RecurringRaised 14 timesActive

Short-Term Rentals

Issue titles summarize questions or concerns found in the public record; they are not findings of misconduct or legal conclusions.

As of the most recent material, the Planning Commission reached consensus on August 15, 2024 to maintain a 63-license limit in the RN district and to grandfather 9 existing R2 licenses, but issued no recommendation to City Council. Earlier public comment questioned whether and how the license count would return to 61 [2]. The record does not indicate subsequent Council action.

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This issue and its evidence are derived from unofficial meeting transcripts and are not official city records. Verify against official city sources before relying on them.

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Last raised

Jun 15, 2026

From the public record

Discussion summary

Assembled from linked meetings, mentions, and reviewed follow-ups with AI assistance; WLHS staff may edit or replace this summary. It is not an official city record.

Aug 2024 · Planning Commission: The commission considered how short-term rental licenses from the former R2 district should be handled after that district was incorporated into new residential zoning. Staff reported 101 short-term rental licenses cityw…
Jul 2024 · Planning Commission: The principal issue was how to administer short-term rental licenses after the former R1 and R2 districts were combined. Staff reported 69 licenses in the new RN district and three in RW, for 72 total, including nine pro…
Jun 2024 · Planning Commission: The commission unanimously supported, by roll call, recommending placement of the restored 1907 Shay locomotive in Shay Park. Its recommendations included developing a broader park plan addressing paths or sidewalks and…
Feb 2024 · Planning Commission: Commissioners reviewed conflict-of-interest standards before discussing the proposed zoning code. Staff advised that property ownership or a relevant profession does not by itself require recusal unless a commissioner wo…
Feb 2024 · Planning Commission: The commission reviewed a proposed modernization of Harbor Springs’ zoning code intended to align with the city master plan, reduce the number of zoning districts from 17 to nine, simplify administrative procedures, and…
Feb 2024 · Planning Commission: The commission opened the zoning code public hearing by voice vote at 5:41 p.m. and closed it by voice vote at approximately 6:44 p.m., with no opposition heard on either motion. The proposal would consolidate 17 zoning…
Jun 2026 · Latest local registry occurrence: city-council/2026-06-15--j7fxJsb_liI.
Jun 2026 · Short-Term Rental Ordinance Enforcement — Current Code Unenforceable last noted in city-council/2026-06-15--j7fxJsb_liI (City Council).

Issue summary

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Latest assessment

What this covers

Short-term rentals (STRs) have been a recurring subject of Planning Commission deliberation, focused on how the city regulates the number, licensing, and location of STRs in residential districts. The record shows the Commission reviewing STR regulation beginning in early 2023, addressing issues including a waitlist, license transferability, and a residential district cap, with the matter tabled for a legal opinion [1][2][3]. Over the course of 2023, the Commission worked through STR ordinance drafting, including a City Attorney memo on relevant court cases, an enforcement framework, and license limits in single-family districts. The record notes 61 single-family licenses issued in the prior year, with 55 renewed, 5 new issued, and 1 available. A public hearing was scheduled for April 20, 2023, and STR Ordinances 437 and 438 were subsequently recommended to City Council. In 2024, discussion shifted to STR license limits in connection with the merger of the R1/R2 districts into a new RN district. Public commenters raised concerns, including that the license count had reached 63 rather than 61 (described in the record as involving two additional licenses to avoid litigation) and questions about licenses granted to existing holders [2][3]. On August 15, 2024, the Commission reached consensus to maintain a 63-license limit in the RN district and to grandfather 9 existing R2 licenses, with no recommendation forwarded to City Council.

Why it matters

STR regulation affects the availability and character of housing in Harbor Springs' residential districts, and the record reflects sustained public engagement, with residents raising concerns about license caps, licenses granted in perpetuity to existing holders, and priority for existing holders [2][3]. The record also indicates legal considerations shaped the policy, including a City Attorney memo on court cases and additional licenses issued to avoid litigation, underscoring the stakes of how the ordinance is structured.

What resolution means

Resolution would involve the Planning Commission finalizing its STR licensing approach for the merged RN district and, where applicable, forwarding a recommendation to City Council for adoption.

Raised in Planning Commission; recurrence_count=3

Meeting mentionRaised

May 21, 2026

Public record mention

Short-Term Rental Ordinance Enforcement — Current Code Unenforceable raised or updated in Planning Commission.

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Staff-accepted evidence, with the most recent meetings first.

City Council Meeting - 2026-07-20

City Council · Monday, July 20, 2026 · 38:07

if I could just hop in briefly, um, to just follow up John Wayman's comment about short-term rentals. Um, that is something that's in the city code and under the direct purview of city council, but historically we have asked for feedback from the Planning Commission. In the past, the Planning Commission has taken that up in the fall to make any recommendations on changes that would affect the next year. I tentatively have that on the agenda for the Planning Commission at thei… Read full excerptCollapse excerpt
if I could just hop in briefly, um, to just follow up John Wayman's comment about short-term rentals. Um, that is something that's in the city code and under the direct purview of city council, but historically we have asked for feedback from the Planning Commission. In the past, the Planning Commission has taken that up in the fall to make any recommendations on changes that would affect the next year. I tentatively have that on the agenda for the Planning Commission at their September meeting. So, if you have any specific thoughts or ideas that you would like them to address at that time, please let me know, and we'll make sure that we bring that up as part of that discussion and conversat

City Council Meeting - 2026-07-20

City Council · Monday, July 20, 2026 · 128:58

I know that Kathy at the last meeting had asked that short-term rentals be put on our agenda. So maybe if council just has it on the agenda as a discussion item to give Planning Commission direction so that when they take it up in September, they have a little bit of direction from city council.

City Council Meeting

City Council · Monday, June 15, 2026 · 07:55

Uh, Jonathan Wayman, 483 East 3rd Street, uh, up against the bluff. I'm here today to ask you to put on an upcoming agenda looking at the short-term rental ordinance because it's unenforceable. It used to be that a small motel in Harbor Springs was banned. The rental businesses don't care about the neighbors, the neighborhood. Real second homeowners do. The master plan, which I know you guys have been hearing a lot about lately with regard to rentals, says at page 15, and I q… Read full excerptCollapse excerpt
Uh, Jonathan Wayman, 483 East 3rd Street, uh, up against the bluff. I'm here today to ask you to put on an upcoming agenda looking at the short-term rental ordinance because it's unenforceable. It used to be that a small motel in Harbor Springs was banned. The rental businesses don't care about the neighbors, the neighborhood. Real second homeowners do. The master plan, which I know you guys have been hearing a lot about lately with regard to rentals, says at page 15, and I quote, residents also strongly prefer homes in these low-density residential neighborhoods not to be used as short-term rentals. And, uh, we have found that the ordinance is unenforceable. And the reason why we know that,

City Council Meeting

City Council · Monday, June 15, 2026 · 17:59

Penalties vary, by the way. And from my experience, one of the penalties could be a realtor being prohibited from doing business in Harbor Springs if they are the ones that in fact knowingly violate the ordinance. Other places, however, have used various penalties from a slap on the hand first. The 2nd thing is a penalty that's more than just a night's rental, and others like that. The end result of all this is you have an ease of enforcement. You sort out a business from a c… Read full excerptCollapse excerpt
Penalties vary, by the way. And from my experience, one of the penalties could be a realtor being prohibited from doing business in Harbor Springs if they are the ones that in fact knowingly violate the ordinance. Other places, however, have used various penalties from a slap on the hand first. The 2nd thing is a penalty that's more than just a night's rental, and others like that. The end result of all this is you have an ease of enforcement. You sort out a business from a cottage owner, and the penalties motivate to not violate the ordinance. I'm asking you that today, if you'd be so kind. to move, uh, to put the issue of amending the short-term rental ordinance on an upcoming agenda. And

Planning Commission Meeting - May 21, 2026

Planning Commission · Thursday, May 21, 2026 · 63:56

That might be an issue. In any event, that— I don't know if that's an issue in the That's for, I suppose, you to decide. And secondly, you know, you've heard this from me before, the short-term rental ordinance as we have it now, it's unenforceable. I will be addressing the city council shortly in connection with what other communities can do to make it enforceable. And I agree with the observation here that this could be very easily turned into short-term rentals, which will… Read full excerptCollapse excerpt
That might be an issue. In any event, that— I don't know if that's an issue in the That's for, I suppose, you to decide. And secondly, you know, you've heard this from me before, the short-term rental ordinance as we have it now, it's unenforceable. I will be addressing the city council shortly in connection with what other communities can do to make it enforceable. And I agree with the observation here that this could be very easily turned into short-term rentals, which will not be beneficial to the community. Um, and finally, I happen to agree that this is another character-changing, uh, proposal that is not in the best interest of the community. Thank you.

Planning Commission special Meeting

Planning Commission · Thursday, February 22, 2024 · 12:27

out we don't have minutes tonight from this is a special meeting we don't have we catch up all right um now we open up for public comment on something that's not on tonight's agenda so if there's been something on your mind or you have an idea or suggestion or oddly a complaint I can imagine that you could uh let us know about that right now if but if it's related to the zoning code that's going to be the meet of the meeting we'll have a lot more time for that so is there any… Read full excerptCollapse excerpt
out we don't have minutes tonight from this is a special meeting we don't have we catch up all right um now we open up for public comment on something that's not on tonight's agenda so if there's been something on your mind or you have an idea or suggestion or oddly a complaint I can imagine that you could uh let us know about that right now if but if it's related to the zoning code that's going to be the meet of the meeting we'll have a lot more time for that so is there anything on your mind that's not related to the zoning coach um you don't post the agenda packets online after the thing's done so you can't go back and look at what's happened and compare it to the notes that you post I we

Show all 8 excerpts

Planning Commission Regular Meeting

Planning Commission · Thursday, February 15, 2024 · 14:45

all right that's great thanks very much all right next thing on the agenda is a public comment on uh something that's not on the agenda tonight and the only thing on the agenda is the zoning code review so uh this is the a time where people can speak up and tell Planning Commission what you're thinking about on any number of topics um you have ideas suggestions criticisms unlikely but welcome to voice those so does anybody have anything i''d like to uh tell us yes ma'am I'm J… Read full excerptCollapse excerpt
all right that's great thanks very much all right next thing on the agenda is a public comment on uh something that's not on the agenda tonight and the only thing on the agenda is the zoning code review so uh this is the a time where people can speak up and tell Planning Commission what you're thinking about on any number of topics um you have ideas suggestions criticisms unlikely but welcome to voice those so does anybody have anything i''d like to uh tell us yes ma'am I'm Janet Stewart I'm at 410 Pine Street this kind of goes back I know it's there's been a lot of talk on it but when I look at the short-term rentals I do have a problem with the licenses being given in perpetuity to the 61

Planning Commission Regular Meeting

Planning Commission · Thursday, February 15, 2024 · 21:15

much okay any other comments yeah Barry we have someone that Barry yeah oh Barry go ahead Barry um it's really Becky can you hear me yeah um I wanted to further comment on the the oh I'm at 500 West Summit but not right now but um on the short-term rentals it's not 61 prop or licenses it's 63 and I want to know how we're going to get back to 61 the six the two additional um was to avoid litigation kind of so is there a plan to get back to