Lodging

Get Licensing information for bed & breakfasts, hotels, and tourist rooming houses (short term rentals).  If you are opening a lodging facility, we license and inspect bed & breakfasts, hotels, and tourist rooming houses (short term rentals).

Bed & Breakfasts

We inspect and license all La Crosse County bed & breakfasts

If you are opening a bed & breakfast

All La Crosse County bed & breakfasts must be licensed and inspected each year.  We do this to make sure they meet all requirements of Wisconsin law related to general public health.

What is a bed & breakfast?

A bed & breakfast is an owner-occupied personal residence with up to eight sleeping rooms for rent to visitors.  The home must be occupied by the owner at the time of rental, and the only meal served to guests is breakfast.  There cannot be more than 20 visitors at one time.

How to get your bed & breakfast licensed

Before you can offer room rentals, you must get a bed & breakfast license from us.  We must do a pre-inspection before your new license can be approved.  We must do a health inspection once every licensing year to make sure you are in compliance with the law.

Step 1:  Building safety, zoning, and taxes

• Find out if you meet zoning conditions
• Get a Wisconsin seller’s permit
• Register with your local clerk if your municipality collects room taxes
• Check with your municipality for any additional requirements

Step 2:  For a license to operate, complete a Permit License Application and submit that along with the appropriate fees to the La Crosse County Health Department.  

Step 3:  Once you have submitted your application and paid your fees, contact us to schedule a pre-licensing inspection.

Step 4:  Once the application has been submitted, fees are paid, and pre-licensing inspection is completed, a permit will be issued.  Your license must be approved before you can rent out sleeping accommodations.

If you have any questions, call us at 608-785-9771 or email us at [email protected].

Resources

Bed & Breakfast Code

Hotels

A hotel is a place where five or more sleeping accommodations are offered for pay to visitors.

We inspect and license all La Crosse County hotels

All La Crosse County hotels must be licensed and inspected each year.  We do this to make sure they meet all the requirements of Wisconsin law related to general public health.

How to get your hotel licensed

Before you can offer room rentals, you must get a hotel license from us.  We must do a pre-inspection before your new license can be approved.  We must do a health inspection once every licensing year to make sure you are in compliance with the law.

Step 1:  Building safety, zoning, and taxes

• Find out if you meet zoning conditions
• Get a Wisconsin seller’s permit
• Register with your local clerk if your municipality collects room taxes
• Check with your municipality for any additional requirements

Step 2:  For a license to operate, complete a Permit License Application and submit that along with the appropriate fees to the La Crosse County Health Department.

Step 3:  Once you have submitted your application and paid your fees, contact us to schedule a pre-licensing inspection.

Step 4:  Once the application has been submitted, fees are paid, and pre-licensing inspection is completed, a permit will be issued.  Your license must be approved before you can rent out sleeping accommodations.

If you have any questions, call us at 608-785-9771 or email us at [email protected].

Resources

Hotel Code

Tourist Rooming Houses (Short-Term Rental)

Rental of all or part of a residence to visitors is a legal term in Wisconsin known as a tourist rooming house.  Wisconsin allows the rental of one to four sleeping accommodations, which can be rooms of a home or an entire home or cabin.

We inspect and license all La Crosse County tourist rooming houses

All La Crosse County tourist rooming houses must be licensed and inspected each year.  We do this to make sure they meet all the requirements of Wisconsin law related to general public health.

How to get your tourist rooming house licensed

Before you can offer room or house rentals, you must get a tourist rooming house license from us.  We must do a pre-inspection before your new license can be approved.  We must do a health inspection once every licensing year to make sure you are in compliance with the law.

Step 1:  Building safety, zoning, and taxes

• Find out if you meet zoning conditions
• Get a Wisconsin seller’s permit
• Register with your local clerk if your municipality collects room taxes
• Check with your municipality for any additional requirements

Step 2:  For a license to operate, complete a Lodging Plan Review and a Permit License Application and submit those documents with the appropriate fees to the La Crosse County Health Department. 

Step 3:  Once you have submitted your plan review, application, and paid your fees, contact us to schedule a pre-licensing inspection.

Step 4:  Once the plan review and application have been submitted, fees are paid, and pre-licensing inspection is completed, a permit will be issued.  Your license must be approved before you can rent out sleeping accommodations.

If you have any questions, call us at 608-785-9771 or email us at [email protected].

Resources

Tourist Rooming House Code