Short-Term Rentals in Antrim County: Torch Lake's Ban, Elk Rapids' Cap

Antrim County doesn't regulate short-term rentals as a county -- but two of its local governments have taken genuinely different, well-documented approaches. Torch Lake Township prohibits them outright in its residential districts. The Village of Elk Rapids instead licenses a capped number, with priority for village residents. Most of the county's other townships regulate neither way.

This page covers what's specific to Antrim County. For the general explanation, see the national guide.

Torch Lake Township: an outright ban, in place since 2014

Torch Lake Township's zoning ordinance, at Section 2.24, does not allow short-term rentals in the township's R-1, R-2, or R-3 residential zoning districts -- an amendment that has been in effect since July 15, 2014. That's a genuinely long-standing, categorical prohibition rather than a licensing cap or registration requirement, and it predates the more recent wave of Michigan township short-term-rental ordinances by roughly a decade. If a specific Torch Lake Township parcel is zoned R-1, R-2, or R-3, short-term rental use is not a workaround-able gray area -- it's directly prohibited by the zoning ordinance, and any listing or income projection built around STR use of a residentially-zoned Torch Lake Township property should be checked against this rule before relying on it.

Elk Rapids: a capped, licensed system with resident priority

The Village of Elk Rapids -- one of Antrim County's five zoned incorporated villages -- takes the opposite approach: a capped licensing program rather than a ban. The village limits short-term rental licenses to a hard cap of roughly 61 units, about 7.7% of its total housing stock, with annual licensing required and occupancy capped at 10 guests per property. New licenses go first to Elk Rapids residents whose principal residence is in the village -- a real preference for local owner-occupants over pure investment purchases. As of a December 2, 2025 regular council meeting, the village was actively working on updates to this licensing ordinance, so a buyer evaluating an Elk Rapids property specifically for STR income should confirm the current cap status (whether it's full, and whether any changes from that 2025 update have taken effect) directly with the village rather than relying on the historical 61-unit figure alone.

The rest of the Chain of Lakes area: mostly unregulated, for now

Neighboring townships in the Chain of Lakes area -- including Banks, Forest Home, and Helena Townships -- were not found to have adopted a dedicated short-term-rental ordinance as of this research pass; general zoning, noise, and nuisance rules apply instead, which in practice means less specific and less predictable regulation than either Torch Lake Township's ban or Elk Rapids' licensing cap. Given how actively Michigan townships have been adopting STR-specific ordinances statewide in 2025 and 2026, that could change -- confirm current status with the specific township rather than assuming the absence of a dedicated ordinance is permanent.

Short-Term Rentals in Antrim County: Two Opposite Local Approaches

Torch Lake Township: an outright ban, in place since 2014

Elk Rapids: a capped, licensed system with resident priority

The rest of the Chain of Lakes area: mostly unregulated, for now

Ready to talk to someone who knows land?