The Berrien County Board of Commissioners is keeping an eye on developments with short-term rental legislation now being discussed in Lansing.
The board heard from consultant and lobbyist Michael Krombeen of the Midwest Strategy Group at a Thursday meeting. He said action is coming soon on short-term rental legislation, but this package is a lot different from previous legislation that would have done away with local control of STRs.
“These bills will stay out of the Zoning and Enabling Act,” Krombeen said. “I know that’s been an issue for local governments sort of at large, that the ability to zone these short-term rentals and have some local control is important.”
Krombeen said this package requires the state licensing of short-term rentals and will include a bed tax. Those are the details being worked out now.
“If you’re going to tax the tourism industry, how do those dollars stay within the tourism industry? Or, in the case of short-term rentals, we know that local units of government have a cost as they respond to these short-term rentals, particularly weekend incidents, the bad actors. So, those conversations are ongoing.”
Krombeen said it’s likely most of the tax revenue from short-term rentals will stay local.
State Representative Joey Andrews has told us the plan will include a registry for short-term rentals through which residents could lodge complaints about specific properties.
Krombeen expects the legislation to move in Lansing in the coming weeks.
