Arlington Township

52022 34th Ave, Bangor, MI 49013

Directions

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Township Website

www.arlingtontownship.com

Area Overview

Arlington Township is a rural general-law township of roughly 1,958 residents ^[1] sitting in the interior of Van Buren County, bordered by Columbia (north), Waverly (east), Lawrence (south), and Bangor (west). The township covers about 35 square miles of largely agricultural land, including blueberry farms, with the Township Hall located on 34th Avenue in Bangor. It was established in 1842 ^[1] and is governed by a Township Board with appointment-only office hours ^[2].

Unlike the lakefront tourist townships of Berrien County, Arlington Township has not adopted a short-term rental ordinance and operates no rental registration or licensing program. STR and long-term-rental activity therefore falls back on the township’s underlying Zoning Ordinance ^[3], the Blight Ordinance ^[4], and Michigan state landlord-tenant law. For investors, the practical questions to verify before buying are (1) whether a parcel’s zoning district allows the use you intend, (2) whether the well and septic system can support nightly-occupancy loads (Van Buren / Cass District Health Department offers a dedicated short-term-rental inspection ^[5]), and (3) whether you intend to operate any kind of commercial-lodging use that would push the property into the township’s Commercial district rules ^[3].

Quick Status Summary

Short-Term Rentals NO STR ORDINANCE

Arlington Township has no short-term rental ordinance, no STR registration program, and no permit cap. The Zoning Ordinance ^[3] does not list “short-term rental” as a defined use; it permits hotels and motels only in the Commercial (C) district and defines a Bed-N-Breakfast Inn as overnight accommodations not exceeding fourteen continuous days provided by resident owners ^[3]. Whether a non-owner-occupied STR in a residential district is treated as a permitted residential use or as commercial lodging is a parcel-level zoning determination – confirm in writing with Zoning Administrator Ryan Laylin ^[2] before underwriting any STR-dependent valuation.

Long-Term Rentals ALLOWED

Long-term rentals (31-day-plus leases) of dwelling units are permitted wherever the Zoning Ordinance allows residential use ^[3]. There is no township rental registration, annual inspection cycle, or landlord licensing program. Property condition is regulated through the Blight Ordinance ^[4] and complaints are handled via the township Complaint Form ^[6]. Landlord-tenant relationships, security deposits, and evictions are governed by Michigan state law ^[7].

Rental Regulations

1 Where STRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

The Arlington Township Zoning Ordinance does not contain a “short-term rental” use category. Whether a non-owner-occupied nightly rental is permitted on a specific parcel comes down to how the Zoning Administrator interprets the parcel’s existing residential use against two ordinance fixed points ^[3]:

Hotels and motels are listed as a Principal Use only in the C – Commercial District (Section 3.07) ^[3]. They are not a permitted use in any residential district.
Bed-N-Breakfast Inn is defined in Article X as “a dwelling in which overnight accommodations (not to exceed fourteen continuous days) are provided or offered for transient guests for compensation by the owners and residents therein” ^[3]. The B-N-B label requires the owner to live on-site and caps each guest’s stay at 14 days. B-N-Bs do not appear in any district’s principal-uses list, so a true B-N-B operation likely requires Special Use Permit review ^[8].

What this means in practice. A whole-house STR rented out by a non-resident owner does not fit the B-N-B definition (no resident host) and does not fit Hotel/Motel (only allowed in Commercial). Operators should expect parcel-by-parcel review. Verify your intended use in writing with Ryan Laylin, Zoning Administrator, before listing on Airbnb / VRBO.

Open the official Zoning Map (adopted 01-21-2026, PDF) to identify a parcel’s district before contacting the Zoning Administrator.

🗺 Zoning Map (PDF)📄 Zoning Ordinance (PDF)📧 Ask Zoning Admin

2 Registration & Permit Process

There is no STR registration form, no STR permit, and no online portal. Arlington Township does not maintain a short-term rental program ^[2]^[3]. There is nothing to file with the Clerk’s office before listing, and no recurring annual fee.

However, two township-level permits may apply depending on what you do with the property:

Zoning Compliance PermitRequired before any new use of a building or premises ^[3]. Apply via the Building Permit Application or the Zoning Compliance Permit form below.

Building PermitRequired for construction, additions, or major alterations. Submit to Zoning first, then to Building Inspector Bill Snider at sniderservices12@gmail.com ^[2].

Special Use PermitMay be required if Zoning Administrator determines the STR rises to a commercial-lodging or B-N-B use ^[8]. Reviewed by the Planning Commission.

SubmissionBy appointment at 52022 34th Ave, Bangor, MI 49013 ^[2]. Office hours by appointment only.

📄 Building Permit App 📄 Zoning Compliance Permit 📄 Special Use Permit App 📞 Call Township Hall

3 Fees & Penalties

STR registration feeNone – no STR program exists

Zoning Compliance Permit feeSet by Township Board fee schedule; confirm current amount with the Zoning Administrator ^[3]

Building Permit feeProject-based – varies by scope. Sent to Building Inspector after zoning approval ^[2]

Zoning ordinance violationMisdemeanor under Article XIV; daily penalties may accrue while violation continues ^[3]

Blight violation10-day notice to cure; civil infraction enforcement after notice period ^[4]

Because Arlington Township does not run a permit-and-cap STR system, there is no “renting without a permit” surcharge of the kind found in Berrien County beach towns. The functional risk is a zoning enforcement action if your use is determined to be commercial lodging in a district that doesn’t permit it.

📧 Ask Zoning Admin 📞 Call Zoning Admin (269) 414-8370

4 Inspections & Safety Requirements

The township does not perform routine STR inspections because no STR program exists ^[2]. Two outside inspection regimes still apply:

Building / construction inspections are handled by Building Inspector Bill Snider for any work pulled under a Building Permit. The township’s December 2025 Inspection Information Notice describes the current call-and-schedule process ^[9].
Well & septic inspections for STRs. The Van Buren / Cass District Health Department offers a dedicated Short Term Rental Inspection Application ^[5]. Several Van Buren County jurisdictions reference this inspection in their local STR rules; Arlington owners should treat it as best practice even where not strictly required, because failed septic systems are the single most common surprise on rural Van Buren parcels.

Smoke / CO alarms, egress, and electrical safety follow the State of Michigan residential code defaults; there is no local supplement.

📄 Inspection Information Notice 🏥 STR Well/Septic Inspection 📞 VBCDHD (269) 621-3143

5 Operating Rules (Nuisance, Parking, Burning)

With no STR-specific operating rules in force, the township’s general nuisance and conduct ordinances apply equally to all properties:

Blight Ordinance ^[4] regulates outdoor storage, scrap vehicles, junk accumulation (10-day cure period), and prohibits structures rendered uninhabitable by fire / wind / deterioration. STR operators with high guest turnover should pay particular attention to trash and scrap-vehicle storage clauses.
Open burning is regulated under the State of Michigan DEQ rules cross-referenced from the township’s Explore page ^[10]. Brush burns require permits in dry conditions.
ORV (off-road vehicle) and golf-cart use on Arlington roads is governed by the township’s Golf Cart Ordinance and ORV Ordinance ^[11]^[12]. STR hosts marketing “ORV access” should brief guests on the township’s specific street-use rules.
Pool fencing, smoke alarms, occupancy limits: governed by state code, not local supplement.
Septic capacity: practical occupancy on a rural parcel is bounded by septic design, not by ordinance. Don’t advertise sleeping capacity above what the septic was sized for.

📄 Blight Ordinance 📄 Golf Cart Ordinance 📄 ORV Ordinance

6 Complaints, Enforcement & 24-Hour Contact

Arlington Township does not require STR owners to designate a local agent or post a 24-hour responder, because there is no STR ordinance to require it ^[2]^[3]. Enforcement runs through three channels:

Township Complaint Form (general) ^[6] – filed for zoning, blight, nuisance, or operations complaints. Triggers Zoning Administrator review.
Blight Complaint Form ^[13] – dedicated form for property-condition complaints (junk accumulation, scrap vehicles, structural blight).
Van Buren County Sheriff Deputy assigned to Arlington: Deputy Holly Daniel, (269) 500-1017, danielh@vanburencountymi.gov ^[2] – for emergencies, noise, or after-hours nuisance.

For investor-owned out-of-area STRs, designating a local cleaning / maintenance contact who can respond to a complaint within an hour is best practice even though not required – the township’s enforcement appetite for repeat-complaint properties is parcel-specific and discretionary ^[2].

📄 Complaint Form (2025)📄 Blight Complaint Form 📞 Sheriff Deputy

1 Where LTRs Are Allowed (Zoning)

Long-term rental of a dwelling is a residential use and is permitted wherever the Zoning Ordinance allows residential occupancy ^[3]. The Ordinance is silent on rental term as a use distinction, so a 31+ day lease is treated the same as owner-occupancy for zoning purposes. The five residential districts are:

R-1 Low Density Residential – detached one-family dwellings on 17,000+ sq ft lots, 100 ft frontage ^[3].
R-2 One and Two Family Residential – one- and two-family dwellings on 24,000+ sq ft lots ^[3].
R-3 Very Low Density Residential – rural-density single-family on 1+ acre ^[3].
RM Residential Multiple Family – garden apartments, townhouses, group housing on 1+ acre with public utilities ^[3].
A-1 Agricultural – residential use is a permitted use under R-1 cross-reference; minimum 2 acres, 200 ft frontage ^[3].

Mobile homes and mobile-home parks have their own districts (MH P/S) with state-licensing requirements ^[3]. For commercial- or industrial-zoned parcels, residential dwelling use must be verified as a pre-existing legal nonconforming use before relying on it.

Open the official Zoning Map (PDF) to confirm a parcel’s district.

🗺 Zoning Map (PDF)📄 Zoning Ordinance (PDF)📧 Ask Zoning Admin

2 Registration & Permit Process

There is no long-term rental registration program in Arlington Township. No annual landlord license, no rental certificate, no recurring inspection schedule ^[2]^[3].

What you do file with the township is limited to:

A Zoning Compliance Permit if you are establishing a new dwelling unit or changing an existing structure’s use ^[3].
A Building Permit for any new construction or substantial alteration. Zoning approval comes first, then building review by Bill Snider, the township’s Building Inspector ^[2].

Lease execution, security-deposit handling, and tenant relations are governed entirely by Michigan state law (no local landlord registry) ^[7].

SubmissionBy appointment at 52022 34th Ave, Bangor, MI 49013 ^[2]

Office hoursBy appointment only ^[2]

Phone(269) 427-7300

📄 Building Permit App 📄 Zoning Compliance Permit 🗺 Directions

3 Fees & Penalties

LTR registration feeNone – no LTR program exists

Annual landlord licenseNone required

Building Permit feeProject-based; set by Township Board fee schedule ^[3]

Zoning Compliance Permit feeInspection fee per Township Board fee schedule ^[3]

Blight violation10-day notice to cure, then civil infraction enforcement ^[4]

Late property-tax payments accrue interest under standard Michigan rules; pay or look up taxes via the BSA Online portal ^[14].

💳 Property Tax Lookup (BSA)📧 Email Treasurer

4 Inspections & Safety Requirements

Arlington Township does not conduct routine LTR inspections – there is no rental certificate to renew ^[2]. Inspections happen only when triggered by:

A Building Permit – the Building Inspector inspects construction or alteration work. The current process is detailed in the township’s December 2025 Inspection Information Notice ^[9].
A Zoning Compliance Permit – inspection by the Zoning Administrator before a use is allowed to begin ^[3].
A complaint – blight, nuisance, or zoning complaints filed via the township Complaint Form ^[6] can trigger a site visit.

Well and septic inspections for property transactions are handled by the Van Buren / Cass District Health Department. Their Home Loan Inspection Application is the standard product used in real-estate closings on rural Van Buren parcels ^[5]; failed or undersized septic systems on older homes are the most common surprise.

📄 Inspection Notice 🏥 Well/Septic Inspection 📄 Complaint Form

5 Tenant Rights & Eviction Resources

Michigan landlord-tenant relationships in Arlington Township are governed entirely by state statute (MCL 554.601 et seq. for security deposits, MCL 600.5701 et seq. for summary eviction proceedings); there is no local ordinance modification ^[7]. The State Bar of Michigan publishes a free Practical Guide for Tenants and Landlords covering leases, deposits, repairs, and the eviction process – this is the primary go-to reference for both sides of a dispute ^[7].

Eviction filings for Arlington Township properties are heard in the Van Buren County district court. Tenants seeking emergency assistance or rental help can be referred via the Van Buren County services portal ^[15].

📄 MI Tenant/Landlord Guide 🌐 Van Buren County Services

Official Resources

Ordinances

Zoning Ordinance (working draft)

Districts, definitions, special-use procedures

Zoning Ordinance Amendments (2020-02)

Most recent text amendments

Property-condition rules and enforcement

Blight Ordinance

Golf Cart Ordinance

Township road-use rules

Off-road-vehicle rules on township roads

ORV Ordinance

Forms & Applications

Building Permit Application

Required before construction; rev 03.27.26

Required before any new use of a building

Zoning Compliance Permit

Special Use Permit Application

For uses requiring Planning Commission review

Variance Request Application

Zoning Board of Appeals filing

Zoning Board of Appeals Process

Procedural overview

Township Complaint Form (2025)

Zoning, nuisance, or operations complaints

Property-condition complaints

Blight Complaint Form

Inspection Information Notice (12-23-25)

Current building-inspection process

Maps

Arlington Township Zoning Map

Adopted 01-21-2026

Van Buren County GIS Parcel Viewer

Parcels, taxation, drains, aerial imagery

Portals & Lookups

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Property Tax Lookup (BSA Online)

Look up Arlington Township parcel taxes

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VBCDHD STR / Well / Septic Inspection

Apply online for short-term-rental inspection

Contact & Directions

clerk@arlingtontownship.com

supervisor@arlingtontownship.com

Supervisor's Email

treasurer@arlingtontownship.com

Treasurer's Email

Zoning Administrator (Ryan Laylin)

zoningadmin@arlingtontownship.com / (269) 414-8370

Building Inspector (Bill Snider)

sniderservices12@gmail.com / (269) 876-7244

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Sheriff Deputy (Holly Daniel)

(269) 500-1017 – Arlington Township assignment