Why Whitehall is taking this up now
Short-term rentals have grown across West Michigan, and Whitehall is feeling the effects—good and bad. Visitors boost local businesses and give homeowners a way to offset costs, but whole-home vacation rentals can also reduce housing options for year-round residents and create friction with neighbors over noise, parking, and fireworks. Council’s goal is to set clear, fair rules—so responsible hosts know what’s expected, neighbors know whom to call when there’s a problem, and the city can protect housing supply while ensuring everyone follows the same registration, safety, and tax requirements.
Where things stand
Whitehall’s council is moving from big-picture talk to the nuts and bolts of regulating short-term rentals (STRs)—stays under 30 days (some models define it as rentals of less than a month more than three times per year). Staff have been asked for data and draft options; final votes aren’t scheduled yet, but the work has clearly shifted into specific policy choices.
What council has dug
Pick the best parts. Members compared sample ordinances from other cities and agreed to borrow strong provisions rather than “reinvent the wheel.”
Neighbor notice & local contact. A recurring favorite: notifying neighbors within 300 feet of a licensed STR and requiring a local 24/7 contact so nearby residents can call when issues arise.
Quiet hours & fireworks. Expect explicit quiet-hour rules and a no-fireworks clause for STRs, aligned with existing city noise/fireworks limits.
Registration & inspections. Whitehall already registers/inspects long-term rentals. Council wants mandatory city registration for STRs and is leaning toward annual safety inspections (many places do yearly; Whitehall’s general cycle is three years, which several members felt is too long for STRs).
Where STRs are allowed. Zoning limits are on the table; some cities only permit STRs in certain districts. Council discussed that approach for Whitehall.
Balancing housing and fairness
Members repeatedly said the goal is balance: protect full-time housing while letting owners earn income.
- Caps & composition. Examples like Suttons Bay’s cap came up as a model for limiting total STRs, and several members floated owner-occupied preferences over investor-owned, whole-home STRs.
- Know the real mix. Before deciding caps or limits, the city wants hard numbers: whole-home listings vs. spare-room/host-occupied listings. Staff will research platform data (Airbnb/VRBO distinctions) and compare it with county records.
- One rental database. There was interest in a single registry that covers both long-term and short-term rentals for consistent enforcement and transparency.
See pages 10-12 of 9.9.25 Council-Packet for examples
Taxes, compliance, and enforcement
- Operators should already be paying the 5% county accommodations tax and 6% sales/use tax. Council wants to coordinate with Visit Muskegon (which collects the county tax) to identify active STRs and close gaps.
- Expect meaningful fines for unregistered or non-compliant listings, with a focus on creating a level playing field for hosts who follow the rules.
What happens next
Public input. The first full proposal is expected to surface at an upcoming work session. Residents—hosts and neighbors—will be invited to react to the key choices (caps, inspection frequency, allowed zones, quiet hours, local contact, and penalties).
Council homework. Each member will bring specific provisions they support to the next work session (e.g., notice radius, inspection cadence, caps, zoning approach).
Staff homework. Staff will count actual listings and break them down by type (entire home vs. room) and report back, including insights from Visit Muskegon’s tax data.
Drafting. Using those inputs, council will assemble a Whitehall-specific STR ordinance draft that marries neighbor protections, fair enforcement, housing goals, and clear rules for hosts.
City of Whitehall Council Meeting Recap – September 9, 2025
