Walworth County, WI Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)

Sections 26-345 and 26-346 set the enforcement path for a short-term rental that falls out of compliance with Article VII rather than a fixed count of citations. Under § 26-345, revocation "shall commence when the owner of the property fails to comply with the requirements of this article as it existed at the time of the issuance of the license," meaning any violation, whether of the occupancy cap in § 26-339, the parking rule in § 26-340, the solid waste rule in § 26-341, or the posted property rules in § 26-343, can trigger the process.

Section 26-346 lays out the steps: the Land Use and Resource Management Department first notifies the owner of the noncompliance, and the owner has 24 hours to correct the violation to the Department's satisfaction. If the violation is not cured, the Department can ask the Walworth County Executive Committee for permission to proceed with revocation. The Committee then schedules a hearing, with the owner notified at least two weeks ahead and the Department attempting to notify every property owner within 150 feet of the rental at least two weeks before the hearing as well.

At the hearing, a Department representative presents the evidence of noncompliance and any other interested party may testify; the Committee issues a written decision to the owner and the Department. If the license is revoked, the owner is locked out of a new license for a full 12 months.