vacation rentals

Two protests were in the news this week — one over concerns about an oil pipeline, the other about anti-trans remarks made by a Traverse City salon owner.

People who own vacation rentals in northern Michigan are seeing a drop in revenue part of a national trend.

Airbnb does more business in Grand Traverse County than anywhere else in Michigan.That may be no more apparent than in East Bay Charter Township, where some streets have more vacation rentals than people who live there year round.

Boyne City is one northern Michigan community anxiously awaiting the result of proposed bills that would stop towns from imposing bans on vacation rentals. The area has seen an increase in short-term rentals, which some credit with worsening a housing shortage.

The state has approved a $2.9 million investment for a new development that will provide year-round rentals in Traverse City’s downtown area.

Homeowners and local leaders are on opposing sides for proposed short-term rental legislation.

Like many resort towns in northern Michigan, Charlevoix has struggled to build a strong year-round community ever since landlords saw the money to be made…