Leelanau Township covers the very tip of the peninsula, Michigan's "little finger," wrapped around the harbor village of Northport on Grand Traverse Bay. Eight miles farther north, Leelanau State Park and the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, first lit in the 1850s and now a museum, mark the end of the land, with Petoskey-stone beaches and Manitou Passage views all around. Tiny Omena sits down the east shore on its own quiet bay.
At a glance
State millage data currently shows about 18.6 to 26.4 mills for a primary home. 4 school districts cover the community, so the parcel and PRE status decide the final bill.
Practical directory
Common home and paperwork paths
Start with the Michigan guide that matches the job. For a parcel, bill, permit, or recorded document in Leelanau Township, confirm the final answer with the local or county office shown farther down this page.
- Delinquent property tax Get help before the redemption date Find the foreclosing unit, exact payoff, assistance programs, counseling, and legal-help paths.
- Utility shutoff or past-due bill Work the utility-help sequence Call the provider, apply for emergency relief, use 2-1-1, and ask about household protections.
- Essential home repair Find repair or weatherization help Match the repair, household, service area, and rural status to programs that may actually fit.
- Home and estate Handle a home after someone dies Keep the property stable, find the deed and authority to act, and choose the right estate or title path.
- Manufactured home Transfer or repair the home title Start with the Secretary of State path for a sale, missing title, lien, or legal affixture to land.
- Buying rural or waterfront land Check the parcel before closing Work through access, survey, buildability, well, septic, wetlands, title, and local office checks.
Who handles what
Send the question to the right office
Start local for a parcel, tax bill, permit, or housing rule. Move to the county or a district when the record or service covers more than one community.
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Assessment, PRE, current tax bill, or Board of Review
Leelanau Township assessor or treasurer
Start with the Leelanau Township office shown on the assessment notice or tax bill. The assessor handles value and exemptions; the treasurer handles the current summer or winter bill.
Michigan property-tax basics -
Rental registration, building permit, or code problem
Leelanau Township building, rental, or code office
The enforcing agency can be the municipality, county, or state, and electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work may go to different places.
Find the official permit jurisdiction ↗ Michigan homeowner guide -
Marriage license, local record, deed, or delinquent tax
Leelanau County offices
The clerk, register of deeds, and county treasurer handle different parts of this work. The county page separates them for you.
Open the official Leelanau County site ↗ Getting married in Michigan -
Private well, septic system, local health, or trial court
County, district, or court finder
A health district or court can serve more than one community. The county page links to the official statewide finders.
Find the local health department ↗ Michigan well and septic guide
The practical stuff
Buying, owning, or selling in Leelanau Township
The seller's tax bill may not be your tax bill.
2025 property-tax snapshot
- Primary home (PRE)
- 18.5568 mills - 26.3558 mills
- Other property / non-homestead
- 31.9448 mills - 39.7438 mills
- School districts available
- 4 in Leelanau Township
One mill means $1 per $1,000 of Taxable Value. Rate rows come from the official 2025 Michigan Treasury report. Last reviewed July 12, 2026.
What these local words mean
- Primary home (PRE)
- A home you own and live in as your main home. PRE stands for Principal Residence Exemption and can lower the school operating tax.
- Non-homestead
- Property that is not treated as the owner's main home, such as a rental, vacation home, or second home.
- Assessor
- The local office that estimates and records property values and exemptions.
- Treasurer
- The local office that collects property tax payments and can confirm bill timing.
Michigan homebuyer tax calculator
See the tax bill after you buy.
Where is the house?
Pick the county, city or township, and school district. We use the official 2025 tax rates published by Michigan Treasury.
Not sure of the school district? Check the property listing. It is usually under "Schools."
Need to double-check the exact parcel? Use the official state estimator at treas-secure.state.mi.us/ptestimator or call the local treasurer. Rates can change across city, township, village, and school district lines, so the exact parcel matters.
Why a buyer's property-tax bill can change after a sale
In Michigan, property tax isn't figured on what you paid — it's figured on the home's Taxable Value, with the local millage rates applied to that number. While one owner keeps the home, Proposal A caps how fast that Taxable Value can climb. When the home sells, the cap usually comes off — this is called uncapping — and the Taxable Value resets toward the State Equalized Value, or SEV, which tends to run about half of a home's market value.
That reset is the part that catches buyers: a longtime owner may have been paying on an old, capped number, so the year after you buy, yours can jump to the new one — and your first full-year bill can land well above what the seller was paying. In Leelanau Township, your rate can vary by parcel. The school district tied to the property matters, and 4 school districts cover Leelanau Township. For a primary home with PRE, Michigan's main-home exemption, rates currently run about 18.6 to 26.4 mills. Without PRE, non-homestead rates run about 31.9 to 39.7 mills. The calculator above turns those local rates into your actual number.
If this will be your main home, make sure that PRE is filed with the local assessor — it can lift up to 18 school-operating mills off the bill. Rentals, vacation homes, and second homes stay on the higher non-homestead rate.
The tax reset is the big one, but it isn't the whole checklist. Out here, a home beyond city water and sewer usually comes with a private well and septic system worth testing before you close. It's also worth checking whether the address sits in a floodplain, and whether you'll owe a city income tax where you live or work. The buying-a-home guide walks through the rest.
School districts in this area
Leland Public School
Primary home (PRE) 21.5405 mills · non-homestead 32.4418 mills
Northport Public Schools
Primary home (PRE) 18.5568 mills · non-homestead 31.9448 mills
Northport Public Schools (Village of Northport)
Primary home (PRE) 26.3558 mills · non-homestead 39.7438 mills
Suttons Bay Public SC
Primary home (PRE) 20.5504 mills · non-homestead 38.1793 mills
Local rules and costs to check
Note-sized practical catches tied to Leelanau Township: taxes, property rules, permits, local costs, or other things worth checking before you decide.
Local check
Leelanau Township's Private Road Ordinance
Leelanau Township has a formal ordinance governing private roads — a useful first stop for anyone buying property on a private road there.
Local check
Short-Term Rental Permits in Leelanau Township
Leelanau Township requires a permit for any short-term rental, with guest limits tied to bedroom count and septic capacity.
Local check
The Principal Residence Exemption in Leelanau Township
When you buy property in Leelanau Township as your primary home, filing for the Principal Residence Exemption — and a Property Transfer Affidavit — are the first tax steps to take care of.
Local check
Bluffs, Dunes, and Erosion on Leelanau's Lake Michigan Shore
Leelanau's Lake Michigan bluffs and dunes are ancient glacial features still actively eroding — landslides, moving sand, and high-water years all matter if you're eyeing shoreline property.
Stories & local context
Get to know Leelanau Township
This end of the peninsula is scenic and a bit remote, and the township carries more authority here than buyers often realize. Short-term rental permits, a private road ordinance, the principal residence exemption paperwork, and wells and septic are all worth checking before you assume the county handles everything. The shore is also a place of shifting bluffs and erosion. The notes below cover each.
Nearby places
The closest Michigan Porch pages to Leelanau Township. Open one to read it, or put it side by side with Leelanau Township — tax rates, school districts, and city income tax.
Compare Leelanau Township with a neighbor →Next steps
What to check next for Leelanau Township
Use the county office map for records and services, or follow the home path that matches what you are doing now.
- County Open Leelanau County See the county page for other cities, townships, villages, local notes, and the county-wide tax snapshot. Open county page →
- Homeowner Keep the house on track Use one calm directory for tax notices, insurance, contractors, permits, records, and repairs. Open homeowner guide →
- Seller Plan the Michigan closing Walk through disclosure, title, transfer tax, PRE rescission, and the records worth keeping. Open seller guide →
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