Wausau, WI Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Parking ratio
- one space per bedroom
- Location
- all guest vehicles parked on site
- Driveway stacking
- spaces must be 8 ft wide, 18 ft deep
- Basis
- conditional use permit condition
- Enforcing agency
- Wausau Inspections and Zoning Division
Summary
Wausau requires one on-site parking space per bedroom for every vacation rental home, and City Code Section 23.03.10(14)(f) demands that all guest vehicles park on site, not on the street. Subsection (g) lets a driveway count as legal "stacked" spaces if each is at least eight feet wide and 18 feet deep.
(14)Vacation rental home: A dwelling unit available for overnight, weekend or weekly stays by paying guests, which may or may not be owner-occupied for parts of the year. ... (f)Minimum required parking: One space per each bedroom. All guest vehicles shall be parked on site.(g)A driveway may contain one or more legal parking spaces. Driveways shall be considered legal "stacked" parking spaces, provided that each driveway parking space is no less than eight feet in width and 18 feet in depth.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
" That on-site requirement means street parking does not satisfy a vacation rental's obligation: guests generate the demand and the property itself must absorb it, unlike the ordinary parking rules for a standard single-family home. " Stacked spaces let guests park nose-to-tail in a single driveway rather than requiring a separate paved stall for every bedroom, which matters for older Wausau lots near the Wisconsin River and downtown where lot widths do not always accommodate side-by-side parking. 10(14) regardless of how compliant it is on noise or occupancy.
Violations & Fines
Directing guests to park on the street instead of on site, or providing fewer spaces than one per bedroom, violates the conditional use conditions of Wausau Municipal Code Section 23.03.10(14)(f)-(g); the Inspections and Zoning Division can cite the property and revisit the conditional use permit for the vacation rental home.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many parking spaces does a Wausau vacation rental need?
Can guests park in the driveway instead of a garage?
What happens if my Wausau vacation rental doesn't have enough on-site parking?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wausau
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