Cavmir Market Data · Michigan · July 2026

Michigan Short-Term Rental Permit Data

Short-term rental permit and license records on file with 1 local registry, as of July 2026 — compiled, deduplicated, and free to cite. Part of Cavmir's U.S. STR permit data hub.

See the numbersWhere Cavmir works in Michigan
Where The Licenses Are

Michigan's most-licensed markets

Michigan's records here belong to Traverse City, which registers vacation home rentals and publishes a live status flag. It is the anchor of northern Michigan's summer-and-fall tourism economy.

01Traverse CityCavmir market guide available1,463records

For now, Traverse City is the entire published picture in Michigan: every record on this page comes from that one registry. As other Michigan jurisdictions publish their own data, this page will grow beyond it.

Michigan top markets at a glance

Records are permit and license records on file with the registries named on this page, as of July 2026. Share is each market’s slice of the 1,463 records compiled for Michigan. Free to cite with a link to this page.

#MarketRecords on fileShare of stateCavmir market page
1Traverse City1,463100.0%Traverse City market page
How To Read These Numbers

What this number is — and is not

The headline figure counts short-term rental permit and license records on file with 1 local registry, deduplicated by permit number. A license is not a listing: some licenses cover multiple units, some licensed homes sit unrented, and jurisdictions that publish nothing are missing entirely. Treat it as a verified floor for the size of Michigan's legal short-term rental market — not a census.

  • City of Traverse City — vacation home rental registrations
Cavmir Market Guides

Where Cavmir works in Michigan

Seven Michigan markets carry a Cavmir guide, from Traverse City and the wine peninsulas to Mackinac Island, the lakeshore towns and the Upper Peninsula. Traverse City is the one market with a published registry.

Traverse CityOn the registry

Cavmir markets Traverse City short-term rentals, inns and boutique resorts. Cherry country photography, listing strategy and direct-booking website design.

FrankenmuthMarket guide

Cavmir markets Frankenmuth rentals and B&Bs - photography, direct booking, local SEO and ads for a town that licensed sixteen rentals and named four streets.

Mackinac IslandMarket guide

Cavmir is the short-term-rental marketing agency for Mackinac Island, MI: photography, branding and direct bookings for a car-free heritage market.

MunisingMarket guide

Cavmir markets Munising and Pictured Rocks rentals — photography, direct-booking sites and campaigns for the Upper Peninsula's busiest gateway town.

PetoskeyMarket guide

Cavmir markets Petoskey and Little Traverse Bay rentals — photography, direct booking, local SEO and ads for a city capped at 40 licensed rentals.

SaugatuckMarket guide

Cavmir markets Saugatuck cottages and inns — licensed stock, Lake Michigan summers priced properly and direct-booking website design that cuts OTA fees.

South HavenMarket guide

Cavmir markets South Haven rentals - photography, direct booking, local SEO and ads for a beach town whose rental cap is a ratio that moves every year.

What It Means For Hosts

Reading Michigan like a marketer

Traverse City is a seasonal drive-to market: cherry country and wine on the peninsulas, beaches and dunes in summer, color season in the fall, and a quieter shoulder the rest of the year. Demand is concentrated into a few strong months, which makes the pricing calendar and early-booking visibility the difference between a full season and a soft one.

Because the registry publishes an active flag, the real competitive set is smaller than the headline count, and the win is standing out to guests choosing the region as much as the house. Cavmir markets northern Michigan stays around the season — content and local search that sell the lake, the wineries, and the fall, plus a booking path that turns a great summer guest into next summer's repeat.

Questions

Michigan STR data, answered

How many licensed short-term rentals are in Michigan?

The official registries we compiled show 1,463 short-term rental permit and license records on file with 1 local registry as of July 2026. Not every Michigan jurisdiction publishes its data, so the true statewide figure is higher.

Who licenses short-term rentals in Michigan?

In the Michigan markets covered here, short-term rental permitting runs through city and county programs. The registries in this compilation: City of Traverse City — vacation home rental registrations. Rules and requirements vary by jurisdiction — always confirm with the local program directly.

Which Michigan cities have the most short-term rentals?

By records on file: Traverse City (1,463). Traverse City leads with 1,463.

Where does this data come from?

Directly from the official registries listed on this page, pulled and deduplicated in July 2026. No records are estimated or modeled — see the methodology on the national data page for what was excluded and why.

How many Michigan communities have ten or more licensed short-term rentals on file?

One: Traverse City. It is the only Michigan jurisdiction whose registry we could verify as official and complete, so every record on this page comes from it. The page grows as other Michigan cities and counties publish their own files.

How much of Michigan's total does Traverse City account for?

The registry publishes 1,463 records for Traverse City, of which 828 carry an active status. We report both because the gap between applications or lapsed permits and currently active licenses is the real size of the legal market.

Which Michigan markets does Cavmir publish guides for?

7 market guides: Frankenmuth, Mackinac Island, Munising, Petoskey, Saugatuck, South Haven and 1 more. Each one covers the season, who books there, what wins in that market and how Cavmir markets rentals in it. They are listed on this page under "Where Cavmir works in Michigan".

Cite this data

These numbers are free to use in articles, research, and reports — no permission needed. We ask for one thing: credit Cavmir and link to this page so readers can check the source.

Cavmir, “Michigan Short-Term Rental Permit Data,” compiled from official state, city, and county registries, July 2026. https://cavmir.com/data/michigan-short-term-rental-permits/
Keep Exploring

Where to go from here

Seasonal-market vacation rental SEOService STR regulations in U.S. cities, 2026Guide Direct booking savings calculatorTool The State of STR Permits 2026Report Florida short-term rental permit dataState data Louisiana short-term rental permit dataState data Washington short-term rental permit dataState data Wisconsin short-term rental permit dataState data Arizona short-term rental permit dataState data California short-term rental permit dataState data Colorado short-term rental permit dataState data Kentucky short-term rental permit dataState data North Carolina short-term rental permit dataState data Georgia short-term rental permit dataState data Tennessee short-term rental permit dataState data Oregon short-term rental permit dataState data Texas short-term rental permit dataState data U.S. Short-Term Rental Market Report 2026Report America's short-term rental capitals: permits per capitaReport STR permit data for journalists: free and citableData desk All U.S. short-term rental permit dataHub
Free Regulation Alerts

Be first to know when Michigan changes its rules

New permit requirements, caps, moratoriums, new registries in Michigan — one plain-English email when something actually changes. If nothing changes, you hear nothing.

Work With Cavmir

Marketing for Michigan's licensed hosts

Cavmir markets short-term rentals in Michigan — photography-led listings, direct-booking websites, and local SEO built around how guests actually search. The registry tells you how many competitors you have; we make sure you do not look like any of them.

Talk to Cavmir