DOOR COUNTY, WI — The Village of Sister Bay is urging the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take up a dispute over its short‑term rental ordinance. The village adopted the ordinance in 2022, later amending it to restrict rentals to homes with no more than four bedrooms.
Legal background
Several property owners sued, arguing the bedroom limit violated Wisconsin’s statewide right‑to‑rent law. In August 2025, a Door County judge ruled in favor of the village, but the homeowners appealed. In July, the Court of Appeals reversed that decision, holding that because state law permits homeowners to rent their entire homes, the village’s restriction is preempted.
Village’s request for higher review
Representing Sister Bay, attorney Remzy Bitar filed a motion asking the state’s highest court to review the case. Bitar argues that the Supreme Court has not yet interpreted Wisconsin’s short‑term rental statute (Wis. Stat. 66.1014) and that conflicting appellate decisions create uncertainty for municipalities across the state.
“Wisconsin’s short‑term rental statute, adopted in 2017, has faced growing litigation, yet the Supreme Court has not provided a harmonious interpretation of its competing clauses,” Bitar wrote. “One clause appears to prohibit local regulation, while another preserves it.”
Homeowners’ opposition
Homeowners’ counsel Luke Berg counters that the Court of Appeals’ unanimous ruling is correct and needs no further review. Berg says the appellate court answered the sole question presented: whether Sister Bay’s four‑bedroom limit is preempted by state law. He notes the court applied the “plain language” of the statute, which forbids municipalities from prohibiting the rental of any part of a home.
“The decision is straightforward and does not require Supreme Court intervention,” Berg wrote.
What happens next?
If the Wisconsin Supreme Court grants the village’s motion, arguments will be scheduled and the justices will decide whether to hear the case. If the court declines, the Court of Appeals ruling stands, leaving the four‑bedroom limit unenforceable.
There is no set timeline for the Supreme Court’s decision on whether to take the case.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
