City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Sturgeon Bay, WI
How Sturgeon Bay regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.
- STR-specific city Tourist Rooming House license required before renting ($100/yr, annual fire inspection)
- no citywide cap or quota on STR licenses
- no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement
- operator or management company must be within a 90-minute drive of the rental
Based on: Municipal Code Ch. 9.05 Tourist Rooming House (Ord. No. 1315-0316); TRH provisions relocated from zoning Ch. 20 into
Summary of the rule
Those who rent transiently within the City of Sturgeon Bay will need a permit from both the Door County Tourism Zone Commission and the City of Sturgeon Bay (City of Sturgeon Bay Tourist Rooming House Application).
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 20, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Sturgeon Bay · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
Owners in Sturgeon Bay
Following Sturgeon Bay adds it to the Followed cities list on your ASTRO dashboard, linked to its city page.
Add a home to the ASTRO registry and confirm ownership of it.
City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
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.