Are short-term rentals like Airbnb allowed in Shelby Township?

The Zoning Ordinance does not regulate short-term rentals by name. We searched the current ordinance (amended through February 1, 2024) and the Code of Ordinances business chapters and found no short-term rental licensing, registration, or prohibition provision.

Two definitions matter. A dwelling unit is a building occupied as the home of one family, and the definition expressly contemplates occupancy either permanently or transiently (Section 2.2), which does not by itself prohibit short stays. But occupancy must still be by a single family or its functional equivalent, so renting rooms to multiple unrelated groups simultaneously could cross into boarding house territory, which the ordinance defines separately (Section 2.2, House, boarding).

Because this is a verified absence rather than an authorization, and because Michigan townships have been adding STR rules rapidly, confirm the current position with the Planning and Zoning Department (586-726-7243) before listing a property, and check any subdivision deed restrictions, which the township does not enforce but courts do.