Douglas, MI short-term rental registration
Douglas lets short-term rentals run in any zoning district open to residential use, by right or as a special land use. The city counts any stay under 31 consecutive days, or any ad offering one.[5]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Douglas?
Register before you list
What you apply for: Short-term rental registration
- Seasonal homes
- 558
- Housing units
- 1,293
- Residents
- 1,427
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleRegistration required
- City fee$375
- Tax on each stay6%
- Seasonal homes432 per 1,000
Douglas short-term rental registration
Before any stay, a Douglas short-term rental must be registered and hold a valid rental occupancy permit. The application goes to the Planning and Zoning Administrator with the $375 fee. The Fire Department then schedules an inspection. Once the unit passes, the city sends a rental certificate, valid for 3 years. Inspections recur at least every 36 months.[5]
What Douglas asks of you
A short-term rental unit is a dwelling rented for less than 31 consecutive days, or advertised for any period under 31 days.[5]
Short-term rentals are permitted in every zoning district where residential use is permitted by right or approved as a special land use.[5]
The owner registers the unit with the city. No short-term rental may occur without a valid rental occupancy permit.[5]
The fiscal year 2025/2026 fee schedule lists $375 for registration and initial inspection. A re-inspection costs $175.[6]
The Fire Department contacts the owner to schedule the inspection. After it passes, the city sends the owner or agent a rental certificate.[5]
Certification is valid for 3 years, and the Fire Department inspects the unit at least every 36 months.[5]
The unit must meet the building, health and fire safety codes at all times.[5]
Vehicles, trailers and recreational equipment at the rental must be parked as the city's ordinances require.[5]
What Michigan asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
Michigan levies a 6% use tax on rooms or lodging offered to the public. A stay of more than one month by the same tenant owes none.[1]
Treasury's guidance puts private homeowners renting a house or a room under that tax, like hotels. A host who owes it registers with the Department of Treasury.[2]
Lodging furnished by a host already registered for use tax falls outside Michigan's definition of a marketplace facilitator sale.[3]
Renting the whole home for most of the year ends its principal residence status for property tax. Renting bedrooms while living in over half the home does not.[4]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Douglas
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan state use tax[1] | 6% | The state revenue department |
| Total on a taxable stay | 6% |
What the census counts
How much of Douglas is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 558 of Douglas's 1,293 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 432 out of every 1,000. It ranks Douglas 2nd of the 5 Michigan cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 2nd of 5
- Share of housing
- 432 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $426,400
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Douglas sits among its neighbors
South Haven, MI
License required
1,136 seasonal homes, 319 per 1,000 housing units.
South Haven short-term rental rulesAnn Arbor, MI
License required
425 seasonal homes, 8 per 1,000 housing units.
Ann Arbor short-term rental rulesNew Buffalo, MI
Allowed by zone
747 seasonal homes, 446 per 1,000 housing units.
New Buffalo short-term rental rulesTraverse City, MI
Allowed by zone
604 seasonal homes, 71 per 1,000 housing units.
Traverse City short-term rental rulesFAQ
Douglas short-term rental questions
How much does a Douglas short-term rental registration cost?
How long does a Douglas rental certificate last?
Where can I run a short-term rental in Douglas?
Sources
- Use Tax, Michigan Department of Treasury, read on October 2, 2026
- Treasury Update, Volume 1, Issue 2, February 2016, sharing economy and use tax on accommodations, Michigan Department of Treasury, read on October 2, 2026
- Marketplace Facilitator & Marketplace Seller FAQs, Michigan Department of Treasury, read on October 2, 2026
- Partial Principal Residence Exemption, Michigan Department of Treasury, read on October 2, 2026
- Short-Term Rental Packet, City of the Village of Douglas, read on October 2, 2026
- Fiscal Year 2025/2026 Fee Schedule, City of the Village of Douglas, read on October 2, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 2, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
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