ELITE Lake Real Estate

Can you short-term rent in the Town of Geneva?

Allowed with a Town license

One rental per 7 days, 180 days a year, 6% room tax.

Researched by ELITE Lake Real Estate from the town's published code and public records. Checked November 2026 · Next review February 2027.

The rules in plain English

  • One rental per 7-day period, and a home can be rented no more than 180 days in any 365 (Ordinance 77, April 2024).
  • A Town license is needed to rent more than 10 nights a year. It runs July 1 to June 30 and ends when the home sells.
  • 6% Town room tax with its own permit, filed quarterly plus an annual return.
  • A Walworth County license ($500 the first year, $200 to renew) and a state tourist rooming house license are also required.
  • A local contact within 25 miles must answer around the clock. At least two parking spaces, no street parking, and no tents or RVs for extra guests.
Shoreline
All of Lake Como, plus the land just inland of Geneva Lake's north shore
Confirm with
Town of Geneva Clerk
Also worth knowing
Rental count not published

The full research, with sources

Short-term rental ordinance (Ordinance 77)

A short-term rental is a residential dwelling offered for a fee for fewer than 29 consecutive days. A Town license is required to rent more than 10 nights a year; it runs July 1 to June 30, renewals are due 45 days before it expires, and it is void when the home changes hands. One rental is allowed per 7-day period, and rentals are capped at 180 days in any 365. Requirements include a state tourist rooming house license, at least two parking spaces (off-site allowed, no street parking), a local contact within 25 miles reachable 24/7, a guest register kept two years, posted house rules with maximum occupancy, outdoor events only one day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and no tents or RVs for guests. The fee is set in the Town fee schedule. Forfeitures are $50 to $500 per violation per day. Adopted April 16, 2024.

Confirm with: Town of Geneva Clerk

Sources: Town of Geneva

Room tax (Ordinance 30)

6% of gross receipts for lodging rented for a month or less, with a separate room tax permit for each place of business. Returns are due within 30 days after each calendar quarter, plus an annual return by January 31. Adopted August 5, 2024.

Confirm with: Town of Geneva Treasurer

Sources: Town of Geneva

Walworth County rules (all unincorporated towns)

The County licenses rentals of less than 30 days in unincorporated areas (County Code Ch. 26, Art. VII; zoning definitions in Ch. 74, adopted April 19, 2018). The County zoning code allows one rental per 7-day period: a new guest can't arrive within 7 days of the last guest's arrival. A state license must come first. The County license is $500 the first year and $200 to renew. Occupancy is limited to what the septic system (POWTS) is sized for or the state license, whichever is less; on septic that is generally two people per bedroom. A septic inspection may be required, private wells must be tested, and the license and house rules must be posted. Citations for operating without a license are $663 a day.

Confirm with: Walworth County Land Use and Resource Management, 262-741-4972

Sources: Walworth County, Walworth County, Walworth County, Town of Delavan

Quick answers

Can you short-term rent a home in the Town of Geneva, Wisconsin?

Allowed with a Town license. One rental per 7 days, 180 days a year, 6% room tax.

Who confirms short-term rental rules in the Town of Geneva?

Town of Geneva Clerk. Rules change and associations can be stricter than the town, so confirm before you buy.

Homes and communities in the Town of Geneva

Homes for sale in the Town of Geneva · Lake Como

Rental rules in other towns

General information from town ordinances and public records, not legal advice. Rules change, and associations can be stricter than the town. Confirm with the town and the association before you buy. "Not found" means we could not find it in the town's published code on the date checked.