Rental property, site of deadly fire, not licensed for rentals

GERMANTOWN, Wis. -- The Juneau County rental property that caught fire Sunday, killing six guests, was not legally licensed to rent.

The three adults and three children were staying with approximately a dozen other family members in the home on Morro's Mile Road in Germantown. Neighbors say the owner regularly rented out the home through Airbnb.

Lodging permits for Juneau, Adams and Wood counties are approved through the Wood County Health Department. Ben Jeffrey, environmental health supervisor of the department, says the property at W5040 Morro's Mile Road did not hold a lodging license as of Sunday.

"We require smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors dependent on fuel burning appliances and sleeping rooms," said Jeffrey. "And then there's obviously building code and fire code as well."

The permits, which must be reapproved annually, also require inspections of water supply, testing for bacteria and nitrate.

The township of Germantown does not regulate rental housing, but both Juneau County and the state of Wisconsin do. With the uptick in short-term rentals, thanks to sites like Airbnb, however, Jeffrey says smaller municipalities are working towards more regulation.

"There's been an increasing number of local ordinances, so we kind of work hand-in-hand with a lot of towns and villages," said Jeffrey.

Germantown leaders tell News 3 that they are in the process of creating such ordinances. In a page on the town's website , "work session continued on short term rentals" is listed as an agenda item for the city's plan commission.

The fine for operating a rental site without a license is double the license fee, according to the Wood County Health Department. That fee is dependent on the size of the home.

As of 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing.

The Juneau County Sheriff's Office released the names and ages of the adults who died in the fire and the ages of the children. They are: Steven Lance Witte (66), Charis Anne Kuehl (38), Lydia Marie Witte (35), an 8 year old, a 5 year old and a 2 year old.

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