Washtenaw County imposes no primary-residence rule — Ann Arbor does. In Ann Arbor's residential (R) districts, an STR must be a principal-residence Homestay or Whole House rental owned by a permanent resident; non-principal-residence commercial STRs are generally prohibited in residential districts.
Ann Arbor's Chapter 97 draws a sharp line by residency. A Principal Residence Whole House STR requires that the owner (or a 30-plus-day tenant) be a permanent resident of the dwelling, even though they leave while it is rented. Non-Principal-Residence (commercial) STRs, where the owner need not reside, are generally prohibited in residential districts and are steered to mixed-use and commercial zones. Commercial STRs established before March 1, 2021 may continue as legal nonconforming uses even in a residential district (Sec. 5.33.6). Permanent residency is judged by factors like the Principal Residence Exemption, voter registration, and driver's-license address. Townships and Ypsilanti set their own rules.
Running a non-principal-residence STR in a residential district without legal-nonconforming status is a zoning violation enforced by Ann Arbor Community Standards.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Washtenaw County, MI
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Washtenaw County, MI
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Washtenaw County, MI
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Washtenaw County, MI
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See how Washtenaw County's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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