GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — When a speaker at the Michigan Short Term Rentals Conference asked a room full of vacation rental owners whether they had heard of the short-term rental saga in Park Township, hands shot up.
For two days at Embassy Suites in downtown Grand Rapids, the new conference hosted speakers and brought together rental owners wanting to make the most of Michigan's burgeoning short-term rental industry.
"We've got to be good neighbors, and we've got to be good stewards of the communities in which we operate," said Tony Stancato, the conference host.
On Friday, an attorney spoke on legal issues surrounding short-term rentals, presenting the court battle in Park Township as a case study.
"I want to help people avoid a type of situation where a township is pulling that investment from them," said Katie Johnson, an attorney and a board member of Park Township Neighbors.
In October 2023, Park Township Neighbors (PTN) sued Park Township, claiming it improperly amended its zoning ordinance to ban short-term rentals in residential areas.
READ MORE: Boxed in by Airbnb: Park Township woman praises residential ban
"We didn't want to be in that position, to be clear," Johnson said.
Two months later, a Circuit Court judge granted a preliminary injunction, temporarily lifting the ban.
"We're not against rules and regulations," Johnson said. "We would be happy to work with [Park Township] and have a reasonable regulation."
READ MORE: Judge temporarily lifts short-term rental ban in Park Township
In March 2024, the township passed a pair of ordinances, one to provide "clarity and reaffirm our existing regulations" and another to ban any new short-term rentals. As long as the injunction is in effect, however, the township said there is "no intent" to begin enforcement.
"People are really worried about regulations in Michigan because they keep changing," Johnson said.
In a previous interviews with FOX 17, representatives for Park Township have stated that short-term rentals in residential areas were never allowed in the township and that most residents are in favor of the partial ban.
The court date for Park Township Neighbors v. Park Township is set for November.
