Where short-term rentals are allowed in New Buffalo, MI
Only short-term rentals registered by November 23, 2021 still operate in New Buffalo's residential districts. Such a unit loses that right after 12 months without a single rental term.[7]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in New Buffalo?
Your zoning decides
What you apply for: Short-term rental permit
- Seasonal homes
- 747
- Housing units
- 1,675
- Residents
- 1,338
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleAllowed by zone
- City fee$1,525
- Tax on each stay6%
- Seasonal homes446 per 1,000
New Buffalo short-term rental permit
A New Buffalo short-term rental permit runs one year at a time. A non-homestead property pays $1,525: a $75 registration fee, a $1,300 city service fee and a $150 inspection fee. The renewal costs the same total. Each application names a local agent living within 20 miles of the unit, reachable 24 hours a day. The unit must pass a city rental inspection before the permit issues.[5]
What New Buffalo asks of you
The zoning ordinance defines short-term rental activity as renting a dwelling unit for compensation for less than one month.[7]
Short-term rentals need a special use permit in the Central Business, General Commercial and Waterfront Marina districts.[7]
The R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts do not list short-term rentals. Only units registered under Chapter 11 as of November 23, 2021 continue there as nonconforming uses.[7]
A nonconforming unit survives a sale or repairs. It is deemed abandoned after 12 months without a rental term, or 12 months after its permit lapses.[7]
No accessory dwelling unit may be used as a short-term rental.[7]
For a non-homestead property, fees total $1,525: $75 to register, a $1,300 city service fee and $150 for the inspection.[5]
The permit is valid for one year. The inspection must be scheduled within 21 days of applying.[6]
Each owner names a local agent living within 20 miles of the unit, who answers complaints within 30 minutes, 24 hours a day. An owner living within 20 miles of the city can be the agent.[6]
Every bedroom needs a working smoke alarm and every floor a carbon monoxide detector. The owner or agent checks them at least every 30 days.[6]
A copy of the permit is displayed in a street-facing window of the unit.[6]
Any advertisement must include the current rental permit number.[6]
The owner sends the city a reservation summary each time the property is rented.[6]
Owners with unpaid city fees or fines are denied a permit, even when the debt concerns another address.[6]
After hours, complaints go to Berrien County Dispatch at (866) 630-7679, which has a police officer follow up.[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 New Buffalo
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 New Buffalo is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 747 of New Buffalo's 1,675 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 446 out of every 1,000. It ranks New Buffalo 1st of the 5 Michigan cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 1st of 5
- Share of housing
- 446 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $391,200
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where New Buffalo sits among its neighbors
Traverse City, MI
Allowed by zone
604 seasonal homes, 71 per 1,000 housing units.
Traverse City short-term rental rulesDouglas, MI
Registration required
558 seasonal homes, 432 per 1,000 housing units.
Douglas short-term rental rulesSouth 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 rulesFAQ
New Buffalo short-term rental questions
How much is a New Buffalo short-term rental permit?
Can I open a new short-term rental in a New Buffalo residential district?
Who can be the local agent for a New Buffalo rental?
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 Rentals, City of New Buffalo, Code Enforcement, read on October 2, 2026
- Short-Term Rental Application, City of New Buffalo, 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
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
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb profit calculator
Nightly rate, occupancy, Airbnb fee, management, mortgage, taxes and depreciation. You get cash flow, cash-on-cash return and what is left after the IRS.
Airbnb cleaning checklist generator
Build a printable turnover checklist by room, with restock, photos to take and a place for the cleaner to sign. Free PDF, no sign-up.