De Pere, WI Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Room tax rate
- 10% of gross receipts
- Payment schedule
- Monthly to the city clerk
- Late payment forfeiture
- 25% of prior year's tax or $5,000, less
- Interest on unpaid tax
- 1% per month on balance
- Delinquency threshold
- 30 days after return due date
- Security deposit
- Up to $5,000 cash or surety bond
Summary
De Pere taxes short-term rentals the same 10 percent room tax it charges hotels, due to the city clerk monthly, and adds real money for owners who fall behind: a 25 percent forfeiture, or $5,000, whichever is less, once the tax goes delinquent, plus interest and a notification duty owners must meet.
Such tax shall be collected from the customer when the customer's bill is paid and shall be paid by the person responsible to the city clerk on a monthly basis or as otherwise directed by resolution of the common council. ... (f)Notification by owner. Every owner who rents their residential dwelling shall notify the city clerk, in writing, when the first rental within a 365-day period began. ... (l)Failure to pay tax when due.(1)Forfeitures. In addition to the forfeitures provided in this section, and the tax due under this section, a forfeiture of 25 percent of the room tax due for the previous year under subsection (b) of this section, or $5,000.00, whichever is less, shall be imposed upon any person or business that allows the monthly tax imposed to be delinquent under this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
Section 134-1 of the De Pere Code of Ordinances folds short-term rental hosts into the city's general room tax. The tax runs at ten percent of gross receipts on every rental transaction, and subsection (b)(1) names 'owners of short-term rentals' directly, alongside hotel keepers, motel operators and lodging marketplaces. The tax is collected from the guest when the bill is paid and remitted by the host to the city clerk monthly.
Short-term rental hosts carry one duty hotels do not: under subsection (f), any owner renting out a residential dwelling must notify the city clerk in writing of the date the first rental within a 365-day period began, so the clerk can track when the ten-night tourist roominghouse license threshold is crossed.
Money is where the section gets serious. A late filing draws a forfeiture set by common council resolution under subsection (h)(3). If the tax itself goes unpaid, subsection (l) imposes a forfeiture of 25 percent of the prior year's room tax, or $5,000, whichever is less, plus interest of one percent a month on the unpaid balance. Tax becomes delinquent 30 days after the return's due date, and the city clerk can demand security, up to $5,000 cash or a surety bond equal to the prior month's tax, from a host who has already fallen behind, refusing or revoking the permit if the host will not post it.
Violations & Fines
Falling behind on room tax draws a forfeiture of 25 percent of the previous year's tax or $5,000, whichever is less, plus one percent monthly interest on the unpaid balance; missing a filing deadline draws a separate late-filing forfeiture set by council resolution, and refusing a records audit adds a further five percent of the tax due at the time of the audit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What tax rate applies to short-term rentals in De Pere?
What happens if a De Pere host pays room tax late?
Do short-term rental hosts have to tell the city when they start renting?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in De Pere
How De Pere compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare De Pere to another location·View the Wisconsin short-term rentals overview
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