Spring Lake Township

Short-term rentals are only permitted inside the Short-Term Rental Overlay District — the Strawberry Point neighborhood on the north side of the township. Everywhere else in Spring Lake Township, rentals must be for periods of 28 days or longer ^{[3] [4]}.

The overlay was created by Ordinance 301 in 2024 and tightened by Ordinance 304 on May 12, 2025, which removed Minetta Avenue, Benjamin Avenue, Rhoda Street, and View Drive from the overlay ^{[1] [3]}. Properties with frontage or addresses on North Lake Avenue were also excluded. Roughly 221 dwellings remain eligible.

How to verify a specific parcel: open the STR Overlay Map PDF below and confirm the address sits inside the boundary, then cross-check the parcel’s zoning district on the Township Zoning Map. If you can’t tell from the maps, email the Community Development Director with the parcel address before underwriting.

Submit the Short Term Rental Registration Form by mail or in person at Township Hall (101 S. Buchanan St., Spring Lake, MI 49456) — the township does not offer an online portal ^[5]. Once your application is received, a township staff member will drive past the property to verify its condition before approval ^{[5] [8]}.

STR registration is a flat $100 fee covering a three-year term ^[5]. There is no per-bedroom tier and no separate inspection fee disclosed in the published fee schedule.

License denials, suspensions, and revocations are appealable to the Township Board within 10 days, with a final right of appeal to circuit court ^[4].

Before a registration is approved, township staff drive past the property to verify its exterior condition ^[5]. The published Suggested Rental Inspection List walks owners through what staff look for and what occupant-safety items should be in place inside the dwelling ^[9].

Operating standards required by Article V of the Code ^[4]:

• Off-street, paved parking sufficient for all occupant vehicles — parking on the yard is prohibited.
• Dwelling kept in good repair so the use does not detract from the residential character of the neighborhood.
• Garbage kept in a closed container and disposed of on the regular weekly schedule; waste receptacles screened from view.
• Campfires confined to designated fire pits, compliant with the township fireworks/fire codes.
• Maximum occupancy: 12 individuals per dwelling. Campers and tents on the premises are not permitted as overflow occupancy.

STR operators in Spring Lake Township are bound by Article V of the Code (the STR regulations) ^[4] plus the township Noise Control ordinance (Chapter 14, Art. II) ^[10] and the Fireworks ordinance (Chapter 16, Art. IV) ^[4].

• Quiet hours. No outside noise audible at the property line between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM Sunday through Thursday, and between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM Friday and Saturday ^[4].
• Maximum occupancy. 12 individuals per dwelling, subject to any stricter state or local rule. Tents and campers cannot be used to expand occupancy ^[4].
• Parking. All occupant vehicles (including trailers) must fit on paved off-street parking on the premises ^[4].
• Neighbor notification. The owner must notify all neighbors within 500 feet in writing that the dwelling will be rented, and must give them the local-agent contact information ^[4].
• Required postings. Inside the dwelling, the owner must post the 24-hour contact, maximum occupancy, parking instructions, a copy of Article V, and notice that occupants can be cited or fined for violations ^[4].
• Trash & appearance. Garbage in closed containers, receptacles screened from view, no encroachment on neighbors ^[4].

Every short-term rental must have a named local contact person reachable by phone at all times the dwelling is rented ^[4]. The contact person must hold a key and be physically able to reach the property within three hours to address issues — or arrange for another qualified person to do so within the same window.

This is the central enforcement mechanism for the township and is aimed squarely at out-of-area investors. The contact person’s name and phone number must be:

• Provided to the township on the registration form ^[5];
• Posted conspicuously inside the dwelling for renters ^[4];
• Provided in writing to every neighbor within 500 feet ^[4].

For day-to-day enforcement questions or complaints, the township directs the public to the Building & Planning Department at the township office.

Spring Lake Township overhauled its STR framework over 2024 and 2025. The change directly affects underwriting for any property bought outside the new overlay.

• Ordinance 299 (Dec 2024 board vote): Removed STRs as a permitted use from all zoning districts except R-3 ^{[2] [1]}.
• Ordinance 301 (2024): Created the Short-Term Rental Overlay District as a zoning text and map amendment, confining STRs to specific mapped blocks ^[11].
• Ordinance 304 (adopted May 12, 2025): Tightened the overlay further — removed Minetta Avenue, Benjamin Avenue, Rhoda Street, and View Drive (about 60 single-family homes); excluded North Lake Avenue frontage; left Strawberry Point as the operative overlay ^{[1] [3]}.
• Eligible dwellings today: ~221 inside the amended overlay. As of the 2025 vote, 22 STRs were registered inside Strawberry Point and 25 total were registered township-wide ^[1].
• Legal context: In Reaume v. Township of Spring Lake, the Michigan Supreme Court left in place a Court of Appeals ruling holding that STRs are commercial (not residential) uses ^[12] — that ruling underpins the township’s authority to restrict STRs through zoning.