What should Kenosha hosts know about definition of str: kenosha property?

Definition of STR: Kenosha Property Maintenance Code specifically defines STRs as stays of less than 7 consecutive days.

What are the key requirements for Kenosha hosts?

Dual Licensing: You must have both the County Health (TRH) license and the City Lodging license.

What should Kenosha hosts know about fixed renewal: city licenses expire?

Fixed Renewal: City licenses expire annually on August 31st regardless of when issued.

Kenosha

Moderate

WisconsinUpdated Apr 5, 2026

Gold-standard verification1% sourced

Cross-referenced against 0 official sources — municipal codes, planning-department pages, and government registries.

Verified Feb 10, 2026Sources 0

Summary

Plain-english overview

The City of Kenosha requires a local lodging license, a state-level tourist rooming house license, and a 10.5% municipal room tax for short-term rentals.

Restriction level

Severity 11

Classification

Moderate

Severity

Why this classification

Standard permit fee: $250
Permit required
Reporting required
No primary residence requirement

In plain English

What this means for you

To host a short-term rental in Kenosha, you must obtain a Yearly Lodging/Rooming House license from the City Clerk and a Tourist Rooming House license from Kenosha County Health. You are also required to register with the City Treasurer to collect and pay a 10.5% room tax on all stays of less than 30 days.

At a glance

Key numbers

Permit requiredYes

Night limit180/year

Primary residenceNot required

Total tax rate0.2%

Permit fee$250

Processing time2-4 weeks

Max fine$5,000

3 things hosts often miss

Common compliance gaps

1Definition of STR: Kenosha Property Maintenance Code specifically defines STRs as stays of less than 7 consecutive days.
2Dual Licensing: You must have both the County Health (TRH) license and the City Lodging license.
3Fixed Renewal: City licenses expire annually on August 31st regardless of when issued.

Regulation details

Sourced from official code

Eligibility4 rules

Kenosha allows STRs in the following property types: Single Family, Multi-Family, Condo, Townhouse, Tourist Home.
Kenosha: Your HOA can prohibit short-term rentals even if the city allows them. Check your CC&Rs before applying.
Kenosha: You can have a co-host or property manager help manage your listing.

Requirements11 rules

Kenosha requires liability insurance for STR hosts. Proof of valid property and liability insurance is required for the licensing process.
Kenosha requires STR registration. The permit is called "Yearly Lodging/Rooming House License". Apply through City Clerk/Treasurer. Processing time: 2-4 weeks. Renewal is required.

Application process6 rules

Kenosha STR permit - Step 1: Apply for County/State TRH License. Submit a Tourist Rooming House license application to Kenosha County Environmental Health Services. This includes a health inspection. Required documents: Health license application, Fee payment. Time: 2-3 weeks. Cost: 346.81.

Fees & costs2 rules

Kenosha County charges a registration fee of $196.81 (annual).
Kenosha charges a registration fee of $250 (annual).

Taxes2 rules

Kenosha charges a Transient Occupancy Tax of 0.105%. This applies to stays under 30 days. Platforms like Airbnb collect and remit this tax. Note: Marketplace providers like Airbnb/VRBO generally remit municipal room taxes in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has a state sales tax of 0.05% that applies to STR rentals.

Limits & restrictions4 rules

Kenosha limits STRs to 180 nights per year. This applies to all rentals. Exception: Wisconsin law allows cities to cap unhosted rentals at 180 days, but only for stays of 7-28 days; Kenosha follows state preemption rules.
Kenosha occupancy calculation: Limited by Health Department inspection based on square footage and bedroom count.. Count your bedrooms to determine your max guest limit.

Safety requirements1 rule

Kenosha requires the following safety measures for STRs: smoke detectors, CO detectors, fire extinguisher, fire inspection, posted maximum occupancy, posted emergency contact, Authorized housing inspection required for city permit, Health department inspection required for county license.

Penalties3 rules

Kenosha: Repeated violations can result in permanent permit revocation. You would lose the ability to operate any STR.
Kenosha: Definition of STR: Kenosha Property Maintenance Code specifically defines STRs as stays of less than 7 consecutive days.

Exemptions3 rules

Kenosha: If you are present during the guest's stay (hosted rental), night caps may not apply to you.
Kenosha exempts the following from STR regulations: long-term rentals (30+ days), extended stays, Hospitals, Convalescent homes, Educational institution housing.

How to get permitted

Step-by-step guide for Kenosha

0/3

steps completed

Step 1

Apply for County/State TRH License

Submit a Tourist Rooming House license application to Kenosha County Environmental Health Services. This includes a health inspection.

2-3 weeks$346.81

Documents needed

Health license application
Fee payment

Official resource

Step 2

Register for Room Tax

1 weekFree

Documents needed

Tax registration form

Official resource

Step 3

Obtain City Lodging License

Apply for the Yearly Lodging/Rooming House license (Form CLK040) from the City Clerk's office. Requires an inspection by a city housing inspector.

2-4 weeks$250

Documents needed

Form CLK040
Housing inspection report
Proof of county TRH license

Official resource

Frequently asked questions

4 answered

Disclaimer

Regulatory information is AI-researched from public city/county codes for educational purposes. Details may be outdated or incomplete. Always verify requirements directly with your city/county planning department before operating a short-term rental.

Researched & verified by Learn STR at GoStudioM

Kenosha

Moderate

WisconsinUpdated Apr 5, 2026

Gold-standard verification1% sourced

Cross-referenced against 0 official sources — municipal codes, planning-department pages, and government registries.

Verified Feb 10, 2026Sources 0

Summary

Plain-english overview

The City of Kenosha requires a local lodging license, a state-level tourist rooming house license, and a 10.5% municipal room tax for short-term rentals.

Restriction level

Severity 11

Classification

Moderate

Severity

Why this classification

Standard permit fee: $250
Permit required
Reporting required
No primary residence requirement

In plain English

What this means for you

At a glance

Key numbers

Permit requiredYes

Night limit180/year

Primary residenceNot required

Total tax rate0.2%

Permit fee$250

Processing time2-4 weeks

Max fine$5,000

3 things hosts often miss

Common compliance gaps

1Definition of STR: Kenosha Property Maintenance Code specifically defines STRs as stays of less than 7 consecutive days.
2Dual Licensing: You must have both the County Health (TRH) license and the City Lodging license.
3Fixed Renewal: City licenses expire annually on August 31st regardless of when issued.

Regulation details

Sourced from official code

Eligibility4 rules

Kenosha allows STRs in the following property types: Single Family, Multi-Family, Condo, Townhouse, Tourist Home.
Kenosha: Your HOA can prohibit short-term rentals even if the city allows them. Check your CC&Rs before applying.
Kenosha: You can have a co-host or property manager help manage your listing.

Requirements11 rules

Kenosha requires liability insurance for STR hosts. Proof of valid property and liability insurance is required for the licensing process.
Kenosha requires STR registration. The permit is called "Yearly Lodging/Rooming House License". Apply through City Clerk/Treasurer. Processing time: 2-4 weeks. Renewal is required.

Application process6 rules

Kenosha STR permit - Step 1: Apply for County/State TRH License. Submit a Tourist Rooming House license application to Kenosha County Environmental Health Services. This includes a health inspection. Required documents: Health license application, Fee payment. Time: 2-3 weeks. Cost: 346.81.

Fees & costs2 rules

Kenosha County charges a registration fee of $196.81 (annual).
Kenosha charges a registration fee of $250 (annual).

Taxes2 rules

Kenosha charges a Transient Occupancy Tax of 0.105%. This applies to stays under 30 days. Platforms like Airbnb collect and remit this tax. Note: Marketplace providers like Airbnb/VRBO generally remit municipal room taxes in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has a state sales tax of 0.05% that applies to STR rentals.

Limits & restrictions4 rules

Kenosha limits STRs to 180 nights per year. This applies to all rentals. Exception: Wisconsin law allows cities to cap unhosted rentals at 180 days, but only for stays of 7-28 days; Kenosha follows state preemption rules.
Kenosha occupancy calculation: Limited by Health Department inspection based on square footage and bedroom count.. Count your bedrooms to determine your max guest limit.

Safety requirements1 rule

Kenosha requires the following safety measures for STRs: smoke detectors, CO detectors, fire extinguisher, fire inspection, posted maximum occupancy, posted emergency contact, Authorized housing inspection required for city permit, Health department inspection required for county license.

Penalties3 rules

Kenosha: Repeated violations can result in permanent permit revocation. You would lose the ability to operate any STR.
Kenosha: Definition of STR: Kenosha Property Maintenance Code specifically defines STRs as stays of less than 7 consecutive days.

Exemptions3 rules

Kenosha: If you are present during the guest's stay (hosted rental), night caps may not apply to you.
Kenosha exempts the following from STR regulations: long-term rentals (30+ days), extended stays, Hospitals, Convalescent homes, Educational institution housing.

How to get permitted

Step-by-step guide for Kenosha

0/3

steps completed

Step 1

Apply for County/State TRH License

Submit a Tourist Rooming House license application to Kenosha County Environmental Health Services. This includes a health inspection.

2-3 weeks$346.81

Documents needed

Health license application
Fee payment

Official resource

Step 2

Register for Room Tax

1 weekFree

Documents needed

Tax registration form

Official resource

Step 3

Obtain City Lodging License

Apply for the Yearly Lodging/Rooming House license (Form CLK040) from the City Clerk's office. Requires an inspection by a city housing inspector.

2-4 weeks$250

Documents needed

Form CLK040
Housing inspection report
Proof of county TRH license

Official resource

Frequently asked questions

4 answered

Disclaimer

Researched & verified by Learn STR at GoStudioM

Summary

Restriction level

Why this classification

In plain English

At a glance

3 things hosts often miss

Regulation details

How to get permitted

Apply for County/State TRH License

Register for Room Tax

Obtain City Lodging License

Frequently asked questions

1Do I need a permit for short-term rentals in Kenosha?

2What is the TOT tax rate in Kenosha?

3Are there rental night limits in Kenosha?

4What licenses are needed for Kenosha rentals?

Disclaimer

Summary

Restriction level

Why this classification

In plain English

At a glance

3 things hosts often miss

Regulation details

How to get permitted

Apply for County/State TRH License

Register for Room Tax

Obtain City Lodging License

Frequently asked questions

1Do I need a permit for short-term rentals in Kenosha?

2What is the TOT tax rate in Kenosha?

3Are there rental night limits in Kenosha?

4What licenses are needed for Kenosha rentals?

Disclaimer