City of Holland

Section 39-4.02.Q of the Unified Development Ordinance is the controlling provision for STRs ^[2]. It defines three STR pathways and the zones in which each is permitted.

• Owner-Occupied STR — the owner’s primary residence. Rent one room while the owner is in residence for up to 365 days per year, or the entire dwelling for not more than 60 days per year while the owner is away. Allowed in any zone district ^[5].
• Investor-Owned STR (commercial/mixed-use zones) — whole-home rental allowed by-right in NMU, CMU, RMU, GMU, I, PUD, and F districts where residential uses are permitted ^[5]. No cap in these districts.
• Investor-Owned STR (residential zones LDR / CNR / MDR / TNR) — capped at 25 properties citywide with a 500-foot separation between investor-owned STRs in residential districts ^[5]. The cap has been reached. The City does not maintain a public waiting list; the Rental Certification & Licensing Guide page is updated when an opening occurs ^[3].
• Tulip Time Exception — a dwelling offered for not more than 10 days during the designated Tulip Time festival in May requires no inspection and no certificate ^[3].

Verify the zoning district of a specific parcel against the City’s interactive zoning map or the PDF below before underwriting any STR-based valuation ^[6].

Click the map to open the full PDF version.

Submit the Short Term Rental Registration Form to Community & Neighborhood Services (CNS) — in person, by mail, or by email — along with the appropriate worksheet for your STR class ^[3].

Investor-owned applicants must also notify surrounding neighbors that the property will be used as an STR and provide them with local-agent contact information after approval ^[5].

The City uses a single rental fee schedule for all rental certificates (STR and LTR) ^[4]. Renewals are billed annually with a December 10 due date ^[1].

Outstanding utility balances (Holland BPW 616-355-1500, Chef Container 616-795-4723, City of Holland 616-355-1330) can become a lien on the property — verify before returning tenant security deposits ^[4].

Every STR must pass a Housing-Property Maintenance Code inspection before a Rental Certificate of Compliance is issued, and is re-inspected on a 3-year or 6-year cycle depending on compliance history ^[1].

Common inspection items pulled from the City’s Housing Inspection Checklist ^[7]:

• Smoke detectors: Properly installed, working, current batteries.
• Deadbolts: Required on all exterior entry doors.
• Egress: Graspable handrails on stairs of 5+ steps; guardrails on porches/balconies over 30″ tall.
• Electrical: Cover plates on outlets/switches/junctions; GFI protection where required; 100-amp service with breakers.
• Heating: Licensed mechanical contractor inspection report from the past 12 months (electric heat pumps exempt).
• Egress windows: Glass; basement plexi-glass acceptable; no boards over windows.
• Occupancy: 7-foot minimum ceiling height; 7-foot minimum room width; sleeping in basements prohibited.

Investor-owned STR operators sign a binding Worksheet & Agreement at registration that controls day-to-day operation ^[5]:

• One STR per owner. An owner may hold an ownership interest in only one STR dwelling unit in the City.
• One family at a time. The entire dwelling may be rented to one family at a time — no co-occupancy by unrelated parties.
• Occupancy. Cannot exceed the maximum stated on the Rental Certificate of Compliance.
• Liability insurance. Maintain coverage for short-term rental use; provide written confirmation from your insurance agent.
• Neighbor notice. Notify surrounding neighbors that the property will be used as an STR; provide them with the owner’s or local agent’s contact information.
• Certificate number in ads. The STR certificate number must appear in all advertisements (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.).
• Crime-Free Lease Addendum. Must be included with all rental agreements ^[8].
• Discontinuance. Owner must notify CNS in writing if they stop operating the property as an STR.

Every investor-owned STR must designate the owner or a local agent who lives within 35 miles of the property and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to and mitigate complaints ^[5].

• Residency. Owner or designated agent must reside within 35 miles of the rental property.
• Availability. 24/7 contact during every rental period.
• Duty to mitigate. Must respond to and resolve complaints regarding noise, conduct, parking, or code violations.
• Renter disclosure. Contact information for the owner or local agent must be provided to all renters.
• Neighbor disclosure. Same contact information must be provided to surrounding neighbors.

The City of Holland’s STR framework is built around three hard limits that decide whether a property can operate.

• 25-property cap (residential zones). Investor-owned STRs in LDR, CNR, MDR, and TNR districts are capped at 25 properties citywide. The cap has been reached ^[3]. The City does not maintain a public waiting list; the Rental Certification & Licensing Guide page is updated when an opening occurs.
• 500-foot separation (residential zones). Investor-owned STRs in residential districts must be at least 500 feet apart ^[5]. Even if the cap reopens, a new STR may be denied if it falls within 500 feet of an existing one.
• One STR per owner. An owner may hold only one STR ownership interest citywide ^[5]. Buying a second STR-eligible property does not authorize a second permit.
• Owner-occupied alternative. Renting one room of your primary residence is allowed in any zone with no cap. Renting the entire primary residence is limited to 60 days/year.
• Tulip Time exception. Up to 10 days each May during the designated Tulip Time festival — no inspection, no certificate required ^[3]. This is the only STR pathway not subject to the cap.