Short-term rental permit rules in Milwaukee County, WI — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Milwaukee County does not issue short-term rental permits. Under Wisconsin law, a host operating more than 10 nights a year needs a state DATCP tourist rooming house license, plus any license required by the city, village, or town where the property sits.
Short-term rentals in Wisconsin are licensed by the state and by individual municipalities, not by counties. Milwaukee County government does not administer an STR or vacation-rental permit. State law sets the baseline: under Wis. Stat. 66.1014, any person who operates a short-term rental (a dwelling rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days) for more than 10 nights each year must obtain a tourist rooming house license from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), plus a municipal license if the local subdivision requires one. A county host typically needs the DATCP license and any license required by the host municipality, such as the City of Milwaukee. Confirm rules with your municipality.
Operating a tourist rooming house without the required DATCP license, or without a required municipal license, subjects the operator to cease-operation orders and monetary penalties under Wis. Stat. ch. 97 and the applicable municipal ordinance.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Milwaukee County, WI
Animal hoarding in Milwaukee County is addressed through Wisconsin's cruelty statutes. Wis. Stat. 951.02 bars treating any animal in a cruel manner, and 951....
Milwaukee County, WI
Feeding wild animals is regulated municipally in Milwaukee County and by the Wisconsin DNR for deer. The City of Milwaukee restricts bird feeders to rodent-p...
Milwaukee County, WI
Milwaukee County does not regulate backyard composting on residential property. Home composting is broadly allowed, but pile management, odor, and vermin sta...
Milwaukee County, WI
Milwaukee County does not regulate artificial or synthetic turf on residential property. Wisconsin has no statewide turf ban, so whether you may install arti...
Milwaukee County, WI
Milwaukee County has no ordinance dictating plant choice on private yards, but it strongly protects native plants and native fungi within its 157-park system...
Milwaukee County, WI
Milwaukee County places no restriction on residential rainwater harvesting, and Wisconsin does not require a permit to collect rooftop rainwater for outdoor ...
See how Milwaukee County's permit requirements rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.