Montague Short-Term Rental Rules & Airbnb Laws (2026)
Montague explicitly allows STRs citywide under a cheap, simple registration — $50 per building valid two years — but caps rented use at 120 days per calendar year, which makes it a seasonal-peak market rather than a year-round one.
Status: Day-capped. County: Muskegon County. Whole-home STRs: Yes, with registration and a 120-day/yr cap. Caps: 120 rented days/yr per STR (no numeric cap on licenses). Annual cost: $50 per building, valid 2 years. Lodging taxes: 11% (6% state + 5% Muskegon County).
Investor takeaway: Montague is the cheapest entry on White Lake and works for seasonal operators willing to live inside 120 rented days a year.
Last verified July 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice — confirm current requirements directly with the municipality before purchasing.
Montague at a glance
- Status
- Day-capped
- County
- Muskegon County
- Whole-home STRs
- Yes, with registration and a 120-day/yr cap
- Cap / waitlist status
- 120 rented days/yr per STR (no numeric cap on licenses)
- Annual cost
- $50 per building, valid 2 years
- Lodging taxes
- 11% (6% state + 5% Muskegon County)
- Registration
- $50 per building, valid 2 years; certificate must be displayed in front window
- Day cap
- STRs limited to a maximum of 120 rented days per calendar year
- Parking
- All guest parking must be on-site (no street parking)
- Local manager
- Required if owner lives 30+ miles away
- Inspections
- Complaint-driven
- Neighboring city
- Whitehall, across White Lake, is a separate government with no STR ordinance yet — confirm which side of the line your target parcel sits on
- Lodging taxes
- 6% Michigan state + 5% Muskegon County (self-remitted) = 11%
Montague — cheap, easy, and day-capped
Montague explicitly allows STRs citywide under a simple registration: $50 per building, valid two years, with the certificate displayed in the front window. A local property manager is required if the owner lives 30 or more miles from the property. Inspections are complaint-driven, not routine.
The structural catch is the 120-day cap: each registered STR may be rented for a maximum of 120 days per calendar year. Combined with the on-site-parking-only rule (no street parking allowed for guests), this makes Montague a clean fit for seasonal-peak operators — not for year-round Airbnb strategies.
Taxes
Montague falls inside Muskegon County, so total lodging tax is 11% — the 6% Michigan state use tax plus the 5% Muskegon County accommodation tax. Airbnb collects the state portion automatically; the county tax must be self-remitted.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run an STR year-round in Montague?
No. Registered STRs are limited to 120 rented days per calendar year. Montague is a good fit for seasonal-peak operators; it is not a year-round Airbnb market.
What does registration cost?
$50 per building, valid for two years. The certificate must be displayed in the front window.
What are the lodging taxes?
Montague is in Muskegon County: 6% Michigan state use tax plus a 5% county accommodation tax = 11% total. The state portion is collected by Airbnb automatically; the county portion is self-remitted.
Investor takeaway
Montague is the cheapest entry on White Lake and works for seasonal operators willing to live inside 120 rented days a year.
Sources
Last verified July 2026. General information, not legal advice — confirm current requirements with the municipality before purchasing.
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