🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Spring Lake, MI
Spring Lake Tightens the Reins on Short-Term Rentals
A Deep Dive into Your Area’s STR Updates — Helping You Navigate the Ever-Changing Rental Landscape.
Spring Lake Tightens the Reins on Short-Term Rentals
Short-term rental operators in Spring Lake Township just saw their options shrink —again.
In a move aimed at further regulating short-term rentals (STRs), the township’s Board of Trustees voted on May 12 to shrink the area where STRs are allowed. The decision eliminates STRs from the Medium Density Residential – Cottage (R-3) zone and replaces it with a designated Short-Term Rental Overlay District focused on the eastern edge of the Strawberry Point neighborhood.
If you're counting, that overlay district now accounts for just 10% of the entire township. And the impact? It’s significant.
Officials say the decision removed 60 single-family homes from STR eligibility, cutting down the potential number of new rentals in several key neighborhoods, including Minetta Avenue, Rhoda Street, and Benjamin Avenue.
As of now, only 221 properties fall within the permitted zone. Of those, just 22 are currently registered as STRs—roughly 10% of the homes in the overlay. Township-wide there are 25 active STRs showing just how limited the scope has become.
Village of Spring Lake Short Term Rental Ordinances
The new district excludes homes along North Lake Avenue, and community leaders are being deliberate about where STRs should and shouldn’t operate.
“When you go into the Strawberry Point area to the west, those are some smaller units where the lot sizes really vary,” said Lukas Hill, the township’s community development director.
This suggests that the township is trying to strike a balance—encouraging STRs in more compatible areas while avoiding disruption in more traditional residential neighborhoods.
The takeaway? STR activity is still possible in Spring Lake Township—but the sandbox just got a lot smaller. If you're involved in the short-term rental space, staying on top of zoning changes like this is essential.
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