lake, one of southwest Michigan’s largest and most sought-after recreational lakes.[1] The township blends lakefront residential neighborhoods, rural and agricultural land, and a small commercial core anchored by the village, and it draws steady interest from second-home buyers and from families commuting to Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.
For rental investors, Gull Lake is the headline. Lakefront and near-lake homes carry strong seasonal demand, while the rest of the township offers conventional long-term rental housing. The important catch is regulatory: Richland Township has never adopted a short-term rental ordinance, so anyone running an Airbnb or VRBO here is operating inside the general Zoning Ordinance rather than a dedicated permit program, and the ordinance’s definition of a ‘dwelling’ as a permanently occupied home is the rule that shapes what is and is not allowed.[2]
Long-term landlords, by contrast, face no township registration requirement at all. The township keeps its Zoning Ordinance (No. 300) actively maintained, with text amendments adopted as recently as 2025 and 2026, but none of that activity has created an STR registration or rental-licensing scheme.[3] This guide walks through where each rental type stands, which permits and taxes still apply, and how to verify the rules for a specific Richland Township property.
Quick Status Summary
Richland Township has not adopted a short-term rental ordinance, and a whole-house STR is not a listed permitted use in its residential zoning districts.[3] The only lodging uses the Zoning Ordinance recognizes, Bed and Breakfast Inns and Hotels and Motels, are allowed only with a special exception use permit.[4] Treat any specific property as needing zoning verification with the Township before you buy or list.
Long-term rentals are allowed throughout Richland Township’s residential districts, and a leased home is the same permitted ‘dwelling’ use as an owner-occupied one.[2] The Township requires no rental registration, license, or inspection, and charges no annual rental fee.[3] Standard Michigan landlord-tenant law applies.
Rental Regulations
Where Are Short-Term Rentals Allowed in Richland Township?
Richland Township has not adopted a short-term rental ordinance, and a whole-house short-term rental is not a listed permitted use in any of the township’s residential zoning districts.[3] The Zoning Ordinance (No. 300) defines a ‘dwelling’ as a building occupied on a permanent basis as the home of one family, and the township’s primary residential districts (A-1 Agricultural-Residential, A Single-Family Residential, and A-2 Single and Two-Family Residential) list single-family dwellings as their principal permitted use.[2][5] A nightly or weekly rental of an entire home does not fit that ‘permanent basis’ language and is not separately listed, so it currently sits in a gray area rather than being expressly authorized.
The two lodging-style uses the ordinance does recognize, Bed and Breakfast Inns and Hotels and Motels, are allowed only as special exception uses and never by right.[4] Because there is no STR permit program, the practical step for any specific parcel is to confirm its zoning district and the township’s current interpretation before you buy or list. Pull the parcel on the interactive zoning map, then email the Zoning Administrator to ask, in writing, how the township treats a short-term rental at that address.
Can I Run a Bed and Breakfast or Lodging Use?
Yes, but only with a special exception use permit. Richland Township’s Zoning Ordinance allows Bed and Breakfast Inns and Hotels and Motels as special exception uses, meaning they need case-by-case approval rather than being permitted by right.[4] A Bed and Breakfast Inn is defined as a private residence that offers overnight accommodations where the innkeeper lives on site, and the ordinance limits kitchen facilities to the operator’s primary residence.[2] That owner-occupancy requirement is the key fork in the road: an owner who lives in the home and rents rooms can pursue the B&B path, while an absentee investor renting an entire house cannot use it.
A special exception use is requested on the township’s Special Exception Use application and reviewed by the Planning Commission, which holds a public hearing and can attach conditions to any approval covering matters such as parking, signage, and guest counts.[4] Budget time for that review rather than expecting a quick over-the-counter permit.
What Permits and Registrations Do I Need?
There is no township short-term rental registration and no STR permit to file, because Richland Township does not operate a short-term rental program.[3] What you may still need depends on the project. Pursuing a Bed and Breakfast or other lodging use requires a special exception use permit from the Planning Commission.[4] Any structural conversion, added bedrooms, or change of a building’s use requires a zoning compliance permit from the Township before work begins.[6] And building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits for renovations are issued by the Kalamazoo Area Building Authority (KABA), not the Township office; KABA posts its applications and fee schedule online and its office is at 2322 Nazareth Road in Kalamazoo.[8][9]
The honest summary: there is no STR paperwork to file with Richland Township itself, but a B&B use, a change of use, or any renovation each carries its own approval path. Confirm which ones apply to your plan before you close.
How Are Short-Term Rentals Taxed?
Short-term rental operators must register with the Kalamazoo County Treasurer and remit the county’s accommodation (lodging) excise tax on short stays, and the County publishes step-by-step setup guidance for new operators.[11] This county obligation applies whether or not the Township itself regulates the rental, so it is one piece of compliance an STR host in Richland Township cannot skip.
State use tax on lodging and ordinary income-tax reporting can also apply on top of the county tax. Because rates and filing rules change, confirm the full picture with the County Treasurer and a tax professional before you take your first booking rather than after.
What Operating Rules Apply to Rental Guests?
Even without an STR ordinance, two sets of township rules reach rental guests directly. The Anti-Noise and Public Nuisance Ordinance (Ord. No. 161) governs excessive noise and nuisance conduct, and it applies to a rental’s occupants exactly as it does to any resident; repeated complaints are the most common trigger for township enforcement against a problem rental.[12] And because much of Richland Township fronts Gull Lake, the Gull Lake Watercraft Speed Ordinance (Ord. No. 91) governs how fast guests may run boats on the water.[13]
Lakefront hosts in particular should give guests a written house manual covering quiet hours, boat-speed zones, dock etiquette, and parking. It is the cheapest insurance against the nuisance complaint that draws a citation and puts a property on the township’s radar.
Where Are Long-Term Rentals Allowed in Richland Township?
Long-term rentals are broadly allowed across Richland Township’s residential districts. A home leased for 30 days or more is occupied on a permanent basis as a household’s residence, which fits the Zoning Ordinance’s definition of a ‘dwelling’, so a leased single-family house is the same permitted use as an owner-occupied one in the A-1 Agricultural-Residential, A Single-Family Residential, and A-2 Single and Two-Family Residential districts.[2][5] Two-family dwellings are permitted in the A-2 district, and multiple-family housing is concentrated in the B-1 Multiple Family-Office District.[3] No special township zoning approval is needed to lease a conforming home to a long-term tenant.
Still, confirm a specific parcel’s zoning district before you rely on a particular use. Check the interactive zoning map, and ask the Zoning Administrator about anything unusual, such as an accessory dwelling unit or a non-conforming lot, where the answer is parcel-specific.
Do Landlords Have to Register or License a Rental?
No. Richland Township does not require landlords to register, license, or permit a long-term rental, and it does not run a rental-inspection program.[3] There is no township rental form to file and no annual rental fee.[10] This is the opposite of the City of Kalamazoo’s model: the city’s rental registration and inspection rules stop at its own borders and do not extend into Richland Township, though investors sometimes assume otherwise.
The obligations that do remain are not rental-specific. A zoning compliance permit is required before you change a building’s use or add living space,[6] and renovation work needs building, electrical, mechanical, or plumbing permits from the Kalamazoo Area Building Authority.[8][9] A standard house-for-lease arrangement, with no construction and no change of use, needs none of that.
What Are the Fees and Penalties for Long-Term Rentals?
Richland Township charges no long-term-rental registration fee, because there is no registration program. The only township-side costs a landlord meets are zoning compliance permit fees for a change of use and, for renovations, KABA’s building-permit fees on the standard county schedule.[6][9] A landlord simply leasing a conforming home pays neither.
Penalties enter the picture only when something goes wrong. A zoning violation, such as an illegal conversion or an unpermitted use, is enforced under Section 300.2500 of the Zoning Ordinance, which provides for municipal civil infraction citations and escalating sanctions.[7] And a rental whose tenants generate repeated noise or nuisance complaints can be cited under the Anti-Noise and Public Nuisance Ordinance.[12] Both are complaint-driven, so a well-managed rental rarely encounters either.
Are Rental Inspections or Safety Requirements Imposed?
Richland Township does not inspect long-term rentals; there is no local rental-inspection cycle.[3] Safety oversight comes from two other places instead. First, any renovation, repair, or change of use triggers the Michigan building code, which the Kalamazoo Area Building Authority enforces through its permit and inspection process, and KABA’s inspections confirm code-required smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms whenever permitted work is done.[8][9]
Second, for the many township properties not on public sewer, the Kalamazoo County Health Department regulates the on-site septic system, requiring a county permit and evaluation for new systems and, in many cases, at the point of sale.[14] Lakefront homes near Gull Lake may instead be served by a public sewer system; confirm which one applies to a specific parcel, since it affects both cost and what an inspection will look for.
What Tenant Rights and Eviction Rules Apply?
Long-term tenancies in Richland Township are governed by Michigan landlord-tenant law, not by a township code.[15] Michigan caps a residential security deposit at one and a half months’ rent and requires a landlord to use the formal court process, never a self-help lockout, to remove a tenant, and the Truth in Renting Act limits what a lease may contain.[15] These rules apply equally to every rental in the township regardless of the absence of local registration.
Eviction and landlord-tenant disputes for property in Richland Township are filed in the Kalamazoo County District Court.[16] For plain-language explanations of notices, deadlines, and the forms involved, both tenants and landlords can use Michigan Legal Help, the statewide self-help service.[15]
Official Resources
Property Tax Treatment
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Buying or investing in a Richland Township rental?
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Sources & Downloads
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1Richland Township: Official Website https://www.richlandtwp.net/Township homepage and department directory.Verified: 2026-05-21
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2Zoning Ordinance No. 300, Section 300.100: Title, Purpose, Language and Definitions https://cms2.revize.com/revize/richlandtwpkc/Document%20Center/Ordinances%20Center/Zoning%20Ordinances/300.100%20TITLE,%20PURPOSE,%20LANGUAGE,%20DEFINITIONS.pdfDefines dwelling as a building occupied on a permanent basis, plus Bed and Breakfast Inn and Motel; contains no short-term or vacation rental definition.Verified: 2026-05-21
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3Richland Township: Ordinances Center https://www.richlandtwp.net/how_do_i/readview/ordinances_center.phpIndex of the full Zoning Ordinance No. 300 and every general ordinance; text amendments adopted through 2025 and 2026; no STR ordinance listed.Verified: 2026-05-21
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4Zoning Ordinance No. 300, Section 300.1800: Special Exception Uses https://cms2.revize.com/revize/richlandtwpkc/Document%20Center/Ordinances%20Center/Zoning%20Ordinances/300.1800%20SPECIAL%20EXCEPTION%20USES.pdfLists Bed and Breakfast Inns and Hotels/Motels among uses allowed only by special exception use permit.Verified: 2026-05-21
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5Zoning Ordinance No. 300, Section 300.500: A Single-Family Residential District https://cms2.revize.com/revize/richlandtwpkc/Document%20Center/Ordinances%20Center/Zoning%20Ordinances/300.500%20A%20SINGLE%20FAMILY%20RESIDENTIAL%20DISTRICT.pdfLists single-family dwellings as the principal permitted use in the township's primary residential district.Verified: 2026-05-21
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6Zoning Ordinance No. 300, Section 300.2200: Zoning Compliance Permits https://cms2.revize.com/revize/richlandtwpkc/Document%20Center/Ordinances%20Center/Zoning%20Ordinances/300.2200%20ZONING%20COMPLIANCE%20PERMITS.pdfRequires a zoning compliance permit before a structure is erected or altered or its use changed.Verified: 2026-05-21
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7Zoning Ordinance No. 300, Section 300.2500: Violations and Sanctions https://cms2.revize.com/revize/richlandtwpkc/Document%20Center/Ordinances%20Center/Zoning%20Ordinances/300.2500%20VIOLATIONS%20AND%20SANCTIONS.pdfSets out enforcement and penalties for zoning ordinance violations.Verified: 2026-05-21
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8Richland Township: Building Department https://www.richlandtwp.net/departments/building_department/index.phpConfirms the Kalamazoo Area Building Authority issues all building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits for the township.Verified: 2026-05-21
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9Kalamazoo Area Building Authority: Permit Applications https://kaba-mi.org/applications/Building and trade permit applications, fee information, and KABA office contact details.Verified: 2026-05-21
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10Richland Township: Permits and Forms https://www.richlandtwp.net/residents/permits___forms.phpTownship zoning and land-use application forms; lists no rental-registration form.Verified: 2026-05-21
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11Kalamazoo County: Short-Term Rentals, Setting Up Accommodation Tax https://www.kalcounty.gov/1355/Short-Term-Rentals—Setting-Up-AccommodCounty guidance requiring STR operators to register and remit the accommodation excise tax through the County Treasurer.Verified: 2026-05-21
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12Richland Township Anti-Noise and Public Nuisance Ordinance (Ord. No. 161) https://cms2.revize.com/revize/richlandtwpkc/Document%20Center/Ordinances%20Center/Newly%20Adopted/General%20Ordinances/Ord.%20No.%20161%20-%20ANTI-NOISE%20AND%20PUBLIC%20NUISANCE%20ORDINANCE.pdfTownship ordinance governing excessive noise and public-nuisance conduct.Verified: 2026-05-21
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13Richland Township Ord. No. 91: Gull Lake Watercraft Speed https://cms2.revize.com/revize/richlandtwpkc/Document%20Center/Ordinances%20Center/Newly%20Adopted/General%20Ordinances/Ord.%20No.%2091%20-%20GULL%20LAKE%20WATERCRAFT%20SPEED.pdfRegulates watercraft speed on Gull Lake.Verified: 2026-05-21
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14Kalamazoo County: Sewage Treatment (On-Site Septic) https://www.kalcounty.gov/295/Sewage-TreatmentCounty health department on-site septic permits and evaluations.Verified: 2026-05-21
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15Michigan Legal Help: Housing https://michiganlegalhelp.org/resources/housingStatewide self-help resource covering Michigan security-deposit limits, the Truth in Renting Act, and the eviction process.Verified: 2026-05-21
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16Kalamazoo County: District Court https://www.kalcounty.gov/161/District-CourtThe Kalamazoo County district court that hears eviction and landlord-tenant cases for Richland Township.Verified: 2026-05-21