City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Madison, WI
How Madison regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Whole-home/absentee STR foreclosed: TRH must be the host's primary dwelling
- 12-month prior-occupancy requirement before operating a TRH
- Unoccupied (host-absent) rentals capped at 30 nights per licensing year
- Multi-permit stack: PHMDC Tourist Rooming House license + Zoning ZTRHP permit + Transient Room Tax permit
- State ceiling (Wis. Stat. 66.1014) bars an outright ban on 7+ consecutive-day rentals, so the primary-residence device is the maximal supply constraint available to Madison
Based on: City of Madison Zoning Tourist Rooming House Permit (ZTRHP) regime, Madison General Ordinances ch. 28 (zoning)
Summary of the rule
The short-term rental must be the host's primary dwelling while operating a TRH and for the 12 consecutive months prior to beginning operation of a TRH.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Madison · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.