Three Oaks Township

The Three Oaks Township Zoning Ordinance does not define ‘short-term rental,’ ‘vacation rental,’ or ‘transient lodging’ as separate use categories. The only short-term-occupancy residential use the code defines is a Bed-and-Breakfast operation (§ 380-15.08), which is a Special Land Use in every residential district ^[1].

That means a whole-home Airbnb or VRBO is not expressly permitted or expressly prohibited — it falls in a gap. The practical, defensible route is to treat it as a B&B under § 380-15.08 and apply for a Special Land Use Permit through the Planning Commission. The alternative is a formal zoning interpretation request to the Zoning Administrator (Ed Carpenter) before listing.

The Township is divided into eight zoning districts (§ 380-3.01): AG-RR (Agricultural/Rural Residential), R-1 (Single-Family), R-2 (Two-Family), R-3 (Multifamily), R-4 (Mobile Home), C-1 (Commercial), I (Industrial), and FP (Floodplain Overlay). B&B operations are expressly listed as a Special Land Use in R-1 (§ 380-5.03.D) ^[3]. For parcel-level verification, use the Berrien County GIS viewer and then confirm the zoning district and use status with the Zoning Administrator.

Operating as a B&B (the code’s only short-term occupancy category) locks in a specific list of standards under § 380-15.08 ^[1]. These are hard-coded in the ordinance, not discretionary conditions attached to the permit.

• Short-term only, max 30 continuous days per guest (§ 380-15.08.G).
• Bedroom count frozen — you cannot convert more rental rooms than the number of bedrooms that existed at the time the chapter was enacted, and adequate owner/manager living space must be preserved (§ 380-15.08.A).
• Manager must reside on-site with more than a nominal equity interest, unless it is owner-occupied (§ 380-15.08.A). Absentee whole-home rental is not contemplated by this section.
• A common room for guest relaxation is required (§ 380-15.08.A).
• Off-street parking — one space per rented bedroom, plus family vehicles (§ 380-15.08.B).
• Bathrooms — one bathroom per four guest rooms or fewer (§ 380-15.08.C).
• No separate cooking facilities if only continental breakfast is served (§ 380-15.08.D).
• Signage — one on-site sign only; no off-site signage (§ 380-15.08.E).
• Zoning Administrator inspection and approval required before occupancy (§ 380-15.08.F).
• Berrien County Health Department approval required if anything beyond continental breakfast is served (§ 380-15.08.F).
• Minimum 2,400 sq ft of floor area required to convert a residence to a B&B (§ 380-15.08.H).

B&B operations require a Special Land Use Permit approved by the Township Planning Commission after a public hearing (§ 380-15.02) ^[1]. Submission is paper-based — the application PDF is available on the Township’s Documents & Forms page.

Three Oaks Township does not charge a separate STR registration fee — there is no STR program. The costs that apply to standing up a B&B / short-term use are the Special Land Use application fee, the site plan review fee, and the Zoning Administrator’s occupancy inspection. The published Township zoning fee schedule sets these ^[4].

Enforcement of zoning violations (operating a B&B without a permit or breaching conditions) is handled as a municipal civil infraction under Chapter 380’s enforcement provisions — call the Zoning Administrator to confirm current penalty structure before banking on any particular amount.

Before a B&B / short-term use may begin operation, the Zoning Administrator must inspect and approve the facility (§ 380-15.08.F) ^[1]. Unlike the Village of Three Oaks (which runs its own STR inspection checklist), the Township’s inspection is discretionary under the Zoning Administrator and piggybacks on state and county standards rather than a dedicated township housing code.

• Zoning Administrator occupancy sign-off — verifies compliance with § 380-15.08 conditions and any site-plan conditions imposed by the Planning Commission.
• Berrien County Health Department approval — required if food service goes beyond continental breakfast (§ 380-15.08.F).
• Michigan Building Code smoke alarm & CO requirements apply to any rental dwelling — hardwired interconnected smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, and on every level; CO alarm within 15 feet of each sleeping area.
• Septic/well verification — for rural parcels on private septic, Berrien County Health Dept’s On-Site Septic program is the governing authority; confirm tank capacity is sized for the advertised maximum occupancy.

Three Oaks Township does not have a standalone noise ordinance in its current code — noise complaints are handled under Michigan general law and the nuisance provisions embedded in Chapter 380 (zoning) and Michigan Penal Code (disturbing the peace, MCL 750.170). There is no township fireworks ordinance; state law (Michigan Fireworks Safety Act, MCL 28.451 et seq.) controls, which means consumer fireworks are permitted on the day before, day of, and day after a national holiday, between 11:00 AM and 11:45 PM (or 1:00 AM on New Year’s).

• Noise / disturbance complaints: Berrien County Sheriff non-emergency dispatch — 866-630-7679.
• Zoning violations (B&B conditions): Ed Carpenter, Zoning Administrator — (269) 756-9801 ext. 4, cell (269) 363-1869.
• County emergency: 911.