Whitefish Bay board adopts strict rules for short‑term rentals, sets seven‑day minimum and annual licensing

The Whitefish Bay Village Board on Monday adopted Ordinance 1919, creating a comprehensive licensing and enforcement framework for short‑term rentals in the village that includes an annual license, occupancy limits and license revocation for repeated violations.

Staff said there are 17 active short‑term rental listings in Whitefish Bay and that only five had Northshore Health Department permits; the police department reported four calls this year related to that pool of properties. The ordinance requires a one‑year tourist rooming house license, an application that must include a seller’s permit, a Northshore Health Department permit, proof of insurance and documentation that residents within 200 feet were notified. Occupancy is limited to two people per bedroom plus two additional occupants.

Under the ordinance, license revocation may follow specified enforcement thresholds: three or more calls for police services that result in enforcement action on three separate days within a 365‑day period, or three or more building or health inspections with violations within one year. Staff also proposed daily fines for operating without a license; the ordinance references existing fine ranges in the municipal code, and the board directed staff to bring back a separate fee resolution that spells out exact citation amounts.

Responding to neighbors’ enforcement concerns, staff said the village will rely largely on complaint‑driven investigations (neighbors call police or code compliance and staff will investigate) and will coordinate with the Northshore Health Department on inspections. "We did speak to the health department on Friday and have been in regular contact; we included revocation language that ties health, code and police violations together," a staff member said. Staff also outlined pathways to obtain inspection warrants when property owners are nonresponsive.

Residents who live near problem rentals pressed the board for aggressive enforcement. Mary Gimmo, a North Larkin Street resident, described repeated trash and safety concerns at a nearby listing and urged stronger mid‑year suspension authority and better coordination between the village and health officials. "I'm very much supportive of everything you wrote," Gimmo said, while urging the board to add more immediate compliance tools.

The board discussed the length of a minimum stay. Trustees weighing community stability favored a seven‑day minimum stay to deter weekend party rentals, while others signaled concern that the rule could limit short family visits; staff said the seven‑day threshold aligns with other peer municipalities and with the statutory category the village may regulate.

Trustees voted to adopt Ordinance 1919 with amendments discussed during the meeting; the motion passed by voice vote. The board instructed staff to: correct statutory cross‑references in the draft, change the insurance requirement language to reference short‑term rental liability coverage, send letters to known operators (and a separate notice to listings operating without health permits), allow a transition period through the end of the calendar year for operators to apply, and return with a detailed fee schedule for fines and citations.

Implementation will begin with outreach and notification. Staff said they will gather listings from the tourism bureau and marketplace sites, mail notices to known operators, and pursue citations and potential tax‑lien remedies for chronic noncompliance if warranted.

The board approved the ordinance during the Nov. 17 meeting and the ordinance will be enforced according to the timelines and processes directed at adoption.