ELITE Lake Real Estate

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

Allowed with Town and County licenses

One rental per 7 days, up to 180 days a year, $500 Town license.

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

  • Walworth County zoning, which covers the Town, allows one rental per 7-day period: a new guest can't arrive within 7 days of the last one.
  • A Town license (Ordinance 01182022-2, adopted January 18, 2022): $500 a year, renewed at least 45 days before it runs out.
  • Rentals run inside one window of up to 180 consecutive days a year, and the Town Clerk gets written notice when the first rental of each 365-day period starts.
  • A Walworth County license ($500 the first year, $200 to renew) and a state tourist rooming house license are required.
  • A local contact within 25 miles, reachable 24/7, and a guest register kept for a year.
  • No Town room tax yet. If the Town adopts one, rentals will pay it.
Shoreline
Around the Village of Walworth, west of Fontana
Confirm with
Town of Walworth Clerk
Also worth knowing
Rental count not published

The full research, with sources

Town license (Ordinance 01182022-2, adopted January 18, 2022)

A short-term rental is a home rented for fewer than 29 consecutive days. Renting more than 10 nights a year needs a Town license: $500 a year, renewed at least 45 days before it expires, approved by the Town Board, with a state tourist rooming house license. Rentals of 6 or fewer days aren't allowed, which means one rental per 7-day period, and rentals of 7 to 28 days run inside one window of up to 180 consecutive days in any 365. The Clerk gets written notice when the first rental of each 365-day period starts. A local contact (the owner or a property manager) must live within 25 miles, answer the phone 24/7, and report any change within 24 hours. A guest register with names, addresses, dates and payments is kept for a year. No RVs, campers or tents for extra guests, outdoor events one day at a time between 8 am and 10 pm with 7 days between them, and a sign no bigger than a one-square-foot nameplate. Violations are $250 to $1,000 a day. The Town has no room tax yet; if it adopts one, rentals will pay it.

Confirm with: Town of Walworth Clerk

Sources: townofwalworthwi.gov, townofwalworthwi.gov

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. 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, Town of Delavan

Quick answers

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

Allowed with Town and County licenses. One rental per 7 days, up to 180 days a year, $500 Town license.

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

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

Homes and communities in the Town of Walworth

Homes for sale in the Town of Walworth

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.