Fitchburg, WI Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Fitchburg's short-term rental ordinance does not set one fixed occupancy number for every property; instead § 10-284(b) requires each STR license applicant to state the maximum proposed occupancy of the short-term rental on the application, and § 10-285 provides that the license the city clerk issues shall indicate the maximum occupancy for the short-term rental. That figure is capped by the stricter of two ceilings under § 10-287(c): the number printed on the city license or the occupancy allowed under Fitchburg Ordinances or Wisconsin Administrative Code ATCP Chapter 72, whichever is smaller.

ATCP 72 is the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's tourist rooming house rule, which every STR must also comply with under § 10-284(d). The building inspection department verifies compliance at the annual inspection required before a license issues under § 10-284(e), and any occupancy figure on the license can be reduced through the § 10-288 revocation process if the property is later found noncompliant. Because the license, not the code, carries the number, two identically zoned Fitchburg homes can carry different maximum-occupancy figures depending on their size and the inspection findings.