Rental Property Registration & Inspections
City of Muskegon Building & Inspections Department
The City of Muskegon requires all rental units to be registered and inspected to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of our residents. Whether you manage a long-term lease or a short-term vacation rental, staying compliant helps keep our neighborhoods safe and vibrant.
Have questions? Send us an email at [email protected].
Find the section you’re looking for:
Long Term Rentals | Short Term Rentals | Universal Fees | Essential Rules
Step-by-Step Inspection Timeline
Note: All fees must be paid prior to the inspection being scheduled.
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Registration: Fill out forms online or in-office. Scheduling is 30–45 days out to allow landlords to give tenants proper legal notice.
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Inspection Notice: You will receive notice via email and physical mail. Please provide a current email address to stay up-to-date.
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Inspection Day: Someone over 18 years of age must be present to grant access. Inspectors will wait exactly 5 minutes after the scheduled time before leaving and issuing a No-Show Fee.
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Corrections: * No Violations: A 6-year certificate is granted.
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Violations Found: A list of corrections and a re-inspection invoice will be mailed to the owner (and emailed to large Property Management companies).
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Approval: Once certified, a signed and sealed Certificate of Compliance will be issued and mailed.
Long-Term Rental Requirements
For standard yearly leases.
Long-Term Required Forms
- Standard Rental Form
- Mech Form: Required for heating/cooling certifications.
- ANTO (Agreement Not to Occupy): For properties currently vacant or under renovation.
- Family Affidavit: For properties occupied by family members rather than tenants.
- Tenant Complaint Form: For residents to report safety concerns.
Long-Term Fee Breakdown
The rental registration fee is a recurring yearly charge. Yearly fee renewal is always in the Spring. We aim to get invoices out mid-April.
| Unit Type / Service | Fee Amount |
| Single Family | $100 |
| Duplex | $110 |
| Triplex | $130 |
| Quadplex | $150 |
| Quinplex | $170 |
| Re-Inspection | |
| 1st Re-Inspection | $50 per unit |
| 2nd Re-Inspection | $70 per unit |
| 3rd Re-Inspection | $90 per unit |
| 4th Re-Inspection | $110 per unit |
| 5th Re-Inspection | $130 per unit |
Lockout & No-Show Policy: A $70 per unit fee applies to lockouts, late cancellations, or no-show.
- An adult (18+) must be present.
- Inspectors will wait a maximum of 5 minutes past the scheduled time before leaving and issuing a No-Show Fee.
Short-Term Rental (STR) Requirements
For stays between 24 hours and 28 days.
Per City Zoning Ordinance, a Short-Term Rental is a property leased without a host for periods of less than 28 days but more than 24 hours for remuneration. Rentals where the host resides on-premises are not considered STRs but must still register with the city.
STR Zones & Availability
- Full (Waitlist Only):
- Zone 1 (Beachwood/Bluffton)
- Zone 2 (Lakeside).
- Open Zones:
- Zone 3: Nims
- Zone 4: Campbell Field
- Zone5: Downtown
- Zone 6: McLaughlin
- Zone 7: Angell
- Zone 8: Getty
- Zone 9: Marquette + Steele
- Zone 10: Sheldon Park + Oakview
- Zone 11: East Muskegon
- One Time Transfer: Short term rentals with an active status before March 2024 are eligible for a one time status transfer. This applies to properties in any zone. The transfer requires a signed formal document. This transfers the status only. The new owner must still complete their own registration and inspections.
Short-Term Fee Breakdown
The rental registration fee is a recurring yearly charge. Yearly fee renewal is always in the Spring. We aim to get invoices out mid-April.
Frequently Asked Questions
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If no violations are found during your initial inspection, you are eligible for a 6-year certificate. If violations are found, you will be placed into the 3-year certificate cycle.
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All correspondence, including violation lists and certificates, will be sent to the management company on file.
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Yes. Short-term rentals must meet specific zoning requirements. Please refer to the Short-Term Rental section higher up on this page for additional details.
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Yes! Currently the City of Muskegon is working under the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, which requires all rental dwellings to have a CO reader present in the home.
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New certificates require that the Furnace and Water Heater be inspected and deemed in good working order with a 0ppm CO reading in the breathable area by a Licensed Contractor.
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That’s ok! We are here to help. Always pay the reinspection fee first so you don’t accrue fees. Let us know you need more time to get the items on your list fixed, we can put in a follow-up with you to touch base with the repairs and schedule from there.
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If your property has a wired smoke alarm system you will need to keep and maintain as such. Otherwise, 10year sealed lithium batteries that are UL listed are the new standard.
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To keep your rental certificate open and valid there is a yearly fee that is charged dependent on when you opened that certificate. This needs to be paid to keep your certificate in good standing with the city. The yearly fee covers the cost of the first Initial inspection once your certificate expires every 3 or 6 years.
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We give out 6-year certificates all the time and celebrate when we do. It happens more than you may think!
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No – only in sleeping areas, in the path of egress of sleeping areas, in basements and or upper levels. (if applicable)
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The Short-Term Rental Overlay District is a designated area within the city that allows a limited number of licensed short-term rentals in each of its 11 zones. This district was established to help maintain a balance between short-term rentals and other types of property use.
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The maximum number of short-term rentals allowed varies by zone within the Overlay District:
- Zone 1 – 34 rentals
- Zone 2 – 68 rentals
- Zone 3 – 60 rentals
- Zone 4 – 70 rentals
- Zone 5 – 79 rentals
- Zone 6 – 25 rentals
- Zone 7 – 80 rentals
- Zone 8 – 50 rentals
- Zone 9 – 95 rentals
- Zone 10 – 77 rentals
- Zone 11 – 13 rentals
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Yes, properties within the Downtown Development Authority, Lakeside Business Improvement District, and Lakeside Corridor Improvement Authority boundaries are exempt from the rental caps. There is no maximum limit on short-term rentals in these areas.
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No. To prevent overcrowding, a property cannot have more than two short-term rentals on parcels directly next to it.
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Yes, all short-term rentals must have a valid short-term rental license to operate within the city.
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Current short-term rental license holders in good standing can continue operating as long as they renew their licenses annually.
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If there are remaining licenses in a zone, they will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Generally, short term rental licenses cannot be transferred when ownership changes. All licenses issued after the ordinance adoption are non-transferable.
However, there is one exception for older properties:
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The property must have had an active short term rental status before March 2024.
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If it meets that date, it is eligible for a one time status transfer in any zone.
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This requires a signed formal document.
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The transfer applies to the status only. New owners must still complete their own registration and inspections.
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Yes, the Overlay District and its regulations may be reviewed periodically to ensure they continue to reflect the appropriate balance of short-term rentals within the community.
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Refer to Figure 23-3 on page 166 in the City’s Zoning Ordinance PDF to see the Overlay District boundaries and zone breakdowns.