FAQ

  • The owner lives out of state - who is watching the place?

    Did you know that every Short-Term Rental is required to have a local agent in order to operate their properties? That means, there is a local agent, which may be the owner themselves, which have to reside within 45 miles of the property to respond in a quick fashion if any help is needed.

  • What's the difference between a business and a personal permit?

    ‘Business’ is just a term that the city has chosen to indicate the # of allowed nights of rent at a home. This DOES NOT mean that the home is a business. All STRs are residential units.
    Personal STRs are allowed to rent their home for 28 nights or less per year and pay $125/bi-annually year plus undergo a bi-annual inspection.
    Business STRs are allowed to rent their home more than 28 nights per year and pay $600/year plus undergo a yearly inspection.

  • How does the city pay to monitor STRs?

    The beauty of the South Haven program is it pays for itself. The yearly fees that are required in order to renew an STR permit are directly applied to the fees required to manage the program.

  • What does it mean to be an exempt or non-exempt STR?

    First, it’s important to note that both are inspected, both are permitted, and both are tracked.

    Exempt properties include PUDs and certain condo and apartment complexes.

    To see all properties that are exempt, see this Ordinance amendment: https://southhavencitymi.documents-on-demand.com/document/8b71ef5a-f0c2-eb11-a33d-000c29a59557/Ord%201067%20-%20STR%20Amendment.PDF

  • When does a short-term rental become a long-term rental?

    All homes must abide by the STR ordinance when the homes rental term is a minimum of 2-nights to a maximum of 29-nights.

  • Is there a Cap?

    YES! The city of South Haven has a ratio cap of 1:4. That means for every 4 homes available within the current housing stock, there can be 1 STR. Essentially, 20% of the housing stock. The actual # count of STRs allowed varies slightly year to year and is calculated annually based on any change in the total number of housing units in the city. This number could go up or down.

  • Where is the ordinance?

    There have been a few amendments since the initial ordinance was implemented on July 16, 2016. You can view all documents at the bottom of this city page: https://www.southhavenmi.gov/building_services/short-term_rental_registration.php

  • Can STRs host fireworks shows?

    No, in fact, no fireworks are allowed on any STR property.