St. Joseph Charter Township

Sustained short-term rental use is not listed as a permitted or special use in any district of the township’s Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 46, adopted July 12, 2021). Residential districts (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4) permit one-family, two-family, and multiple-family dwellings; the zoning use table treats Bed & Breakfast as a Special Use in R-1/R-3/R-4/B-1/B-2 and Hotels/Motels as a permitted use only in B-2. Short-term vacation rentals are not a recognized use category. ^[4]

The one STR path the ordinance does recognize is the Special Event short-term rental under Chapter 10, Section 10-157 — limited to 14 days per year, requiring advance registration and a local manager. See the next accordion for the full special-event workflow. ^[3]

Because the ordinance does not carve out a vacation-rental use, any investor weighing an STR strategy in the township should get written confirmation from the Building Official before making an offer. Do not rely on the absence of a prohibition as an implicit permission — the enforcement position has been that sustained under-30-day rental falls outside the definition of “rental dwelling” in Section 10-150. ^[2]

Tap to open the July 2021 Township Zoning Map PDF.

Submit the Rental Registration / Inspection Form to the Building Department at 3000 Washington Ave (mail: P.O. Box 147, St. Joseph, MI 49085) at least 14 days before the event. Special-event STR approvals expire on a date specific to the event and do not roll into an annual permit. ^[3]

1. Confirm “special event” status. Only events designated as such by the Township Board qualify. Call the Building Department at (269) 429-7703 before filing to confirm the window.
2. Submit the registration at least 14 days in advance. Use the standard Rental Registration / Inspection Form — the ordinance states all rental applications use the same form.
3. Inspection. The Building Inspector will inspect the dwelling prior to approval.
4. Local manager + emergency info. A resident or local manager must be named with a contact number, and emergency information (address + contact name/phone) must be posted inside the door of the dwelling.
5. HOA/ARC notice. If the dwelling is in a development with an Association or Architectural & Rules Committee, a copy of the request and the Section 10-157 criteria list must be forwarded to them.
6. 14-day annual cap. The combined total of special-event STR days in a calendar year cannot exceed 14. Exceeding the cap results in loss of the homestead exemption on the dwelling. ^[3]

Special-event STR fees mirror the standard Rental Registration fee schedule — $75.00 per unit on the Rental Registration / Inspection Form. ^[5]

The homestead (Principal Residence Exemption / PRE) consequence is the ordinance-level penalty unique to special-event STRs. Loss of PRE raises the effective millage on the parcel significantly — talk to the Township Assessor and a CPA before pushing past the 14-day window. ^[3]

The applicable housing code is the Michigan Residential Code (currently 2015 edition) together with the locally-amended property-maintenance standards in Chapter 10, Article IV. The Building Inspector walks the dwelling before a permit is issued. ^[2]

• Smoke detectors outside each sleeping area and in every bedroom, plus basement/other levels with sleeping use.
• Egress. Basement bedrooms and above-grade bedrooms must have a functional egress window or exterior door. All exits must operate without a key from the inside.
• GFCI protection within 6 feet of water; covers on all electrical boxes; service panel accessible.
• Mechanical. Water heater TPR discharge piped to within 4 inches of the floor with metal pipe; clearance around furnace maintained.
• Heat. Habitable areas must maintain 70°F.
• Occupancy calculation. Bedrooms must have 70 sq ft for the first occupant plus 50 sq ft for each additional occupant; the Occupancy Permit lists the maximum.
• Exterior. Premises free of junk/debris, foundation/roof/siding in workmanlike repair, window and door screens required April 1–December 1.

Every special-event STR must name a resident or local manager with a working contact number, post emergency information inside the door, and is capped at the occupant number set by the Building Inspector at registration. ^[3]

• Local manager. A named person, resident or local, available to the guest and to the Township by phone during the event window.
• Emergency sheet inside the door. Must list the house address and the name + phone number of the contact person. Posted prominently inside the main door.
• Maximum occupants. Stated on the registration application and determined by the building code’s square-footage rules; cannot be exceeded in marketing.
• HOA notice. If the dwelling is in an Association-governed subdivision, a copy of the request and Section 10-157 criteria list must be forwarded to the HOA/ARC.
• Expiration date. Every approval is tied to a specific time frame; it does not create a standing permit.

Chapter 22 (Nuisances) and Chapter 26 (Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions) cover the day-to-day conduct rules that affect rental operators — noise, junk, parking-on-grass, dogs at large, tall grass, and related property-maintenance expectations. The Ordinance Officer (Troy Gano, also the Building Official) handles complaints. ^[6]

• Parking on grass prohibited. Only concrete or asphalt surfaces.
• Tall grass/weeds. The Township will mow and invoice if the owner does not maintain the lawn.
• Barking/at-large dogs. First complaint triggers a letter; second may trigger a citation.
• Bulky trash. Arrange pickup with Best Way Disposal (269-463-3232) for large items.