Wayne County does not require short-term rentals to be operated only from a primary residence, but Detroit and several Wayne County suburbs limit non-owner-occupied STRs through zoning, registration caps, and rental licensing rules.
Michigan Public Act 2024-12 preserves local zoning authority while blocking absolute STR bans. Detroit applies stricter rules to non-owner-occupied whole-home rentals, often requiring rental licensing through the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department. Suburbs like Grosse Pointe, Northville, and Plymouth have adopted owner-occupancy preferences in their zoning codes. Wayne County itself has no countywide primary-residence rule; in unincorporated parcels, only state law and county zoning apply. Owners running multiple investor-owned STRs across Wayne County should verify rules in each individual municipality before listing.
Operating a non-owner-occupied STR in a city that requires primary residence may result in license denial, code enforcement citations, daily civil fines, and platform delisting after municipal complaints.
Wayne County, MI
Detroit requires all rentals to be registered with BSEED, pass inspection, and obtain a Certificate of Compliance with lead clearance. Most Wayne County subu...
Wayne County, MI
No county-level STR licensing framework for unincorporated Wayne County. Michigan does not regulate STRs at the state level beyond sales tax requirements. Un...
See how Wayne County's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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