New Berlin, WI Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- STR definition
- Rental under 30 consecutive days for a fee
- Two licenses needed
- State tourist rooming house plus City license
- Fee-setting
- Common Council sets fee by resolution
- License term
- One year, renewable
- Renewal deadline
- Filed 45 days before expiration
- State framework
- Wis. Stat. § 66.1014 limits local STR rules
Summary
New Berlin requires anyone who manages or operates a short-term rental, a residential dwelling rented for a fee for fewer than 30 consecutive days, to get both a state tourist rooming house license and a City short-term rental license. City Code § 152-24 A lets the Common Council set that City license fee by resolution based on actual monitoring costs.
Any person or entity which maintains, manages or operates a short-term rental (which means a residential dwelling that is offered for rent for a fee and for fewer than 30 consecutive days) shall be required to do the following: A.Obtain from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection a license as a tourist rooming house as defined in § 97.01(15k), Wis. Stats., when required to do so under said statute; and any person who maintains, manages or operates a short-term rental as defined in this subsection shall obtain from the City a short-term rental license as provided for in this section. The City shall establish a license fee from time to time based on the City's actual cost of issuing and monitoring said license. The Common Council shall establish such license fee by resolution from time to time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 3 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 152-24 of the New Berlin Code of Ordinances defines a short-term rental as a residential dwelling offered for rent for a fee for fewer than 30 consecutive days, and it layers a City licensing requirement on top of the state framework. 01(15k), Wis. , and then separately obtain a short-term rental license from the City. Unlike the state license, the New Berlin fee is not printed as a fixed dollar amount; the Common Council sets it by resolution based on the City's actual cost of issuing and monitoring the license, and the Council can revise that figure over time.
The license itself runs for one license year and must be renewed annually, with the renewal application due at least 45 days before expiration and subject to a fresh fire and building inspection. 1014, Wis. , which is why New Berlin's ordinance operates as a license-and-fee framework layered on the state tourist rooming house system rather than a ban or occupancy cap. Every application must include the state license number, and license holders must give tenants a copy of both the license and this Code section before each rental begins.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required City short-term rental license, or without the underlying state tourist rooming house license, violates § 152-24. Failure to comply is enforced under § 1-18 of the Code, and a license may also be revoked by the Common Council after notice and a hearing if the property draws three or more citations in a license year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a City license to run an Airbnb in New Berlin?
How much does the New Berlin short-term rental license cost?
How long does a short-term rental license last?
Can New Berlin just ban short-term rentals outright?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Berlin
How New Berlin compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare New Berlin to another location·View the Wisconsin short-term rentals overview
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