Antwerp Charter Township

Antwerp Township’s Zoning Ordinance (amended 12/9/2025) does not define ‘short-term rental’ or ‘vacation rental’ ^[2]. Whether a parcel can host an STR comes down to which underlying defined use the Township assigns to the operation, and that assignment is made by the Zoning Administrator on a case-by-case basis.

• Bed & Breakfast (Section 9.6) — owner-occupied single-family residence, max 6 guest rooms, state and county licenses required, served meals limited to operator’s family/employees/overnight guests. Allowed as a Special Land Use in AG, R-1, R-2, and R-3 districts; permitted by right in General Commercial (GC); SLU in Commercial Corridor Overlay (CO) ^[2][5].
• Hotels and Motels (Section 9.25) — permitted by right in GC only; not permitted in any residential district ^[2].
• Whole-house transient lodging (no owner present, nightly stays) — not separately defined. Operating without a clear zoning classification creates code-enforcement exposure; confirm the Township’s position in writing before listing.

The 2024 zoning map is published as a PDF on the Township site. For any specific property: identify the parcel’s zoning district on the map below, then email or call the Zoning Administrator (David Jirousek, Horizon Community Planning) to confirm what STR-style use, if any, is permitted on that parcel.

Click the map to open the full Zoning Map PDF.

There is no Township-issued STR registration or annual permit in Antwerp Township. Operators planning an STR are routed through three other compliance gates ^[2][3][4]:

• Zoning Information Request / SLU Application (Section 9.6 for B&B, or Special Use generally) — submit the Zoning Information Request form to the Zoning Administrator before any change of use; SLU applications go through the Planning Commission (1st Wednesday monthly, 6:30 PM) ^[2][8].
• Building / Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical permits — required for any modifications to make the property rental-ready (added bedrooms, smoke alarms, GFCI outlets, etc.). Submit applications and fees to Antwerp Township; permits are calculated on construction value ^[3].
• Well & septic — properties on private systems are subject to Van Buren / Cass District Health Department oversight; new wells/septic require permits and inspections, and many transactions trigger a home-sale inspection ^[4].

Antwerp Township switched to a construction-value-based permit fee structure as of July 1 — building permit fees are calculated by the building inspector after permit approval rather than from a fixed schedule ^[3]. Other rental-relevant fees come from the published zoning fee schedule ^[9]:

Operating an STR without zoning approval can be reported via the Township Ordinance Violation form below. Repeat violations escalate as civil infractions per the Zoning Ordinance.

There is no routine rental inspection cycle in Antwerp Township. The relevant inspection regime is project-based — anything triggered by a building, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical permit ^[3]:

• Building inspections — requested at 269-668-2615 ext. 210; performed Monday–Thursday by Kevin Cardiff ^[3].
• Electrical inspections — requested at 269-668-2615 ext. 214; performed by Artie Wilcox ^[3].
• Plumbing inspections — requested at 269-668-2615 ext. 216; performed by Rich Goris (cell 269-207-1543) ^[3].
• Mechanical inspections — requested at 269-668-2615 ext. 300; performed by Rocky Sherburn ^[3].
• B&B Special Land Use — applicants must show proof of state and county licenses prior to commencing the use; the Planning Commission reviews each B&B SLU application individually ^[2].
• Wells & septic on private systems — installation, repair, and home-sale inspections handled by Van Buren / Cass District Health Department ^[4].

Antwerp Township does not publish STR-specific operating rules (no occupancy cap, no quiet-hours ordinance dedicated to STRs, no parking ordinance specific to rentals). The constraints that do apply ^[2][11]:

• Bed & Breakfast operating limits (Sec. 9.6) — owner must occupy as principal residence, max 6 guest rooms, at least one full bathroom per two guest rooms, meals served only to family/employees/overnight guests, one indirectly-illuminated sign max 16 sq ft / 4 ft tall, exterior refuse storage screened by 6 ft solid fence ^[2].
• Boarding House operating limits (Sec. 9.7, R-3 only, SLU) — max 4 rentable bedrooms, 1 adult (or 1 adult + 1 child) per bedroom, no independent cooking facilities in rooms, owner-occupied, 1 off-street parking space per rentable room, annual compliance inspection ^[6].
• Vehicle Repair and Storage Ordinance — limits inoperable / abandoned vehicles in residential yards ^[11].
• Blight Ordinance — enforced via the Township Ordinance Enforcement Officer through the Van Buren Sheriff’s Department; complaints route to 269-668-2404 ^[10].
• Burning — open burning is regulated by separate township ordinance; confirm seasonal restrictions before any guest fire-pit advertising ^[12].

Antwerp Township does not require a designated local agent or 24-hour contact for short-term rentals — there is no STR ordinance and therefore no agent-of-record provision. The practical complaint-routing channels are ^[10]:

• Township Code Enforcement line: 269-668-2404 (complaints route to Deputy Zach Hathaway, Van Buren Sheriff’s Department)
• Van Buren County non-emergency dispatch: 269-657-2000
• Township Hall (general): 269-668-2615

Even without a local-agent ordinance, listing platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo) require a host or co-host phone number that responds within hours; investors operating remotely should keep a property manager named on the listing for both platform compliance and neighbor relations.

Properties inside the Village of Mattawan or Village of Lawton boundaries are governed by the village’s rules, not the Township’s — Antwerp Township only handles Township-area parcels ^[1]. Buyers and listing agents should verify the property’s incorporation status before assuming Antwerp Township rules apply.

• Village of Mattawan zoning: contact 269-668-2128 ^[13]
• Village of Lawton zoning: Lisa Imus, 269-624-6407 ^[13]
• Village of Mattawan permits are routed through Antwerp Township for building/electrical/plumbing/mechanical work ^[3].