Madison treats short-term rentals as accessory uses to a primary residence. Operators must demonstrate that the dwelling is their principal place of habitation, typically through tax records, voter registration, or a Wisconsin driver license bearing the property address.
Madison's tourist rooming house framework under Sec. 28.131 ties STR registration to primary-residence status. The City Clerk's licensing checklist asks applicants to certify the unit is the host's principal residence and to provide supporting documents. Wisconsin Act 59 (2017) caps how aggressively the City can restrict short-term stays but does not stop Madison from defining who counts as a qualified operator. Investor-owned, non-resident STRs must instead pursue a conditional use permit, which entails neighbor notice, a public hearing, and Plan Commission discretion.
False certification of primary residence is grounds for license revocation, fines under Sec. 1.08, and referral for prosecution if the misrepresentation is material.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Madison, WI
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Madison, WI
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Madison, WI
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Madison, WI
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Madison, WI
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Madison, WI
Madison Fire Code under MGO Chapter 34 adopts the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code (SPS 361-366) and Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 314 (Fire Prevention...
See how Madison's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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