Short-term rental permit rules in Rock County, WI — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Rock County has no countywide STR permit. Wisconsin requires a state DATCP tourist rooming house license for any rental operated more than 10 nights a year, plus any local license your city, village, or town requires.
There is no single Rock County short-term rental permit. Under Wis. Stat. 66.1014(2)(d)2., an operator renting more than 10 nights per year must get a state tourist rooming house license from DATCP and, if the local subdivision requires one by ordinance, a local license too. Inside Janesville and Beloit, city zoning and licensing apply. In the unincorporated towns, the county zones land under Wis. Stat. 59.69 and a lodging use may need a conditional-use permit from the town/county. Wisconsin's 'Right to Rent' law bars any subdivision from banning rentals of seven consecutive days or longer.
Operating without a required DATCP tourist rooming house license or local license can bring DATCP enforcement and local citations; municipal fines vary by ordinance.
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