State

Michigan short-term rental laws (2026)

Michigan's Treasury treats a short-term rental as a property tax question too, not only a use tax one. A homeowner who rents bedrooms on Airbnb or Vrbo keeps the full principal residence exemption while occupying over half the house. Renting the whole house most of the year ends that status.^[4]

Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.

The Mackinac Bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, with low fog over the water

Is Airbnb legal in Michigan?

Legal where zoning allows

Michigan issues no state license. Hosts owe the 6% use tax, and city zoning decides where renting is allowed.

13 official sources · verified October 2, 2026

Photo: Beverly Kimberly on Unsplash

PermitNot required · No state license, city rules vary
Primary residenceVaries
Number on listingNot required
Night capNone in state law

Michigan short-term rental laws

Michigan runs no state license or registry for short-term rentals. Its statewide rule is the 6% use tax on rooms or lodging, owed unless one tenant stays more than a month. Treasury applies it to a vacation home, a cabin or a room in a private residence. A host who owes the tax registers with the Department of Treasury. Permits, zoning districts and occupancy limits come from local governments.^[1]

Every Michigan rule, sorted by what it asks

Filter by topic. Each line carries the number of its official source, listed at the bottom of the page.

You must

Register with the Department of Treasury when you owe use tax[2]
Remit the 6% use tax on rooms rented for a month or less[1]
Get your city's license or registration before the first booking[9][6]
Show the city license number in your ads where the city requires it[10][6]

You must not

Rent an Ann Arbor accessory dwelling unit as a short-term rental[9]
Open a new short-term rental in New Buffalo's R-1, R-2 or R-3 districts[11]

Not required

A state short-term rental license[1]
Use tax on a room rented more than a month to one tenant[1]
Giving up the principal residence exemption to rent a few bedrooms[4]

Cities in this state

Short-term rental rules in 5 Michigan cities

Ranked by the share of housing the Census counts as seasonal.

Short-term rental rules by city in Michigan
City	Local rule	Primary residence	Night cap	Seasonal homes per 1,000
New Buffalo short-term rental rulesBerrien County, MI	Allowed by zone	Not required	None, but grandfathered units lapse after 12 months unrented	446
Douglas short-term rental rulesAllegan County, MI	Registration required	Not published	None published	432
South Haven short-term rental rulesVan Buren County, MI	License required	Not published	28 days or 6 rental terms a year on a Class II license	319
Traverse City short-term rental rulesGrand Traverse County, MI	Allowed by zone	Varies	None for vacation homes, 84 guest nights for a low-intensity tourist home	71
Ann Arbor short-term rental rulesWashtenaw County, MI	License required	Varies	No night cap, principal residences only in residential zones	8

How to apply in Michigan

1
Check your zoning district first. New Buffalo, for one, allows no new short-term rental in its R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts.^[11]
2
Register with the Department of Treasury if you owe use tax on the rooms you rent.^[2]
3
Apply for your city's license or registration before the first booking. Ann Arbor's review can take up to 21 business days.^[9]

Five jurisdictions, same questions

The Michigan column comes from the official sources on this page. The other columns show the headline rule from each WonderGuest page. Open a page for the full detail.

Short-term rental rules in Michigan compared with other jurisdictions
Question	Michigan	Ohio	Florida	Hawaii	Tennessee
Permit	Not requiredNo state license, city rules vary	Not requiredNone from the state. Cities issue their own	RequiredState license, $170 a year	RequiredState GET and TAT licenses	RequiredCity permit where one exists
Primary residence	Varies	Varies	Not required	Varies	Varies
Night cap	None in state law	None in state law	None published by the state	No state cap, county rules vary	None. Under 30 nights is the definition
Number on listing	Not required	Not required	Not required	Required	Not required
Where allowed	Where the local zoning district allows it	Wherever local zoning allows it	No local bans after June 1, 2011	Set by each county	City zoning decides, legacy status aside
Occupancy tax	6% state use tax	Local lodging tax. State sales tax from five rooms	6% state tax, Airbnb collects	11% state TAT plus county TAT	City tax up to 4%, 8% with the county
Fine without permit	Set by each city	Set by each city	Second-degree misdemeanor	$500 fine, $2,000 if cash-based	Use suspended while unpermitted
		Ohio short-term rental rules	Florida short-term rental rules	Hawaii short-term rental rules	Tennessee short-term rental rules

Keep exploring

Coming up

What's changing

No change with an effective date appears in the official sources on this page as of October 2, 2026.

FAQ

Michigan short-term rental questions

Is Airbnb legal in Michigan?

Yes at state level. Michigan law lets each city, village or township set zoning districts that regulate land use. Whether you can host at an address depends on that local zoning.^[5]

What tax applies to a Michigan short-term rental?

Michigan's 6% use tax applies to rooms or lodging furnished to the public. No tax is due when one tenant rents for a continuous period of more than one month.^[1]

Does Michigan's use tax cover a private home rented on Airbnb?

Yes. Treasury says homeowners who rent their homes, or rooms in them, for temporary lodging must remit use tax. That covers vacation homes, cabins and condominiums.^[2]

Can I rent rooms on Airbnb and keep my principal residence exemption?

Treasury says yes, if the home stays your principal residence and you occupy over half of it. Renting the whole house most of the year ends that status.^[4]

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
MCL 125.3201, Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (2006 PA 110), regulation of land development and districts, Michigan Legislature, read on October 2, 2026
Codified Ordinances, Chapter 870, Vacation Home Rental License, City of Traverse City, read on October 2, 2026
Zoning Code, Chapter 1332, R-1a and R-1b Low Density Residential Districts, City of Traverse City, read on October 2, 2026
Zoning Code, Chapter 1338, HR Hotel Resort District, City of Traverse City, read on October 2, 2026
Short-Term Rentals, City of Ann Arbor, Rental Housing Services, read on October 2, 2026
City Code, Chapter 97, Short-Term Rentals, Sections 7:650 to 7:655, City of Ann Arbor, read on October 2, 2026
Zoning Ordinance, Table 3-04(B) and Section 9-08, Nonconforming Short-Term Rental Units, City of New Buffalo, read on October 2, 2026
Short-Term Rental Registration, City of South Haven, Building Services, read on October 2, 2026
Short-Term Rental Packet, 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.

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