The subcommittee consists of two DSC members as well as township staff.
The big picture
Arthur Bredehoft, chair of the township’s Development Standards Committee, which enforces rules for property use and maintenance, said at a May 28 township board of directors meeting the original standards for STRs in the township were approved in 2019, but the landscape for the rentals has changed in recent years as the practice gains in popularity.
"We are in review of what the next steps are," Bredehoft said.
He said this could include hiring a third party to conduct reviews of the township's short-term rentals.
Identifying STRs in the township is important because it allows the township to ensure that proper taxes are paid as well as other regulation is possible, he said.
"As we sign up more short-term rentals ... these properties can pay the proper tax level to the township," Bredehoft said. " ... If residents have concerns they may not be running the short-term rental according to the rules, now you have a process to document that and bring action against that particular applicant."
Enforcement can be brought about through breach of contract to stop the rental of a property that is in violation, Bret Strong, the township's legal counsel, said at the meeting.
According to the township website, to register a short-term rental with the township, a homeowner must currently:
- Submit an application and sign a maintenance and use agreement
- Provide proof of insurance and designate a local contact person
- Follow all township covenants and standards
- Renew the approval annually
- Pay a compliance deposit of $500
- A single-family dwelling rented for less than 30 consecutive days
- The property is rented for at least $15 per stay
Next steps
So far this year, 120 STRs are on file with the township and have been approved, Bredehoft said. He said in an email to Community Impact that number has held steady for the past two years and is consistent with peer communities. However, staff is now looking into third-party services and partnering with Airbnb to gain a more accurate count and collect the proper taxes. There are about 35-40 potential additional residences that could be short-term rentals, he said.
“What we want to achieve in mapping is to determine the density [of short-term rentals] in some of our neighborhoods,” Bredehoft said. “I think we need to be sharing more information in different communities, because this is a big concern of a lot of residents on a national basis.”
Township legal counsel Bret Strong said enforcement has become “much easier” over the last few years, and two STR permits have been revoked because they did not abide by township regulations.
“In our community people that run short-term rentals generally do a good job, and run it the right way," he said.
