Fennville, Michigan Short-Term Rental Market
Fennville, MI STRs averaged $282/night at 40.0% occupancy in April 2026, with peak July rates reaching $389.
Quick Answer: Fennville, 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
Fennville is a small agritourism destination in southwest Michigan’s Allegan County, anchored by the Fennville AVA wine region and orchard corridor. The short-term rental market here skews heavily toward entire-place listings, which account for roughly 7,953 of the approximately 8,237 active listings tracked across the broader lakeshore region. Private rooms make up the remaining 3.5% of inventory.
In April 2026, the market posted a 40.0% average occupancy rate and a $281.67 average daily rate, yielding a RevPAR of $112.52. Average monthly revenue per listing came in at $2,613. These figures reflect year-over-year gains: occupancy grew 3.9 percentage points, ADR climbed 7.5%, and revenue rose 2.1% compared to the same month a year earlier.
On the channel side, 4,631 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 2,343 list exclusively on Airbnb, and 1,269 on VRBO only. Bedroom distribution is relatively balanced, with 3-bedroom properties being the most common (2,180 units), followed by 2-bedroom (1,922), 1-bedroom (1,487), 4-bedroom (1,448), and 5-bedroom (1,200) rentals. The market’s total investability score is 77.2 out of 100, with revenue growth scoring a particularly strong 94.4.
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 Fennville
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 Fennville?
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
Fennville’s STR investment case rests on a clear seasonal peak driven by wine tourism, orchard visits, and proximity to Saugatuck and Douglas. In July, average monthly revenue reaches $7,509 per listing — nearly three times the April figure of $2,613, illustrating the outsized return concentrated in summer months.
Houses outperform apartments at the current snapshot: houses average $2,841 per month versus $1,916 for apartments, a gap of roughly $925. Entire-place units average $2,642. At the luxury tier, the average daily rate rises to $564.66 — more than double the market-wide $281.67 — indicating meaningful upside for higher-end properties. Professionally managed listings command $350.84 per night on average, a 25% premium over the all-listing ADR.
The platform’s investability score of 94.7 and revenue growth score of 94.4 are among the highest signals in the dataset. No housing value data was available for this area, so purchase-price-based yield calculations are not possible here. Investors should source current home valuations locally before modeling returns.
The seasonality score of 44.1 reflects genuine demand concentration in summer, which requires active revenue management and pricing strategy to capture peak rates while sustaining occupancy in shoulder and off-peak months.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Fennville STR guests book an average of 50.3 days in advance, reflecting a mid-range planning window typical of leisure-focused lake and wine-country markets. This lead time gives operators about a 7-week window to optimize pricing before a booking locks in — long enough to run dynamic pricing strategies but short enough that last-minute discounting can still fill gaps.
Average length of stay is 3.2 nights, consistent with weekend-getaway demand from Chicago, Grand Rapids, and Detroit rather than extended vacations. A 3-night average means operators can expect roughly 9-10 bookings per month at 40% occupancy during shoulder season, rising to 18-20 bookings per month at peak summer occupancy of 77%. Shorter average stays increase turnover costs (cleaning, restocking) but also create more pricing flexibility to capture rate spikes on peak-demand weekends like the October Goose Festival or summer holiday weekends.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are legal in Fennville but require city authorization before operating. Every rental property must obtain a city Rental Certificate and pass a health-and-safety inspection covering smoke detectors, egress windows, handrails, and related items. Inspections recur every three years.
In certain residential zoning districts, STRs additionally require a Special Land Use Permit approved by the Planning Commission. That process requires submitting a registration form, proof of ownership, a site plan showing off-street parking, a floor plan, proof of liability insurance, and designation of a local contact who can respond within 1-2 hours. Other commercial or mixed-use districts may allow STRs without the Planning Commission step.
There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, and no published cap on annual rental nights. Michigan levies a 6% state use (lodging) tax on stays under 30 days, remitted monthly to the Michigan Department of Treasury. As of the profile update date, Fennville did not appear to impose an additional local lodging tax beyond the state 6%.
Enforcement is described as minimal. The permit cost was not published in the available data — operators should confirm current fees directly with the Fennville Zoning Administrator. Prospective investors should also monitor neighboring Saugatuck, which formed a task force to review STR ordinances, signaling possible tightening across the lakeshore corridor.
Market Comparison
Fennville’s April 2026 occupancy of 40.0% sits below the U.S. STR market median of approximately 55%, which reflects its off-season positioning — April precedes the lake-country peak season. Its $281.67 ADR is slightly above the U.S. median of approximately $220, consistent with Michigan’s lake-region premium pricing. At peak (July 77.3% occupancy, $389 ADR), Fennville performs well above national norms.
The market’s revenue growth score of 94.4 out of 100 and investability score of 94.7 place it in the top tier nationally on those dimensions, despite a softer rental-demand score of 57.4 that reflects the seasonal and rural character of the market.
Professional management is well established here. Jaqua Realtors leads with 261 listings and 5,161 reviews (4.72 average rating). Evolve follows with 182 listings and 8,064 reviews (4.66 average rating). Vacasa holds 175 listings with 7,412 reviews (4.57 average rating). Together, the top three operators account for 618 listings, or roughly 7.5% of the total inventory tracked in this area.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fennville, Michigan
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