Dane County, WI Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)

Wis. Stat. §66.1014(2)(a) prohibits any Wisconsin political subdivision from enacting or enforcing an ordinance that bars the rental of a residential dwelling for 7 consecutive days or longer. For rentals of more than 6 but fewer than 30 consecutive days, §66.1014(2)(b) allows a local cap, but the cap may not be set lower than 180 days within a 365-day period, and the local government cannot dictate which season those days fall in. Dane County has not adopted a county-wide ordinance using this 180-day option for unincorporated areas; instead Chapter 10 (Zoning) regulates short-term rentals as Tourist Rooming Houses through use classifications and conditional use permits. Under Dane County's Residential Rental framework, the Transient/Tourist Lodging use covers stays not exceeding 29 consecutive days per registered guest, with up to 8 bedrooms and a maximum of 20 non-family guests at a time. State Tourist Rooming House licensing under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 72 is mandatory once a property is rented more than 10 nights per year (the §66.1014(4) threshold), and Public Health Madison & Dane County issues that license. Note: the City of Madison sets its own caps (most non-owner-occupied STRs limited to 30 rental days per year) and is not covered by Dane County's unincorporated rules.