Interested in offering a short-term rental for the 2025 NFL Draft? Here’s what you need to know.

Next year’s NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is sparking interest in short-term rentals (STR) among area homeowners. The city of Green Bay recently held an information session to offer prospective STR operators an overview of the law they need to follow when renting their properties out for short terms.

The draft, to be held April 24–26, 2025, is expected to attract up to 250,000 visitors and inject more than $20 million into the local economy. With many hotel rooms already booked during that time, local leaders are encouraging short-term rentals. Currently 270 licensed STRs operate in Green Bay.

Green Bay’s STR rules are the same whether a property owner rents out their home for just one weekend or throughout the year. The city uses technology to find unlicensed STRs, and hosts who break the rules can be fined.

The city defines STRs as lodging provided in a residential dwelling unit for less than 28 consecutive days. However, the city’s STR law doesn’t apply to hosts who rent out rooms to guests for short terms while the owner stays in the property.

The ordinance requires STR hosts to obtain a short-term rental permit before advertising or renting a property on a short-term basis. To get a permit, hosts must:

• Pay a $500 application fee
• Designate a local agent who can respond to any issues within 30 minutes
• Register with the Brown County Health Department
• Get approval from the property owner or condo association if applicable
• Show proof of insurance

STR permits must be renewed annually for a $250 fee. Operators also must follow rules on occupancy limits, parking, safety, garbage, and quiet hours.

These rules only apply to STRs operating within Green Bay city limits. Other cities and towns in the area have their own regulations for STRs.

Before STR operators can receive a short-term rental permit from the city, they must register with the City of Green Bay Treasurer to meet Brown County room tax requirements. 

Wisconsin also has its own tax regulations that apply to any STR in the state. STR operators are legally required to register with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue to receive a sales tax seller’s permit. They must collect lodging taxes from guests, file tax returns, and remit the tax. If all transactions go through a short-term rental marketplace such as Airbnb or Vrbo, STR operators aren’t required to register with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue or collect state lodging taxes.

Avalara MyLodgeTax can help short-term rental hosts automate lodging tax to streamline and simplify their lodging tax compliance. For more on lodging taxes in Wisconsin, see our state vacation rental tax guide. If you have tax questions related to vacation rental properties, drop us a line and we’ll get back to you with answers.