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

Section 44-1580(i) governs short-term rentals (STRs) citywide, and subsection (i)(3) sets the occupant cap: "The number of occupants in STRs shall not exceed the limits set forth in the State of Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code and other applicable County and City of Green Bay housing regulations for residential structures based on the number of bedrooms within the unit." The city doesn't print its own flat number in the zoning code; it borrows the bedroom-based formula that already governs dwelling occupancy statewide and layers Brown County Health Department housing rules on top.

Occupancy compliance runs through the same short-term rental permit (STRP) system that lets a unit operate at all: before advertising or hosting a guest, the owner or local representative must register with the City Treasurer for Brown County room tax, register with the Brown County Health Department, and hold a current STRP, renewed annually and expiring every July 1. The Community and Economic Development Director or the Plan Commission may open a review at any time there is reason to believe an STR isn't adhering to its permit conditions, including overcrowding, and the Plan Commission can revoke the permit on its findings; a denial or revocation may be appealed to the Plan Commission and Common Council.

Subsection (i)(12) sets the penalty: failure to comply with any requirement of the section, including the occupancy cap, is a violation, and penalties reach $500 per violation plus court costs and can trigger permit suspension or revocation. Nuisance complaints tied to overcrowded tenants, such as outdoor-event noise, are treated the same way. This language carried forward in the most recent STR overhaul, Ordinance No. 24-25, adopted December 2, 2025.