Milwaukee County is fully incorporated (19 cities and villages, no unincorporated land), so STR room tax is imposed by each municipality, not by the county. Lodging is subject to 5% Wisconsin sales tax, 0.5% Milwaukee County sales tax, and 0.1% baseball-stadium tax (sunset 2020). Municipal room tax under Wis. Stat. 66.0615 caps at 8%; the City of Milwaukee imposes 7%, plus a separate 2.5% basic county-wide room tax administered through Visit Milwaukee. State DATCP Tourist Rooming House license under Wis. Stat. 97.605 and ATCP 72 also required.
Milwaukee County itself does not levy a room tax; Wis. Stat. 66.0615 reserves room-tax authority to municipalities (cities, villages, towns) and tourism districts, capped at 8% of gross lodging receipts. Because Milwaukee County contains no unincorporated territory, every short-term rental sits within one of 19 municipalities (Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, West Allis, South Milwaukee, Cudahy, St. Francis, Glendale, Greenfield, Oak Creek, Franklin, Brown Deer, Fox Point, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, River Hills, Bayside, Hales Corners, Greendale, West Milwaukee), each of which sets its own STR room-tax rate and registration process. Statewide and county sales tax under Wis. Stat. Ch. 77 applies to all transient lodging: 5% state sales tax, 0.5% Milwaukee County sales tax, plus the 0.1% Miller Park stadium tax that sunset on March 31, 2020. A 2.5% basic countywide room tax, administered by the Wisconsin Center District and Visit Milwaukee under Wis. Stat. 66.0615 and 229.41, applies to lodging across most Milwaukee County municipalities. Operators must also obtain a state Tourist Rooming House (TRH) license from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) under Wis. Stat. 97.605 and Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 72 for any rental of more than 10 nights per year. Confirm exact filing addresses with the host municipality and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
Failure to remit Wisconsin sales tax under Wis. Stat. 77.60 carries interest at 12% per year plus negligence penalties up to 25% and possible criminal referral. Operating without a state Tourist Rooming House license under Wis. Stat. 97.72 is a forfeiture offense up to $10,000 per violation. Municipal room tax delinquencies are enforced by the host city or village under its local ordinance.
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Milwaukee County, WI
Milwaukee County has no countywide quiet-hours ordinance because every parcel lies within an incorporated city or village (10 cities, 9 villages, no towns). ...
Milwaukee County, WI
Milwaukee County does not regulate fence heights - all 19 municipalities (10 cities, 9 villages) adopt their own fence rules under Wis. Stat. sec. 62.23 and ...
Milwaukee County, WI
Milwaukee County does not allow dogs at large in county parks or on county land - dogs must be leashed unless inside a designated off-leash dog exercise area...
Milwaukee County, WI
Wisconsin Statute 167.10 governs fireworks statewide and requires a local permit issued by the mayor, village president, or town chair to possess or use most...
Milwaukee County, WI
Wisconsin Statute 87.30 requires every city, village, town, and county with FEMA-mapped floodplain to adopt a floodplain zoning ordinance meeting Wis. Admin....
Milwaukee County, WI
Residential pool barriers in Milwaukee County are governed by the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (Wis. Admin. Code chs. SPS 320-325), which incorporates IRC...
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