What Is a Short-Term Rental Permit in Wisconsin?

Short-term rental permits regulate properties rented for less than 29 consecutive days — the threshold used by DATCP to define a tourist rooming house in Wisconsin. If you rent your home or a room through platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, or similar services, you likely need a permit from your municipality and potentially a tourist rooming house license from DATCP or your local health department. Requirements vary dramatically across Wisconsin municipalities. Milwaukee requires a short-term rental license ($100/year), limits rentals to the host's primary residence, and caps the number of rental days. Madison requires a permit and has different rules for hosted (owner present) vs. unhosted (entire home) rentals. Some smaller municipalities have minimal or no regulation. Wisconsin Dells and other tourist areas have well-established permitting systems for vacation rentals. In addition to the local permit, DATCP requires a tourist rooming house license for properties rented for fewer than 29 days, which includes a health and safety inspection. You must also collect and remit Wisconsin room tax (state and local) on short-term rentals. Platforms like Airbnb collect state tax automatically in Wisconsin but local room taxes may be your responsibility. Operating without required permits can result in fines of $100 to $1,000 per violation and potential loss of rental privileges.

Check Your Municipality

Permit requirements, fees, and exemptions vary by municipality. Verify the specifics for your location.