Milwaukee cannot restrict short-term rentals to a host's primary residence. Wisconsin Act 59 (2017) and Wis. Stat. §66.1014 expressly bar municipalities from limiting rentals of six or more nights to owner-occupied or primary-residence properties.
The Wisconsin Legislature in 2017 stripped municipalities of the power to confine short-term rentals to primary residences. Milwaukee Code Ch. 105 therefore licenses tourist rooming houses without an owner-occupancy condition, although the property must meet building, zoning, and habitability standards. The city retains the right to cap rentals shorter than six nights and to require operator licensing, lodging-tax registration with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and adherence to nuisance abatement procedures under Ch. 80 zoning and Ch. 90 health rules.
Cities attempting to enforce primary-residence-only conditions face state-law preemption challenges, while operators violating licensing or zoning rules may face Ch. 105 citations and forfeitures.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee does not require an owner or host to be physically present during a short-term rental stay, since Wisconsin Act 59 (2017) preempts cities from forc...
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee requires a Tourist Rooming House (TRH) license from DNS for all STRs. State TRH license from Wisconsin DATCP also required. Properties with 5+ room...
See how Milwaukee's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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