Dane County, WI Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Dane County, WI, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Cycle
- Annual permit, renews June 30–July 31
- Late fee
- 25% of permit fee
- Past July 31
- Treated as new application
- Courtesy notice
- Sent by July 15 each year
- Duplicate permit fee
- $5
Summary
A Dane County tourist rooming house permit issued under ch. 46.33 runs on the annual cycle set out in ch. 46.34 and ch. 46.35: fees are set in the county's Public Health fee schedule, a 25% late fee applies once a renewal payment is overdue, and the department stops renewing lapsed permits after July 31 each year.
46.35(1) In each instance where a fee required under subsections (1) through (4), inclusive, of section 46.34 is not paid when due, the director of environmental health shall collect a late fee equal to 25% of the applicable permit fee. (2) As used in this subsection, permit refers to any annual permit required by section 46.34 and permitted facility refers to any facility the operation of which requires any such permit. Between June 30 and July 31 of any year, the department shall not issue a permit unless the applicant submits payment of the required renewal fee and penalty. After July 31, the department shall not renew expired permits and all applications for permits received after that date shall be treated as applications for new permits.
Full Breakdown
Ch. 34(1) puts county permit fees for facilities regulated under ch. 33, including tourist rooming houses, into the Public Health Madison and Dane County Fee Schedule, published at the County Clerk's Office and on the department's website. Ch. 34,' and between June 30 and July 31 of any year the department will not issue a renewal unless the applicant pays the required renewal fee plus any late-fee penalty. Ch. 35(1) sets that late fee at 25% of the applicable permit fee whenever a ch. 34 fee isn't paid when due.
Miss the July 31 cutoff entirely, and ch. ' Anyone who keeps running the facility between June 30 and July 31 without paying still owes the permit fee, and the corporation counsel can sue to collect it. As a courtesy, the department sends delinquency notices to permittees who haven't renewed by July 15 each year, though ch. 35(2) is explicit that skipping that notice creates no right to keep operating past July 31. A duplicate permit for a facility already licensed in the current permit year costs an extra $5 fee under ch. 35(3).
Violations & Fines
Operating a tourist rooming house on a lapsed permit after July 31 means reapplying as a brand-new facility under ch. 46.35(2), not a renewal. Ch. 46.34(3) adds a separate fee for anyone caught operating without a current license, and the standard ch. 46.27 forfeiture, $50 to $200 per day, applies on top of that for any underlying chapter violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does my Dane County STR permit need to be renewed?
What happens if I renew after July 31?
Does the county have to remind me to renew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dane County
How Dane County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Dane County to another location·View the Wisconsin short-term rentals overview
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