HOTELS, MOTELS, TOURIST ROOMING HOUSES, AND BED AND BREAKFAST ESTABLISHMENTS.
Madison General Ordinances § 7.51
in effect7.51 - HOTELS, MOTELS, TOURIST ROOMING HOUSES, AND BED AND BREAKFAST ESTABLISHMENTS.
(1) Adoption by Reference. Wis. Admin. Code chs. ATCP 72 and 73 and subsequent amendments, additions and recodifications, are adopted by reference except for those provisions found elsewhere in the Madison General Ordinances which impose stricter standards, in which case the said ordinance provisions shall prevail.
(2) Definitions.
"Bed and Breakfast Establishment" means any place of temporary lodging that provides eight (8) or fewer rooms for rent to no more than a total of twenty (20) tourists or other transients for more than 10 nights in a 12-month period, is the owner's personal residence, is occupied by the owner at the time of rental, and in which the only meal served to guests is breakfast.
"Hotel" means a place where sleeping accommodations are offered for pay to transients, in 5 or more rooms, and all related rooms, buildings and areas.
"Motel" means a hotel that furnishes on-premise parking for motor vehicles of guests as part of the room charge, without extra cost, and that is identified as a "motel" rather than a "hotel" at the request of the operator.
"Tourist rooming house" means all lodging places and tourist cabins and cottages, other than hotels and motels, in which sleeping accommodations are offered for pay to tourists or transients.
(3) Fees. The annual fee for hotels, motels, tourist rooming houses and bed and breakfast establishments shall be established by the Board of Health in an amount sufficient to recover the costs incurred by the City and may be reestablished by the Board of Health as needed. City fees for licenses required by Madison General Ordinances Chapter 7 shall be published in the Public Health Madison and Dane County Fee Schedule, which shall be publicly available at the City Clerk's Office and posted on Public Health Madison and Dane County's website. The licensing year shall be from July 1 through the following June 30. Renewal licenses shall be obtained on or before June 30 of each year or be subject to a late filing fee of twenty-five percent (25%) of the license fee. Payment of the late filing fee shall not relieve any person from any other penalties prescribed in this chapter for failure to possess or obtain a license.
(4) License Required.
(a) Before operating a hotel, motel, tourist rooming house, or bed and breakfast for business, the operator, shall obtain a license from Public Health Madison and Dane County through application made upon a form furnished by the Public Health Madison and Dane County.
(b) The license shall be conspicuously displayed in the licensed facility.
(c) A license shall not be granted to an applicant without a pre-inspection.
(d) The City Clerk or Public Health Madison and Dane County may not issue or renew a hotel, motel, tourist rooming house, or bed and breakfast license unless the license applicant or holder pays all fees which are due and payable under this section
(5) Change in Ownership. Every license holder of a hotel, motel, tourist room house, or bed and breakfast license shall promptly notify Public Health Madison and Dane County in writing of their intention to cease operations and shall also supply Public Health Madison and Dane County with the names and post office addresses of any prospective new operators.
(6) Pre-inspection Fee.
(a) Every license applicant within this section who requests an inspection shall pay the pre-inspection fee herein set forth before said inspection.
(b) An applicant for a hotel, motel, tourist room house, or bed and breakfast license shall schedule a pre-inspection with Public Health Madison and Dane County after submitting their application and prior to Public Health Madison and Dane County or City Clerk issuing their license.
(c) The pre-inspection fee for a hotel, motel, tourist rooming house, or bed and breakfast establishment license shall be established by the Board of Health and may be reestablished by the Board of Health as needed.
(d) The pre-inspection fee for a hotel, motel, tourist rooming house, or bed and breakfast establishment license established by the Board of Health shall be published in the Public Health Madison and Dane County Fee Schedule, which shall be publicly available at the City Clerk's Office and posted on Public Health Madison and Dane County's website.
(7) Reinspection Fee.
(a) If Public Health Madison and Dane County reinspects an establishment regulated under Madison General Ordinance Chapter 7 because Public Health Madison and Dane County finds a violation of Madison General Ordinances, Public Health Madison and Dane County shall charge the establishment's license holder a re-inspection fee.
(b) The reinspection fee for a hotel, motel, tourist rooming house, or bed and breakfast establishment license shall be established by the Board of Health and may be reestablished by the Board of Health as needed.
(c) The reinspection fee for a hotel, motel, tourist rooming house, or bed and breakfast license established by the Board of Health shall be published in the Public Health Madison and Dane County Fee Schedule, which shall be publicly available at the City Clerk's Office and posted on Public Health Madison and Dane County's website.
(d) The reinspection fee is payable when the reinspection is completed and is due upon written demand from Public Health Madison and Dane County.
(8) Fees for Special Conditions Inspections. Public Health Madison and Dane County may charge for an inspection or on-site consultation services that are not directly related to Public Health Madison and Dane County's licensing responsibilities. Public Health Madison and Dane County may charge the license holder requesting the inspection or on-site consultation a fee as set forth in the Public Health Madison and Dane County Fee Schedule. The fee for a special conditions inspection shall be established by the Board of Health and shall be published in the Public Health Madison and Dane County Fee Schedule, which shall be publicly available at the City Clerk's Office and posted on Public Health Madison and Dane County's website.
(9) Plan Review Requirement and Fee. Public Health Madison and Dane County shall require a license applicant or license holder of a new or extensively remodeled hotel, motel, tourist rooming house, or bed and breakfast establishment to submit plans to Public Health Madison and Dane County. The plan review fee for a hotel, motel, tourist rooming house, or bed and breakfast establishment license shall be as set forth in the Public Health Madison and Dane County Fee Schedule as required in this section.
(10) Fees for Operating Without a License. Any operator found to be operating without a license, shall pay to Public Health Madison and Dane County a fee as set forth in the Public Health Madison and Dane County Fee Schedule, in addition to applicable fees.
(Section 7.51 Cr. by Ord. 8552, 3-18-85; Am. by Ord. 8743, 12-31-85; Am. by Ord. 10,948, 7-30-94; Am. by Ord. 11,817, 3-31-97; Ord. 13,306, 4-3-03; Ord. 13,384, 8-23-03; Ord. 13,505, 2-10-04; ORD-12-00075, 6-20-12; ORD-13-00146, 9-11-13; Am. by ORD-15-00009, 1-28-15; ORD-16-00111, 12-14-16; Am. by ORD-19-00079, 11-13-19; Am. by ORD-21-00003, 1-19-21; Am. by ORD-22-00125, 12-15-22; Rpld & Recr. by ORD-24-00079, 12-4-24)
Source: City of Madison, Wisconsin, Madison General Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOICH1--10_CH7PUHE_7.51HOMOTOROHOBEBRESFetched: 11/1/2026