Grand Haven.

Grand Haven allows new short-term rental certification only in named districts, including parts of Old Town, the Central Business District, Dune Residential and Waterfront-2, several by special use approval. Unlike its neighbors, the city states that existing certified rentals may continue and transfer to a new owner. Verify a property's certification status with Public Safety before relying on it.

The city appears in EGLE's Atlas of Critical Dunes, so Part 353 permits apply to building, drives, septic systems and sand removal on dune parcels. It also carries high risk erosion areas designated in November 1994, with a listed recession rate of 1.7 feet a year and a 30-year setback of 65 feet. Check both mappings for any lakeshore or Dune Residential parcel.

Grand Haven is a federal deep-draft harbor with a project depth of 23 feet at the entrance, and the Army Corps dredges around 35,000 cubic yards from the outer harbor each year. Cement and aggregate docks operate on the river alongside a Coast Guard presence. Expect freighter traffic, dredging plant and industrial neighbors along parts of the waterfront.

The median year of construction in the city is 1961, the oldest of the lakeshore markets covered here. That raises the odds of original wiring, galvanized supply lines, buried oil tanks and clay sewer laterals. Budget for a sewer scope and an electrical inspection rather than relying on a general survey.

The Coast Guard Festival runs for ten days each summer, and the organizers report attendance of over 350,000. Streets near the boardwalk and downtown close, and parking and access change for the duration. If a property sits inside the festival footprint, ask what the closures and restrictions look like in practice.