Host Presence Rule: Greenfield vs Milwaukee
How do host presence rule rules compare between Greenfield, WI and Milwaukee, WI?
Greenfield and Milwaukee have similar restriction levels.
Greenfield, WI
Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County does not require a host to be present during a stay. State law protects whole-home rentals of 7 or more days, so unhosted short-term rentals are allowed; any presence-related rule would come from an individual municipality within statutory limits.
View full Greenfield rules →Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee County
Milwaukee does not require an owner or host to be physically present during a short-term rental stay, since Wisconsin Act 59 (2017) preempts cities from forcing primary-residence or on-site host rules for stays of six or more nights.
View full Milwaukee rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Greenfield | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Host-Present Requirement | None in the county | - |
| Whole-Home Rentals | Allowed and state-protected | - |
| 7+ Day Rentals | Cannot be prohibited | - |
| License Still Needed | DATCP plus municipal if required | - |
| Authority | Wis. Stat. 66.1014(2)(a) | - |
| State preemption | - | Wis. Act 59 (2017) |
| City code | - | Milwaukee Ch. 105 |
| Host on-site rule | - | Not required |
| Local agent | - | Required and responsive |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Greenfield FAQ
Do I have to live on-site during a Milwaukee County rental?
No. Milwaukee County does not require host presence. Wis. Stat. 66.1014(2)(a) protects whole-home rentals of 7 consecutive days or longer, so unhosted short-term rentals are permitted. You still need the DATCP license and any municipal license.
Is home-sharing treated differently from whole-home rental?
Not by Milwaukee County. State law does not condition the right to rent on the owner being present, so both hosted home-sharing and unhosted whole-home rentals are allowed. Municipalities set licensing details within the limits of Wis. Stat. 66.1014.
Milwaukee FAQ
Does Milwaukee require me to live in my STR?
No. Wisconsin Act 59 prevents the city from imposing a primary-residence or owner-occupancy mandate for stays of six or more nights, so non-owner-occupied STRs are allowed.
Do I still need a contact person nearby?
Yes. Milwaukee Ch. 105 expects a local responsible agent who can answer complaints and respond to issues, even though the host does not have to physically stay on-site.
Compare other topics
See how Greenfield and Milwaukee compare on other ordinance categories.
Want to add a third city?
Use our full comparison tool to compare up to three cities.
Open Comparison Tool