Short-term rental rules · Verona, Wisconsin
Short-term rentals in Verona, explained properly.
Verona, Wisconsin requires a City short-term rental license to operate a short-term rental more than 10 nights a year, on top of a state tourist rooming house license, a Wisconsin seller's permit and a room tax permit. Each guest must stay at least 7 consecutive days, and a local property management contact who lives or works within 25 miles must be on file; the owner doesn't have to live there. The Common Council approves licenses (July 1 to June 30, renewal due April 15), and every ad must show the license number. Three recent ordinances (26-1110, 26-1114 and 26-1122) aren't in the published Code yet and may change these rules, and we haven't reviewed the zoning rules, the license fee or the City room tax rate, so confirm with the City before you buy.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are short-term rentals allowed? | Conditional: allowed with a City license, but the zoning rules that decide where a rental may operate haven't been reviewed yet [1] [2] Clause 1 Clause 2Confirming |
| Is a City short-term rental license required? | Yes: a City license is required to operate a short-term rental more than 10 nights a year, along with a state tourist rooming house license, a Wisconsin seller's permit and a room tax permit [1] ClauseConfirming |
| Must the owner live on the property? | No: the owner doesn't have to live there, but a local property management contact who lives or works within 25 miles and is reachable 24 hours a day must be on file [1] ClauseConfirming |
| Is there a minimum stay? | Yes: each guest must rent the short-term rental for at least 7 consecutive days [1] ClauseConfirming |
| City room tax | Every rental is subject to the City room tax at the current rate, and the owner must hold a room tax permit and file room tax returns; the rate hasn't been reviewed yet [1] ClauseConfirming |
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Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
Operating rules
| Local property management contact | Required on file at application: the owner or a third party who lives or works within 25 miles and is available 24 hours a day; changes reported to the City within 24 hours [1] ClauseConfirming The property manager definition covers any person who isn't the owner and is appointed to act as agent or provides management services to one or more short-term rentals. The application must identify the owner and any property manager with mailing address, email, physical address and a 24-hour phone number, plus valid photo identification of each. Ordinances 26-1110 and 26-1114 amend this chapter and are not yet in the published Code, and we haven't reviewed their text, so this rule may have changed. |
|---|---|
| Advertising and signs | Every ad must show the City license number and the 7-day minimum-stay statement; on-site signs are limited to 1 square foot; off-site ads only after all City, county and state licenses are in hand [1] ClauseConfirming Name plates or other signage may not exceed one square foot, and no other on-site signage advertising the rental is permitted. Off-site advertising in media channels may take place only after all City, county and state permits and licenses have been obtained. The application must list every website, application and other channel where the rental is or will be advertised. Ordinances 26-1110 and 26-1114 amend this chapter and are not yet in the published Code, and we haven't reviewed their text, so this rule may have changed. |
| RVs, campers and tents | Not permitted on-site as a way to house paying guests or other invitees [1] ClauseConfirming No recreational vehicle, camper, tent or other temporary lodging arrangement is permitted on-site as a means of providing additional accommodations for paying guests or other invitees. Ordinances 26-1110 and 26-1114 amend this chapter and are not yet in the published Code, and we haven't reviewed their text, so this rule may have changed. |
| Noise, fumes, glare and vibration | No excessive noise, fumes, glare or vibration in violation of Sec. 13-1-159 of the zoning code [1] ClauseConfirming The owner's notarized affidavit must acknowledge the City's regulations on noise, property maintenance, lighting and other standards in Sec. 13-1-159 and Sec. 8-3. We haven't reviewed those sections, so their limits aren't shown here. A violation can lead to license revocation. Ordinances 26-1110 and 26-1114 amend this chapter and are not yet in the published Code, and we haven't reviewed their text, so this rule may have changed. |
| Guest records | Keep a written record of each rental: guest's full name and current address, the rental period and the amount paid; the City may inspect on notice [1] ClauseConfirming Records must be kept for each rental of the dwelling unit, as allowed by Wis. Stat. 66.0615. The City has the right to inspect the records, upon notice, to check compliance with the chapter. Ordinances 26-1110 and 26-1114 amend this chapter and are not yet in the published Code, and we haven't reviewed their text, so this rule may have changed. |
| License fee | Set in the City fee schedule (Title 3, Chapter 6); the amount hasn't been reviewed yet [1] ClauseConfirming Sec. 7-15-10 says the short-term rental license fee is per the City fee schedule in Title 3, Chapter 6, and the fee must be paid when the application is filed. We haven't reviewed that schedule, so no amount or schedule date is shown. Ordinances 26-1110 and 26-1114 amend this chapter and are not yet in the published Code, and we haven't reviewed their text, so this rule may have changed. |
| Do private covenants and HOA restrictions still apply? | Yes: the chapter doesn't override a lawful private or public covenant or restriction that restricts these uses to a greater extent [1] ClauseConfirming Sec. 7-15-11 says the chapter does not invalidate or interfere with any lawful private or other lawful public covenant or restriction on property that prohibits or restricts the licensed uses to a greater extent. Ordinances 26-1110 and 26-1114 amend this chapter and are not yet in the published Code, and we haven't reviewed their text, so this rule may have changed. |
Penalties & enforcement
| Penalties for violations | Penalty under Sec. 1-1-7 and the municipal court bond schedule, plus injunction, abatement or costs; the amounts haven't been reviewed yet [1] ClauseConfirming Sec. 7-15-9 says anyone who violates the chapter is subject to the penalty in Sec. 1-1-7 and the forfeiture amounts in the municipal court bond schedule. These penalties are in addition to injunction, abatement or costs. We haven't reviewed Sec. 1-1-7 or the bond schedule, so no amounts are shown. Ordinances 26-1110 and 26-1114 amend this chapter and are not yet in the published Code, and we haven't reviewed their text, so this rule may have changed. |
|---|---|
| License revocation and appeals | The Common Council can revoke a license for listed reasons; a denial can be appealed in writing to the Clerk within 10 days of the City's notice [1] ClauseConfirming Revocation grounds include failing to pay taxes or debt owed to the City, failing to pay room tax, failing to keep all required local, county and state licenses, failing to follow the chapter, a zoning, land use or property maintenance violation (including Sec. 13-1-159 and Sec. 8-3), and violations of local, county or state law that substantially harm the predominantly residential nature of the neighborhood. A denied license or renewal may be appealed by written request to the Clerk within ten days of the City's notice of denial; the Public Safety and Welfare Committee hears it and recommends to the Common Council, which may approve or deny. Ordinances 26-1110 and 26-1114 amend this chapter and are not yet in the published Code, and we haven't reviewed their text, so this rule may have changed. |
State law that also applies
| Wisconsin state sales tax on lodging | 5% Wisconsin sales tax on the furnishing of rooms or lodging to transients, meaning guests staying less than one month, by hotelkeepers, motel operators and other persons furnishing accommodations available to the public [3] Clause Section 77.52(2) of the Wisconsin Statutes imposes a 5% tax on the sales price of the services listed in paragraph (a), and paragraph (a)1. lists the furnishing of rooms or lodging to transients by hotelkeepers, motel operators and other persons furnishing accommodations that are available to the public, whether or not membership is required. A transient is a person residing for a continuous period of less than one month in a hotel, motel or other furnished accommodations available to the public, and the statute defines "one month" as a calendar month or 30 days, whichever is less, counting the first day of the rental and not counting the last day. Accommodations rented for a continuous period of more than one month are excluded from the definition of hotel or motel. County sales taxes and local room taxes are separate; the local room tax authority is described in the municipal room tax field, and we haven't reviewed county sales tax rates yet. |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin municipal room tax authority | A city, village or town may impose a local room tax by ordinance on lodging for transients, including lodging furnished by owners of short-term rentals and marketplace providers; the statute caps it at 8% of the sales price except in listed cases, and each municipality sets its own rate [4] Clause Section 66.0615(1m)(a) lets the governing body of a municipality (a city, village or town) enact an ordinance imposing a tax on the sales price of rooms or lodging furnished to transients by hotelkeepers, motel operators, marketplace providers, owners of short-term rentals and other persons furnishing accommodations available to the public. The tax may be collected from the guest. A tax imposed by a municipality may not exceed 8% of the sales price, except in the cases listed in paragraph (am), which concern convention center construction, renovation or debt in certain counties. The statute defines a short-term rental as a residential dwelling offered for rent for a fee and for fewer than 30 consecutive days. Section 66.0615(1r)(c) requires the Department of Revenue to keep a website listing each municipality that imposes a room tax and its rate. Section 66.0615(2) lets a municipality audit the records of a person subject to the tax and set forfeitures for failing to comply with an audit request or to pay. The rate in a given municipality is shown on that place's page when reviewed. |
| Do booking platforms collect the state and local lodging taxes? | Yes: a marketplace provider is liable for the 5% state sales tax on the entire sales price of lodging it facilitates, and must collect any municipal room tax for the marketplace seller and forward it to the municipality, unless the Department of Revenue has granted it a waiver [5] [4] Clause 1 Clause 2 Section 77.52(3m)(a) makes a marketplace provider liable for the tax imposed under that section on the entire sales price charged to the purchaser, including any amount the provider charges for facilitating the sale, for services under sub. (2), which include lodging furnished to transients. Waivers under paragraph (b) are for providers that facilitate sales only for sellers operating under a hotel, motel or restaurant brand name shared with the provider, and the Department of Revenue may grant waivers for other providers under paragraph (c) if sellers have a history of reliably collecting and remitting the tax. Under section 66.0615(1r)(a), a marketplace provider must collect the municipal room tax for a marketplace seller (unless it holds a waiver) and forward it to the municipality quarterly, or more often if the provider and the municipality agree in writing; a municipality may not collect the room tax from the marketplace seller if it collects it from the provider this way. Check with the platform and the Department of Revenue which taxes the platform collects for your listing. |
| Does state law limit local short-term rental rules? | Yes: Wis. Stat. 66.1014 bars a city, village, town or county from prohibiting the rental of a residential dwelling for 7 consecutive days or longer, lets it cap rentals of 7 to 29 days at no fewer than 180 days a year, and allows a local license; a rental of more than 10 nights a year also needs a state tourist rooming house license [6] Clause Under section 66.1014(2)(a), a political subdivision (any city, village, town or county) may not enact or enforce an ordinance that prohibits the rental of a residential dwelling for 7 consecutive days or longer, and under (2)(b) an inconsistent ordinance in effect on September 23, 2017 does not apply and may not be enforced. Under (2)(d)1., if a dwelling is rented for periods of more than 6 but fewer than 30 consecutive days, the political subdivision may limit the total rental days in any consecutive 365-day period to no fewer than 180 days; it may not choose which period the dwelling may be rented, but it may require the allowable days to run consecutively, and a person renting out a residential dwelling must notify the clerk in writing when the first rental in a 365-day period begins. Under (2)(d)2., a person who maintains, manages or operates a short-term rental, as defined in section 66.0615(1)(dk), for more than 10 nights each year must hold a DATCP tourist rooming house license and must also obtain a local license if the political subdivision enacts an ordinance requiring one. Paragraph (2)(c) preserves local authority to regulate rentals in ways that do not conflict with these limits. The statute's annotation reports that, in Wisconsin Realtors Association v. City of Neenah (2025 WI App 49), the Court of Appeals held an ordinance that prohibits short-term rentals of at least some residential dwellings preempted by this section. Whether a particular local rule is consistent with section 66.1014 is a legal question; this page records what the statute says. |
| Does Wisconsin require a state tourist rooming house license? | Yes: a person who maintains, manages or operates a short-term rental for more than 10 nights each year must hold a tourist rooming house license from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) [6] [7] Clause 1 Clause 2 Section 66.1014(2)(d)2.a. requires a tourist rooming house license from DATCP for anyone who maintains, manages or operates a short-term rental (a residential dwelling offered for rent for fewer than 30 consecutive days) for more than 10 nights each year. DATCP describes a tourist rooming house as any lodging place where sleeping accommodations are offered for pay to tourists or transients, including a lodging place with four or fewer individually keyed units and a one- or two-family dwelling or condominium unit; it does not include a hotel or motel, a bed and breakfast establishment, or a private boarding or rooming house. DATCP says the updated rules in Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 72 (hotels, motels and tourist rooming houses) took effect on January 25, 2026 and affect operational and compliance requirements for all tourist rooming house establishments. A city, village, town or county may also require its own license (see the state law field). We haven't reviewed ch. ATCP 72 itself yet. |
| DATCP tourist rooming house license fee | $296 a year for one tourist rooming house, plus a one-time $592 pre-inspection fee; the fees rise with the number of units, and DATCP says they are subject to a 5% increase on April 1, 2028 [7] ClauseConfirming DATCP's tourist rooming house page lists an annual license fee and a one-time pre-inspection fee by number of tourist rooming houses: $296 and $592 for 1; $450 and $900 for 2 to 4; $550 and $1,100 for 5 to 9; $600 and $1,200 for 10 to 19. Larger tiers run up to $1,100 and $2,200 for 600 or more. The page shows no effective date for the schedule other than the April 1, 2028 increase, so the fee is marked for review. |
Changes
Recent and pending changes
We read Title 7, Chapter 15 (Regulation and Licensing of Short-Term Rentals, Secs. 7-15-1 to 7-15-11, adopted by Ordinance 25-1080 on December 8, 2025) and the Code's list of adopted ordinances not yet codified, as published on Municode (version June 5, 2026) and saved on October 18, 2026. Ordinances 26-1110 and 26-1114 amend the chapter and Ordinance 26-1122 amends zoning Sec. 13-1-133(E); none is in the published Code yet and we haven't reviewed their text. We also haven't reviewed the zoning code, the fee schedule, the room tax section, Common Council agendas or minutes, so we will watch the Code for these changes.
The City adopted this ordinance on August 10, 2026. It amends Title 7, Chapter 15, which regulates and licenses short-term rentals. It isn't yet in the published Code and we haven't reviewed its text, so any rule on this page that comes from Chapter 15 may have changed. Its effective date isn't shown in the Code listing.
The City adopted this ordinance on August 29, 2026. It amends Sec. 7-15-2, the definitions section of the short-term rental chapter. It isn't yet in the published Code and we haven't reviewed its text, so the definitions on this page may have changed. Its effective date isn't shown in the Code listing.
The City adopted this ordinance on September 14, 2026. It amends three sections of the zoning code, including Sec. 13-1-133(E). It isn't yet in the published Code and we haven't reviewed its text or the zoning use rules for short-term rentals. Its effective date isn't shown in the Code listing.
Sources
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This page is general information compiled from public sources, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules, deed restrictions and zoning for a specific property can be stricter. Confirm with the local permitting office and a qualified professional before buying or listing a property.