Eagle River, Wisconsin

Eagle River adopted Short-Term Rental Licensing Ordinance 590 on January 14, 2025, establishing the city’s first dedicated STR licensing framework. Operators must obtain a city STR license with a specific fee amount set by the City Council in the city fee schedule (the dollar amount was not published online as of the time of research). The city license layers on top of Wisconsin state requirements: a Tourist Rooming House license through the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), a Vilas County tourist rooming house permit (renewing annually by January 31), and a Wisconsin seller’s permit for tax collection. Key operating rules include a minimum $300,000 liability insurance requirement, and a functional 7-day minimum stay for non-owner-occupied rentals in single-family (R-1) zones (a property in R-1 cannot be rented more than once in a 7-day period unless the owner resides on site). Occupancy is capped by septic capacity at two persons per bedroom. Operators must collect and remit the City of Eagle River accommodations tax of 4.5% plus a 0.5% premier resort area tax, totaling 5.0%. There is no published cap on total rental nights per year and no general primary-residence requirement. Enforcement severity is rated moderate. Existing rentals operating before January 2025 received a 120-day grace period to come into compliance.