Beginning January 1, 2024 the operation of a Tourist Rooming House (TRH) in most of Vilas County will require an annual permit from the Zoning & Planning Department. Tourist rooming houses - often called short term rentals - generally consist of single-family dwellings, cabins, or apartments which are rented for a term of less than 30 days and are often listen online with such services as AirBNB, VRBO, or Vacasa. TRHs located in the City of Eagle River, and non-shoreland areas of the Towns of Lac du Flambeau, Manitowish Waters, and Presque Isle are exempt from the County Zoning Permit requirement but still require a license from the Public Health Department and any necessary permits from the Town or City. Tourist Rooming House regulations are set forth in Article XII of the Vilas County General Zoning Ordinance, which can be accessed by clicking here.
TRH permit applications shall require the application filled out in full, with signatures from the owner/applicant and the resident agent. A copy of the Public Health Department license (or copy of the submitted application), a copy of the required property rules to be displayed, and the appropriate fees must accompany the application. The fees for the Initial TRH permits, Renewal TRH permits, and TRH permit revisions are shown on the Vilas County Zoning & Sanitary Fee Schedule, which can be accessed by clicking here.
Tourist rooming houses which were licensed by the Vilas County Public Health Department prior to January 1, 2024 will be exempted from the occupancy, parking, and soil boring requirements for one year. All provisions will have to be met when a renewal permit is applied for in January, 2025.
Additional Permits and Licenses Required
In addition to permits required under the Vilas County General Zoning Ordinance, tourist rooming houses require a license from the Vilas County Public Health Department, a sellers permit from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and may require permits from individual municipalities or the payment of room tax.
Occupancy
Tourist rooming houses will have occupancy limited based on the size of the septic system serving the structure - which is two people per bedroom listed on the sanitary permit. Flows and loads affidavits, water meter data, or other methods will be permitted to be used to determine occupancy. Additional occupancy will not be permitted for more frequent pumping or seasonal usage. Septic permits can be viewed using the Ascent Permit Management program, which can be accessed by clicking here. For TRHs which do not have a sanitary permit on file, contact the Deputy Zoning Administrator for the appropriate town to discuss how occupancy will be determined. A list of Deputy Zoning Administrators can be accessed by clicking here.
Parking
All tourist rooming houses are required to provide one off-street parking space for each two occupants, plus one. For example, a TRH permitted for six occupants will require four off-street parking spaces. TRH operators may make additional parking spaces available, and the total number of vehicles and trailers permitted on a property shall be the number of parking spaces available. Parking spaces must be located greater than seventy-five (75) feet from the Ordinary High-Water Mark of a lake or river, and five feet from a lot line, unless an improved parking space exists within these areas prior to January 1, 2024. Additionally, parking spaces may not be located on or within fifteen (15) feet of a septic system, in wetland or floodplain areas, within easement areas, or in areas designated for mitigation compliance. Garages may be used to satisfy the parking requirements if they are accessible for renters to use and part of their rent.
Resident Agent
Each tourist rooming house shall require a resident agent who has a physical address or physical office within Vilas County, or within forty (40) miles of the applicable tourist rooming house. The resident agent may be the owner if they meet the criteria. The resident agent must be authorized by the owner to act on their behalf for service or process regarding this Ordinance, and to give permission for Vilas County personnel to enter the property to inspect for compliance.
Property Rules
All tourist rooming houses require a set of property rules to be posted in view of renters. A template is available or owners may provide their own. The property rules must include, at minimum: