4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Racine County, Wisconsin.
Verified from official government sources
Wisconsin Statute 66.1014 preempts local bans on residential rentals of 7 consecutive days or longer. Anyone offering a short-term rental in Racine County for more than 10 nights per year must hold a state Tourist Rooming House license from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Racine County does not impose a separate countywide STR permit; municipal STR ordinances apply within incorporated cities and villages.
Wis. Stat. §66.1014(2)
66.1014(2)(a) (a) Subject to par. (d) , a political subdivision may not enact or enforce an ordinance that prohibits the rental of a residential dwelling for 7 consecutive days or longer. 66.1014(2)(b) (b) If a political subdivision has in effect on September 23, 2017, an ordinance that is inconsistent with par. (a) or (d) , the ordinance does not apply and may not be enforced. 66.1014(2)(c) (c...
Racine County does not impose a countywide STR registration fee, but operators must collect 5% Wisconsin sales tax plus the 0.5% Racine County sales tax (effective April 1, 2025) on stays of less than one month. A municipal room tax under Wis. Stat. §66.0615 may also apply (City of Racine charges 8% under Ord. 90-55). Operators renting more than 10 nights per year must pay an annual DATCP Tourist Rooming House license fee starting at $296.
Wis. Stat. §66.0615(1m)(a)
66.0615(1m)(a) (a) The governing body of a municipality may enact an ordinance, and a district, under par. (e) , may adopt a resolution, imposing a tax on the sales price from selling or furnishing, at retail, except sales for resale, rooms or lodging to transients by hotelkeepers, motel operators, marketplace providers, owners of short-term rentals, and other persons or retailers selling or fu...
Racine County does not impose a STR-specific parking standard for unincorporated areas. General off-street parking minimums in Chapter 20 of the County Zoning Ordinance apply to single-family dwellings (typically two off-street spaces) regardless of whether the home is rented short-term. Wis. Stat. §66.1014(2)(c) permits towns and municipalities to require additional parking as part of reasonable health-and-safety regulation. Cities and villages within Racine County set their own STR parking rules.
Racine County does not set a fixed county-wide occupancy cap for short-term rentals. Wisconsin's Tourist Rooming House rules under Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 72 limit a TRH to four or fewer individually keyed sleeping units; larger properties must license as a hotel. The state Uniform Dwelling Code (SPS 321) and ch. ATCP 72 building-safety provisions effectively cap occupancy through bedroom size and egress requirements. Wis. Stat. §66.1014(2)(c) allows local governments to impose reasonable health-and-safety occupancy limits.
3 cities in Racine County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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