Columbia Township

Columbia Township has not adopted a stand-alone short-term rental ordinance. Whether a residential dwelling can legally be rented short-term turns on the use rules in the underlying Zoning Ordinance ^[4] for the parcel’s district.

The township is divided into five primary zoning districts:

• R1 (Residential) — single-family dwellings as principal use.
• R2 (Residential-Resort) — single- and two-family dwellings, intended for higher-density resort-related use; this district covers most lake-area parcels.
• RO (Residential-Old Plats) — lots in subdivisions platted before 1967 with smaller minimums.
• A (Agricultural) — agricultural and residential.
• C (Commercial) — commercial uses.

Bed & Breakfast operations are referenced in the Zoning Ordinance as a separate use category and are not the same as a whole-house short-term rental ^[4]. For any specific property, verify the zoning district and confirm whether the township interprets short-term rental as permitted in that district with the Zoning Administrator before listing.

No township-administered STR registration or permit program is currently in force. The township does not issue or collect short-term rental permits as of May 2026 ^[2][3]. A draft ordinance is under review on the township’s public-notices page; until it is adopted, there is no application form, fee schedule, or renewal cycle to file with Columbia Township.

Operators should still complete the standard items every Michigan STR needs:

• Septic verification via the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department ^[5] — unsuited septic on lake cottages is the most common deal-killer.
• State sales/use tax registration with Michigan Treasury for stays under 30 days.
• Insurance rider covering short-term rental use.

Watch the township public-notices page for the adopted ordinance — once enacted, registration is expected to be required.

If an STR ordinance is adopted, registration fees, per-bedroom fees, and renewal cycles will be added here. Township office hours for in-person business are Monday-Friday, 9 AM-1 PM ^[3].

The township does not currently run an STR inspection program. Until a local ordinance is adopted, inspection requirements that affect short-term rentals are limited to the items every dwelling must meet:

• Building & electrical permits for any modifications, processed through Michigan Township Services-Allegan (the township’s contracted zoning/building office) ^[7].
• Septic system permits and inspections through the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department for any property on private septic ^[5]. The 2026 EH Fee Schedule sets per-permit fees ^[8].
• Smoke alarms, carbon-monoxide alarms, and egress per Michigan Building Code minimums.

If the draft STR ordinance is adopted with an inspection clause, this section will be updated with the cycle and fee schedule.

Standard township nuisance and noise rules apply to any rental — short-term or long-term — and are enforced by the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office in Columbia Township (the township does not maintain its own police department).

• Quiet hours and noise: follow Michigan public-nuisance standards plus any township-adopted noise rules; check current ordinances on the Adopted Resolutions & Ordinances page ^[9].
• Trash: private hauler service is standard outside village limits. The Columbia Transfer Station is operated by the township for residents ^[10].
• Parking: on-parcel only; do not block the public right-of-way or fire lanes. RO district lots have specific 400-sqft (10×20 ft x 2 spaces) on-site parking minimums ^[4].
• Septic capacity: short-term rental occupancy on private septic should not exceed the design capacity in the original health department permit.

Watch this section. The township posted a Short-Term Rental notice on its public-notices page in early 2026 ^[2][3]. The notice indicates the township is reviewing STR rules; full text of any draft has not been publicly indexed under a stable URL outside that notice graphic.

What that means for buyers and operators:

• Underwrite conservatively. Don’t assume current “no local ordinance” status will persist. New rules — registration, fees, occupancy caps — could be adopted on standard board timelines (notice, public hearing, adoption).
• Track the public-notices and meeting-minutes pages for the next planning commission and board meeting agendas.
• Direct contact with the Clerk or Supervisor is the fastest way to confirm current status before closing on an STR-dependent deal.