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.
Wisconsin Statute 66.1014 preempts local STR bans for stays of 7 consecutive days or longer. Operators of any STR over 10 nights per year must hold a state Tourist Rooming House license from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Milwaukee County has no countywide STR ordinance; the City of Milwaukee separately requires its own Tourist Rooming House license issued through the Department of Neighborhood Services with a property inspection.
Wis. Stat. §66.1014(2)(a) prohibits any city, village, town, or county from enacting or enforcing an ordinance that would prohibit the rental of a residential dwelling for 7 consecutive days or longer. Under §66.1014(2)(d), for stays of more than 6 but fewer than 30 consecutive days, a municipality may cap the total annual rental days at no fewer than 180 days within a 365-day period. Anyone who maintains, manages, or operates a short-term rental for more than 10 nights per year must obtain a Tourist Rooming House license from DATCP under Wis. Stat. §97.01(15k) and Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 72. Local political subdivisions may also require their own license under §66.1014(3). Because Milwaukee County is fully incorporated, county-level STR rules do not apply; STR permitting is handled by each municipality. The City of Milwaukee requires a local Tourist Rooming House license through the Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) at 841 N. Broadway, Room 104. The City application must include a Fire & Safety Self-Certification Checklist, and DNS schedules an inspection to verify building-code and fire-safety compliance. Milwaukee licenses are valid for 12 months and are non-transferable. Operators must also collect and remit Wisconsin sales tax (5%), Milwaukee County sales tax (0.5%), and applicable local room taxes under Wis. Stat. §66.0615.
Operating a tourist rooming house without the DATCP state license is a violation of Wis. Stat. §97.62 with daily forfeitures up to $500. Operating without the City of Milwaukee local license can trigger municipal forfeitures - check Milwaukee Code Chapter 60 (License Code) for current amounts. Failure to remit room or sales tax is enforced by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
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