Grand Haven Short-Term Rental Rules & Airbnb Laws (2026)
Existing certified STRs are grandfathered AND transfer to new owners — the certificate is the asset. New STR certificates are effectively barred in ordinary residential neighborhoods and available only in a short list of eligible districts.
Status: Heavily restricted. County: Ottawa County. Whole-home STRs: Yes, only on certified properties or in limited eligible districts. Caps: No numeric cap — supply constrained by zoning geography (~350 certified STRs). Annual cost: $525 initial (also on transfer) + $165/unit annual renewal. Lodging taxes: 6% (state use tax only).
Investor takeaway: Hunt for a property that already has a transferable STR certificate. That certificate is real, market-priced value — nowhere else in West Michigan does a license convey with the house.
Last verified July 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice — confirm current requirements directly with the municipality before purchasing.
Grand Haven at a glance
- Status
- Heavily restricted
- County
- Ottawa County
- Whole-home STRs
- Yes, only on certified properties or in limited eligible districts
- Cap / waitlist status
- No numeric cap — supply constrained by zoning geography (~350 certified STRs)
- Annual cost
- $525 initial (also on transfer) + $165/unit annual renewal
- Lodging taxes
- 6% (state use tax only)
- Certified STRs (~350)
- Grandfathered AND transfer to new owners — the certificate is the asset
- New certificates — eligible districts
- Central Business District; Waterfront-2; parts of Southside (Franklin St between 5th and Harbor); Old Town (Key Street, special land use); Dune Residential (special land use); certain condo projects (Grand Landing, The Elliott on Seventh, Harbourfront)
- New — Aug 2025 addition
- Centertown Overlay (~23 parcels off Washington Ave) — upper floors only, special land use, ground floor must remain commercial
- New STRs in ordinary residential
- Effectively barred
- Registration
- $525 initial (also due on ownership transfer, includes inspection)
- Renewal
- $165/unit annually, due by Feb 15; $50/month late fee
- Parking
- Minimum 2 off-street paved parking spaces
- Fines
- Up to $250 / $500 / $1,000 within 36 months, plus certificate suspension
- Lodging taxes
- 6% Michigan state use tax only
The certificate is the asset
Grand Haven is unusual: existing certified STRs are grandfathered AND their certificates transfer to new owners. In most Michigan STR markets a license dies at closing — in Grand Haven it comes with the house. That means the roughly 350 certified STRs in the city are worth meaningfully more than an equivalent uncertified property next door.
The practical strategy here is not to hunt for houses you can convert — it's to hunt for houses that already have a transferable STR certificate. The $525 initial registration is due again on ownership transfer, but it's a rounding error next to the value of walking into a licensed operation.
Where new STR certificates ARE still available
If you can't find a grandfathered property, new STR certificates are still issued in a short list of eligible districts: the Central Business District, Waterfront-2, parts of Southside along Franklin Street between 5th and Harbor, Old Town's Key Street (special land use), Dune Residential (special land use), and a handful of specifically named condo projects — Grand Landing, The Elliott on Seventh, and Harbourfront.
As of August 2025, the city added a Centertown Overlay covering roughly 23 parcels off Washington Avenue. STRs are permitted on upper floors only with special land use approval; the ground floor must remain commercial.
Outside those districts — in ordinary residential neighborhoods — new STRs are effectively barred.
Fees, parking, and enforcement
Initial registration is $525 (also due on ownership transfer, and includes the inspection). Annual renewal is $165 per unit, due by February 15 each year with a $50 per month late fee. Each STR must provide at least two off-street paved parking spaces.
Enforcement escalates to $250, $500, and $1,000 fines within any 36-month window, plus certificate suspension. Lodging tax is the 6% Michigan state use tax — no county STR tax applies.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy any Grand Haven house and turn it into an Airbnb?
No. Only properties that are already certified — or that sit inside the short list of eligible districts (CBD, Waterfront-2, parts of Southside, Old Town, Dune Residential, named condo projects, and the Centertown Overlay) — can operate as new STRs.
Does a Grand Haven STR certificate transfer to a new owner?
Yes — this is the unusual and valuable feature of Grand Haven's ordinance. The certificate conveys with the property; the buyer pays the $525 transfer registration but keeps the license.
What does it cost annually?
$525 initial registration (and again on transfer), plus $165 per unit annually due by February 15, with a $50 per month late fee.
Is there a numeric cap or a lottery?
No. Supply is limited by zoning geography rather than a numeric cap — new certificates are only issued in the short list of eligible districts.
Investor takeaway
Hunt for a property that already has a transferable STR certificate. That certificate is real, market-priced value — nowhere else in West Michigan does a license convey with the house.
Sources
Last verified July 2026. General information, not legal advice — confirm current requirements with the municipality before purchasing.
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