Best Vacation Rental Management in Wellston, Michigan

No. Wellston carries no STR-specific permit requirement — permit type is listed as none — and the market's regulation status is friendly. General zoning and nuisance codes still apply, along with Michigan's state 6% use tax on transient accommodations under 30 days, per the ordinance review last verified April 22, 2026.

The average listing in Wellston earns about $34,800 a year, with the median close behind at about $34,400. The top quartile of listings earns about $46,600, and the top tenth about $61,300 — these are market-wide averages across every listing, most of them self-managed by owner-operators, without professional pricing or multi-channel distribution.

Wellston's average short-term rental occupancy rate is about 42.3%, which sits about 11.7 percentage points below the Michigan average.

Nightly rates in Wellston vary by property size — from about $137 a night for a studio up to about $371 a night for a 5-bedroom home. Mid-size properties fall in between: about $235 for a 3-bedroom and about $280 for a 4-bedroom.

Wellston scores 90 — exceptional tier — with a gross yield of 13.6%, about 7.5 points above the Michigan average of 6.1%. The typical home value (Zillow index) here is about $256,000, and the market has 44 active listings among 15,631 total housing units.

Wellston has no STR-specific ordinance as of the most recent review, April 22, 2026; general zoning and nuisance codes apply, no permit is required, and the market's regulation status is friendly. Michigan's state 6% use tax on transient accommodations under 30 days still applies. Manistee County itself has no countywide STR ordinance, though some of its townships regulate independently — Filer Township charges a $500 annual fee, Onekama Township has its own 2023 ordinance, and the City of Manistee adopted a detailed STR ordinance in July 2025.

Peak season in Wellston is July; the slow point is February. July revenue runs about 2.05 times February's revenue, a sizable swing across the calendar year.

By annual revenue, 5-bedroom properties perform best in Wellston, averaging about $55,100 a year at an ADR near $371, with occupancy for that size at about 40%. 4-bedrooms average about $42,800, and 3-bedrooms about $36,800.

Wellston's gross yield is about 13.6%, roughly 7.5 points above the Michigan average yield of 6.1%.

Revenue varies along two independent measures in Wellston. Market-wide, the average listing earns about $34,800 a year, the top quartile about $46,600, and the top tenth about $61,300 — these are market-wide averages across every listing, most of them self-managed by owner-operators, without professional pricing or multi-channel distribution. Separately, revenue also varies by property size: a studio averages about $22,800 a year, and a 5-bedroom averages about $55,100.

ROAM prices full-service vacation rental management in Wellston as one transparent, per-property structure — [start with a revenue assessment](https://roammgmt.com/get-started/) to see the numbers for your home.

ROAM is a Michigan vacation rental management company operating across the state, including Wellston — offering full-service Airbnb management with dynamic pricing, multi-channel distribution, and professional on-the-ground operations for owners.

The average Wellston vacation rental earns approximately $36,777 per year, based on current market data. Properties managed by ROAM typically outperform the market average by 30-50% through optimized pricing, professional photography, and listing optimization.

Wellston does not currently require a specific STR permit. ROAM handles all permit applications and renewals for managed properties.

ROAM offers competitive management packages with transparent pricing. Our fees are structured to align our success with yours — we earn more when your property earns more. Visit our packages page for current pricing.

ROAM combines local Michigan expertise with proprietary technology (Signal) for listing optimization and dynamic pricing. Unlike national platforms, we have boots on the ground in your market and treat every property as our own.