Douglas, Michigan Short-Term Rental Market
Douglas, MI STRs averaged $282/night at 40.0% occupancy in April 2026, with July peak occupancy reaching 77.3%.
Quick Answer: Douglas, Michigan is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 40%. average monthly revenue is $2,613. average daily rate is $282. the top operator is Jaqua Realtors with 261 listings. market score is 77/100 (grade B).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Douglas, Michigan short-term rental market covers the Saugatuck/Douglas resort corridor on Lake Michigan, approximately 40 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. Despite the Village of Douglas having a small permanent population, this market area encompasses a broad lake-shore resort zone that supports approximately 8,243 active STR listings.
Entire-place listings dominate at 7,953 units (96.5% of total), with 290 private-room listings. In April 2026, the all-listings average daily rate was $282, with monthly revenue averaging $2,613 per listing. Occupancy ran at 40.0% for April, a shoulder reading before the summer season opens in earnest.
Year-over-year performance for April 2026 is strongly positive: ADR increased 7.5%, occupancy improved 3.9 percentage points, and revenue grew 2.1%. The market earned overall scores of 77.23 out of 100, with standout scores for investability (94.67) and revenue growth (94.41), among the highest in comparable lake and beach resort markets.
By bedroom mix, 3-bedroom properties are most numerous (2,180 units), followed by 2-bedrooms (1,922), 1-bedrooms (1,487), 4-bedrooms (1,448), and 5-bedroom-plus properties (1,200). Channel distribution shows 4,631 listings on both Airbnb and VRBO, 2,343 Airbnb-only, and 1,269 VRBO-only, indicating broad dual-channel distribution across the market.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30% | $260 | $2,213 |
| Feb | 36% | $252 | $2,182 |
| Mar | 41% | $250 | $2,479 |
| Apr | 40% | $266 | $2,449 |
| May | 49% | $310 | $2,983 |
| Jun | 63% | $379 | $5,332 |
| Jul | 77% | $389 | $7,509 |
| Aug | 69% | $388 | $6,895 |
| Sep | 42% | $340 | $3,855 |
| Oct | 38% | $293 | $3,173 |
| Nov | 30% | $278 | $2,456 |
| Dec | 35% | $279 | $2,443 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Douglas
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaqua Realtors | 261 | 5,161 | ★ 4.72 |
| 2 | Evolve | 182 | 8,064 | ★ 4.66 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 175 | 7,412 | ★ 4.57 |
| 4 | Unsalted Vacations | 129 | 2,715 | ★ 4.73 |
| 5 | Bluefish Vacation Rentals | 112 | 2,880 | ★ 4.75 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Douglas?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,487 |
| 2 bed | 1,922 |
| 3 bed | 2,180 |
| 4 bed | 1,448 |
| 5 bed | 1,200 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $284 |
| Luxury | $565 |
| Professionally Managed | $351 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,916 |
| Entire Place | $2,642 |
| House | $2,841 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 28.4% |
| vrbo | 15.4% |
| both | 56.2% |
Investment Analysis
Douglas/Saugatuck is one of the highest-scoring markets in the dataset for investability (94.67) and revenue growth (94.41). These scores reflect the market’s consistent ability to drive ADR and occupancy through a combination of destination appeal, constrained housing supply, and strong repeat visitor demand.
At the tier level, luxury properties command $565 per night versus the $282 all-listings average, a 100% premium. Professionally managed properties average $351 per night, a $69 premium (24%) over the market average, indicating that distribution quality and pricing expertise translate to meaningful rate uplift in this market.
By property type, house listings led revenue at $2,841 per month in April 2026, followed by entire-place listings at $2,642 and apartments at $1,916. July peak revenue for the all-listings average was $7,509, and 2025 full-year average monthly revenue was $4,449, a strong baseline for underwriting.
No Zillow housing data was available for this area at the time of publication, so a specific yield calculation tied to home values is not possible here. Investors should source local sale comps, as the Saugatuck/Douglas market commands premium real estate pricing commensurate with its resort reputation. The ADR trend (up 7.5% year-over-year in April 2026) and multi-year ADR progression (2017: $272; 2025: $344 annual average) indicate sustained rate growth over the long term.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Guests in the Douglas/Saugatuck market book an average of 50 days in advance, the longest lead time in this batch of five markets. This 7-week booking horizon reflects the deliberate planning behavior of Lake Michigan resort visitors who secure accommodations well ahead of peak summer dates. July and August inventory at desirable properties routinely sells out months in advance.
The average length of stay is 3.2 nights, consistent with a long-weekend leisure pattern. This is slightly longer than a pure weekend (2 nights), likely reflecting the midweek extension common among visitors who travel specifically to the Lake Michigan shoreline and want to maximize beach time.
For pricing strategy, the 50-day lead time means operators should have firm pricing in place at least 8 weeks out from any peak date, particularly for July 4th week and Memorial Day weekend. Late-availability discounting should be applied conservatively in this market, as last-minute demand for desirable summer dates can still yield full-rate bookings closer to arrival.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Douglas (officially the City of the Village of Douglas) permits short-term rentals in all zoning districts that allow residential use. Operators must register with the City Clerk, pay a $350 registration fee, and obtain a Rental Occupancy Certificate valid for three years. The certificate requires a fire and safety inspection by the Saugatuck Township District Fire Department before issuance and reinspection at least every 36 months thereafter.
The ordinance requires whole-unit rentals only. Renting individual rooms to separate guests simultaneously is prohibited. There is no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary-residence requirement, and no annual night cap in the Douglas ordinance, making it relatively accessible for non-resident investors.
Repeated ordinance violations or findings of responsibility in a single calendar year can lead to certificate revocation by the City Zoning Administrator. Enforcement is rated moderate.
Michigan applies a 6% state use (lodging) tax on stays under 30 days. Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit this on behalf of operators in Michigan. The Saugatuck/Douglas Convention and Visitors Bureau is funded through a regional lodging assessment. A 2025 edition of Douglas’s STR registration packet is available on the city website. Neighboring Saugatuck updated its own STR ordinance in April 2025; operators holding properties in both jurisdictions should verify each city’s current rules separately.
Market Comparison
Relative to national STR benchmarks (approximately 55% median occupancy, $220 median ADR), Douglas/Saugatuck is a premium-performing market. While April occupancy of 40.0% trails the national median, this is a seasonally distorted reading. July occupancy of 77.3% and July ADR of $389 are well above national averages, positioning this market in the upper tier of Midwest lake-resort destinations.
The 7.5% year-over-year ADR improvement in April 2026 is strong by any standard and reflects compressing supply against sustained leisure demand in a market with real barriers to new housing development.
On operator concentration, Jaqua Realtors leads with 261 listings and 5,161 reviews at a 4.72 average rating, reflecting the local real estate brokerage model common in Midwest resort markets. Evolve (182 listings, 8,064 reviews, 4.66 rating) and Vacasa (175 listings, 7,412 reviews, 4.57 rating) hold the #2 and #3 positions. Unsalted Vacations (129 listings, 4.73 rating) and Bluefish Vacation Rentals (112 listings, 4.75 rating) round out the top 5. The combined top-5 share of approximately 859 listings represents about 10.4% of the 8,243-unit market, leaving the large majority of inventory with individual owner-operators and smaller managers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Douglas, Michigan
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