Moratorium planned for certain short-term rentals

Six-month hold to be put on free-standing short-term rentals due to complaints, housing shortage.

Laketown Township Hall, 4338 Beeline Road.

The Laketown Township Board of Trustees voted on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, to put a moratorium on free-standing short-term rentals in an effort to decrease complaints and preserve housing.

The decision goes into effect after approval by the township attorney who was not at the meeting. That approval is expected Monday, May 19.

The pause gives the township time to study options on the issue.

Complaints, housing shortage

“We have an ever-increasing number of free-standing short-term rentals in Laketown Township,” said Supervisor Steven Ringelberg, who is also interim manager. “That is the fastest number of increasing short-term rentals.”

Unlike other types of short-term rentals where the owner lives on the property and complaints from neighbors about noise or disruptive behavior are almost non-existent, the owners of free-standing short-term rentals do not live onsite or even in the township and often use an outside property management company.

These units cause the most complaints, including noise and trespassing, Ringelberg said.

The free-standing short-term rentals are also “snapping up our housing stock,” Michelle Sall, community development director, told the board on Wednesday.

“People are paying seven, 800, a million dollars to turn a home into a short-term rental,” she said. “So, as much as we need affordable housing, they’re buying everything. That’s forcing out our people that want to move here, that grew up here.”

The moratorium

The board unanimously agreed that, pending the approval of the township attorney, which is expected to occur on Monday, May 19, a six-month hold on licensing of new free-standing short-term rentals will go into effect.

Ringelberg explained the pause in licensing, which is handled by the Graafschap Fire Department:

  • Applications for attached accessory dwelling short-term rentals, where people stay in a property owner’s house, will still be accepted.
  • Applications for detached accessory dwelling unit short-term rentals, where people stay in a separate unit that is still on the owner’s property, will still be accepted.
  • Applications for free-standing short-term rentals that were submitted prior to the moratorium taking effect will still be processed.
  • Renewal applications for free-standing short-term rentals will still be accepted.

The moratorium will mean only that the township does not process new short-term license applications for free-standing houses. The township will still keep a record of any applications received and inform the applicant that their license application is rejected because of the moratorium.

The ordinances

The township planning commission is starting the process of reviewing ordinances, which will include Sec. 38-494 Short-term Rentals. The planning commission cannot get to the review quickly, said Trustee Mark Timmerman, who is the board representative on the planning commission.

Sec. 38-493 states, in part, that “the township is committed to preserving its neighborhoods’ residential character, minimizing potential nuisances, and maintaining its small-town character and scenic beauty. It intends to protect its residents and visitors from the potentially negative or harmful effects that can arise from commercial rentals, including the potential impact on the appearance, tranquility, and standard of living in its prime residential areas.”

The section continues: “However, the township also recognizes the potential benefits of tourism and additional lodging opportunities for visitors, as well as the financial benefit that short-term rentals can bring to property owners in the township. Therefore, the township wishes to obtain a balance between these considerations and allow short-term rentals as set forth in this chapter.”

More information

Guidelines for all rentals are spelled out in the Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 10 Buildings and Building Regulations, Article III Rental Units, Sec. 10-46 through Sec. 10-53.

Copies of the township’s zoning ordinances are available for review at the township hall, 4338 Beeline Road. They are also available online:

For more on the application process,