Short-term rental rules · Hazel Park, Michigan
Short-term rentals in Hazel Park, explained properly.
The City of Hazel Park requires a City short-term rental license, issued through the city clerk's office, for any dwelling rented for 30 days or less. Licenses are limited to one- or two-family dwellings, capped at 30 at a time (unless the City Council authorizes more), limited to one per street block section and two premises per owner, and they end if the home is sold or the owning entity changes hands. Occupancy tops out at 12, quiet hours run from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. when anyone other than the owner is staying, and violations must be fixed within 2 hours of notice. Violations are misdemeanors with fines starting at $250. We haven't reviewed the City's zoning chapters, the fee schedule or any lodging tax yet, so confirm zoning and the license fee with the City before you buy. Whether Michigan's lodging use tax reaches a private host is also unsettled on this page.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are short-term rentals allowed? | Conditional: allowed only with a City short-term rental license, only in a one- or two-family dwelling, and only within the City's cap of 30 licenses (one per street block section); we haven't reviewed the zoning code yet, so confirm zoning with the City before you buy. [1] ClauseConfirming |
| Is a City short-term rental license required? | Yes: every short-term rental (a dwelling rented for 30 days or less) needs a City short-term rental license before it is used; the application fee is set by the City Council. Excluded: unpaid family and similar occupants, a sale-closing holdover, estate representatives with notice to the City Clerk, and state-licensed residential facilities. [1] Clause |
| Is there a cap on the number of short-term rental licenses? | Yes: no more than 30 licenses at any one time unless the City Council authorizes more by resolution; no more than one license on any portion of a street between two cross-streets; no person or entity may hold an ownership interest in more than 2 licensed premises. [1] Clause |
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Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
License, renewal and transfers
| Can a license be transferred to a new owner? | No: licenses are non-transferable and non-assignable and remain the City's property; a transfer of ownership of the premises, the licensee's death, or a transfer of more than 50 percent (or a lesser controlling interest) in an owning entity ends the license. [1] Clause Sec. 5.44.050(C)(8) says death of a licensee who is a natural person, or a transfer of more than fifty (50) percent or a lesser but controlling interest in a partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust or other entity that owns the licensed premises, terminates a license immediately. Sec. 5.44.050(C)(9) lists a transfer of ownership of the premises among the reasons a license ends. A new owner would apply for a new license, which is subject to the 30-license cap and the other limits. |
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| How long is a license valid? | A license applied for between January 1 and October 31 expires December 31 of that year; a license applied for on November 1 or later expires December 31 of the following year. [1] Clause Sec. 5.44.050(C)(7). The renewal process and any renewal fee haven't been reviewed; confirm with the City Clerk. |
| Documents and information needed with the application | Owner and applicant contact details, a local agent if the owner lives outside Michigan, written owner authorization if someone else applies, premises details (address, bedrooms, maximum occupancy, off-street parking spaces), a violation and licence history statement, a photo of the front exterior taken within 7 days, and the application fee. [1] Clause File a complete, accurate application with the city clerk's office (Sec. 5.44.050(A)). The City may ask for other relevant information, and sends each application to the relevant municipal departments for review and approval. A pending application may be denied if it is insufficient or not approved by a reviewing department (Sec. 5.44.090). |
| License fees | The application fee is set by the City Council; we haven't reviewed the fee schedule yet, so confirm the amount and its effective date with the City Clerk. [1] ClauseConfirming Sec. 5.44.050(A)(9) requires full payment of the application fee, which is set by the city council. Any costs the City incurs to enforce the chapter are assessed to the property owner (Sec. 5.44.070(C)). |
| Inspection | Required: within 24 hours of submitting a license application, schedule an inspection with the building department; the fire marshal may also inspect. [1] Clause The owner or applicant must schedule the inspection, complete any repairs or maintenance and schedule any re-inspections (Sec. 5.44.050(B)). The licensee must keep smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and carbon-monoxide detectors adequate for the dwelling, as the city building inspector decides, mounted, charged and working at all times (Sec. 5.44.070(A)(5)). |
| Is off-street parking required to get a license? | Yes: no license may be issued to premises with no off-street parking; premises that applied before the ordinance took effect are the exception. The licensee must also keep the premises in compliance with all parking regulations. [1] Clause Sec. 5.44.050(C)(5) and Sec. 5.44.070(A)(3). The number of off-street spaces is reported on the application. |
Operating rules
| Maximum occupancy | Occupancy may not exceed the state or city fire and health code limit, and no more than two adults per legal bedroom and two guest occupants per premises, nor more than 12 occupants in total at any one time regardless of the number of bedrooms. [1] ClauseConfirming Sec. 5.44.060(A), quoted from the code. The sentence reads "two adults per legal bedroom and two guest occupants per premises"; confirm with the City how "guest occupants" are counted. "Bedroom" means a room primarily intended, arranged or designed to be occupied by one or more persons for sleeping. |
|---|---|
| Quiet hours | 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. whenever the property is occupied by anyone other than the owner. [1] Clause Sec. 5.44.060(B)(1). The same subsection bars fireworks and open burning (including recreational fire pits) and bars subletting by an occupant while anyone other than the owner occupies the property. |
| Fireworks and open burning | Not allowed while the property is occupied by anyone other than the owner: no fireworks and no open burning, including recreational fire pits. [1] Clause Sec. 5.44.060(B)(2) and (3). |
| Are events and commercial use allowed? | No: while the property is occupied by anyone other than the owner, it is used as a dwelling only, with no commercial activities, yard sales, festivals, retreats, class reunions, house parties, home occupations or similar uses, and no subletting by an occupant. [1] Clause Sec. 5.44.060(B)(4) and (5). |
| Local agent and 24-hour contact | Required: the licensee or local agent must be reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for City notices and complaints; if the owner lives outside Michigan, a local agent who is a Michigan resident must be named on the application. [1] Clause A "local agent" is a resident of Michigan who is the licensee's authorized agent for serving notice, including a citation (Sec. 5.44.020(G)). The City may notify the licensee or local agent of a violation by phone or return-receipt email at the contact details on the application (Sec. 5.44.070(B)). |
| Response to violations | The licensee or local agent must fix a reported violation within 2 hours of receiving notice; failing to do so without good cause is a material violation that may lead to a misdemeanor charge, court proceedings and penalties. [1] Clause Sec. 5.44.070(B). Notice is treated as received on the phone call or when the City receives a return-receipt email, whichever is first. The licensee has the duty to remedy violations of the chapter, state law or the Municipal Code committed by occupants, including disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, garbage, parking, fraud against the city and nuisance violations (Sec. 5.44.070(A)(6)). |
| Trash, safety equipment and insurance | Required: secure trash receptacles accessible to weekly trash service; smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and carbon-monoxide detectors adequate for the dwelling; and, within 24 hours of a City request, the rental agreement, health and safety documents and a certificate of general liability insurance from a company licensed in Michigan. [1] Clause Sec. 5.44.070(A)(2), (5) and (7). The licensee must also make sure occupants know and follow the chapter and all applicable laws. |
Penalties & enforcement
| Penalties for violations | A violation is a misdemeanor and a nuisance per se: fine of no less than $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third, and/or denial, suspension or revocation of the license, plus the City's costs and attorney fees; each day may be a separate violation. [1] Clause Sec. 5.44.080. A court may also order future activity at the premises stopped. The City Council may add, delete or amend penalties by resolution. Sec. 5.44.120 lets code enforcement officers and police officers issue municipal citations and lets the City bring proceedings to abate the nuisance; the remedies are cumulative. Citations may be served on the licensee's local agent. |
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| Penalty for false complaints | Knowingly filing a fraudulent, false or fictitious complaint about a short-term rental is a violation: civil infraction with a fine of not less than $250 for a first violation and $500 for later ones. [1] Clause Sec. 5.44.110, in addition to any other penalties under the Hazel Park Municipal Code. |
| License denial, suspension, revocation and appeals | The city manager or a designee may deny, suspend or revoke a license after a violation, or without one if public health, safety or welfare is threatened; a licensee whose license is suspended, denied or revoked can't apply for any future short-term rental license. Appeal in writing to the City Council through the city clerk's office within 14 days of the notice. [1] Clause Sec. 5.44.090 and 5.44.100. The city clerk's office may deny an application that is insufficient or not approved by a reviewing department. Notice is treated as given when sent by first-class mail to the address on the latest application or delivered in person. The Council hears the appeal no later than its second regularly scheduled meeting after receiving it, and may affirm, reverse, reinstate or refer the matter for further investigation; a final Council decision may be appealed to the Oakland County Circuit Court. |
State law that also applies
| Michigan use tax on rooms and lodging | Michigan's Use Tax Act taxes rooms or lodging furnished by hotelkeepers, motel operators and other persons furnishing accommodations that are available to the public on the basis of a commercial and business enterprise, at a combined 6% rate; rooms and lodging rented for a continuous period of more than 1 month are excepted. Whether a privately owned home rented to guests is covered is not settled by the statute text we saved. [2] [3] [4] Clause 1 Clause 2 Clause 3Confirming MCL 205.93a(1)(b) lists "rooms or lodging" among the services taxed under the Use Tax Act, and defines "hotel" or "motel" to include inns, tourist homes, lodging houses, resort lodges and cabins, and "any other building or group of buildings in which accommodations are available to the public," except accommodations rented for a continuous period of more than 1 month. MCL 205.93(1) sets the combined tax at 6% of the price of the services specified in section 3a. The saved text of both sections is complete. Whether an individual who rents out a home, directly or through a booking platform, is a person furnishing accommodations "available to the public on the basis of a commercial and business enterprise" isn't answered by that text; the Department of Treasury's guidance on short-term rentals wasn't available to us, so confirm with the Department of Treasury. The General Sales Tax Act section we saved (MCL 205.52) is a 6% tax on retail sales of tangible personal property. This page does not total state and local taxes. |
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| Do booking platforms collect Michigan taxes? | Not settled: MCL 205.95b requires a seller of tangible personal property or services subject to the Use Tax Act to register and collect the tax once it has more than $100,000 in sales into Michigan or 200 or more transactions in the previous calendar year, and counts a marketplace facilitator's own sales together with its marketplace sellers' sales. Whether a booking platform collects tax on lodging stays isn't answered by the text we saved. [5] ClauseConfirming The saved section refers to the definition of a marketplace facilitator in section 5c, which wasn't saved. It applies to transactions on or after October 1, 2018. Confirm with the Michigan Department of Treasury and the platform whether tax is collected on a given booking. |
| Can Michigan counties and cities add their own lodging taxes? | Michigan's Accommodations Tax Act (Act 263 of 1974) lets counties and local units of government impose an excise tax on persons engaged in the business of providing rooms for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes to transient guests, and the Community Convention or Tourism Marketing Act (Act 395 of 1980) provides for assessments on the owners of transient facilities to support tourism marketing programs. [6] [7] Clause 1 Clause 2 These statements come from the titles and section lists of the two acts; the section text (rates, exemptions, the definition of a transient-guest business and any voter approval) wasn't saved, and whether any local tax or assessment applies at a given address hasn't been reviewed. Act 263 was amended in 2024 (Act 35, effective April 2, 2024). |
| Is there a statewide short-term rental law? | Not settled: the Michigan sources saved for this page are tax statutes and the title and article list of the Zoning Enabling Act (Act 110 of 2006); no state short-term rental law and no section of the Zoning Enabling Act has been reviewed yet. [8] ClauseConfirming The Zoning Enabling Act is described in its title as codifying the laws on local units of government regulating the development and use of land and providing for the adoption of zoning ordinances, with articles on zoning authorization, adoption and enforcement, special zoning provisions and the zoning board of appeals. Its section text, any pending state bills, and Michigan court rulings on short-term rentals and zoning haven't been reviewed. |
Changes
Recent and pending changes
We read Chapter 5.44, Short-Term Rental, of the Hazel Park Code of Ordinances (Municode version of April 13, 2026) as saved on October 18, 2026. We haven't reviewed the City's zoning chapters, the fee schedule, any lodging tax provisions, or City Council agendas yet, so we will watch the Code and the City's short-term rental information for changes.
Sources
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This page is general information compiled from public sources, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules, deed restrictions and zoning for a specific property can be stricter. Confirm with the local permitting office and a qualified professional before buying or listing a property.