Short Term Rental Flowchart
Adopted Change to Ordinance
At their December 10, 2024 Legislative session, the Eau Claire City Council voted to approve an amendment to the zoning code and creation of Chapter 5.66, creating a Short-Term Rental License. The City Council amended the proposed license removing the durational requirements that were initially proposed (7-day minimum night stay, and 180-day maximum usage per year).
What is the licensing process now?
Applicants will apply online for a short-term rental license on the City’s website. Applicants must provide proof of obtaining a health department-issued license, the maximum number of allowed vehicles based on the number of available off-street parking spaces, the number of guest rooms, and a detailed building plan demonstrating the area and amenities available to a prospective renter. Short-term rental operators will be able to operate year-round and will have no minimum night-stay requirements with the newly adopted ordinance.
A license obtained in compliance with this ordinance between the effective date and June 30, 2025 shall be valid until June 30, 2026. The license has an initial review fee of $700 and an annual renewal fee of $300 for this new license. Current property owners with Conditional Use Permits for short-term rental use will be exempt from the initial license review fee.
Why change how Short-Term Rentals are regulated now?
The ordinance amends definitions that clarify the difference of uses between Bed and Breakfasts and Tourist Rooming Houses and removes the conditional use requirement for Bed and Breakfasts to better align with state statutes. The license will be easier to revoke if standards are not met and enforce illegally operating STR’s to obtain the license. It also allows the license to be issued administratively.
What was the process before this change?
In the City of Eau Claire the land use of Short-Term Rentals was processed through a conditional use permit as a “Bed and Breakfast House”. Conditional use permits have a 30-day review period, public notice of neighbors, and applicants must be present at a public hearing at Plan Commission meeting. This was in addition to the City-County Health Department’s license.
How will enforcement work?
The City has software that provides a report of information from short-term rental databases. This will be cross-referenced with license holders using geographic information systems (GIS) and those without licenses will be sent letters to ensure compliance.
