Waukesha, WI Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing authority
- City Clerk, with Council review
- License term
- Calendar year, expires December 31
- Renewal deadline
- Before September 1 of prior year
- Occupancy limit
- Set per license; 2 kids under 12 = 1 adult
- Transferability
- License is non-transferable
Summary
Waukesha requires anyone operating a rooming house, a building with rooming units regularly rented to unrelated roomers, to hold a license from the City Clerk under Municipal Code § 17.10. Licenses run on a calendar year and must be renewed by September 1 of the prior year.
(a) No person shall operate a rooming house without first obtaining a license therefor as herein provided. (b) The license shall be applied for and issued to the operator for the rooming house to be licensed. Such operator shall make application to the City Clerk. ... (e) The fee for obtaining or renewing a rooming house license shall be maintained in the Fee Schedule in accordance with section 16.07(1) of this Municipal Code. All licenses expire December 31st of each year. All applications for license renewal must be submitted to the City Clerk prior to September 1st of the preceding year.
Full Breakdown
" The operator applies to the City Clerk, and the license specifies the maximum number of people who may be accommodated, with two children under 12 counting as one adult; furnishing sleeping space for more than the licensed number is itself a violation. Licenses run on a calendar year, expiring December 31, and renewal applications must reach the Clerk before September 1 of the preceding year. 07(1). 26. Where any of those conditions exist, the matter goes to the Common Council or its committee, which can grant, deny, or refuse to renew the license and may attach reasonable conditions. The license must be posted conspicuously in the rooming house office or public hallway and cannot be transferred to another person.
Violations & Fines
Operating a rooming house without the § 17.10 license is a violation in itself, and furnishing sleeping accommodations for more people than the license specifies (counting two children under 12 as one adult) violates § 17.10(1)(h). Unpaid local taxes or delinquent charges against the applicant or the premises under § 8.26 are independent grounds for the City Clerk to withhold a license, and the Common Council can deny or refuse to renew a license where revocation grounds exist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to run a rooming house in Waukesha?
When does a Waukesha rooming house license expire and renew?
What can cause the City to deny a rooming house license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waukesha
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