Wisconsin Landlord-Tenant Law
Know your rights as a renter in Wisconsin. This guide covers security deposits, landlord entry, rent increases, eviction protections, and more under Wisconsin law.
Legal basis: Wisconsin landlord-tenant law — Wisconsin Statutes
21
Days to Return Deposit
No limit
Max Deposit
12h
Entry Notice
Not Required
Deposit Escrow
What Wisconsin law says about deposits
Maximum Deposit
No limit
Return Deadline
21 dayscounted from the date the rental agreement ends; if the tenant moves out early, from that date or, if earlier, the day a new tenant's tenancy begins; if the tenant moves out after the end date, from the day the landlord learns the tenant has left
Penalties, interest & late-fee rules under Wisconsin law
If your deposit is wrongfully or late returned
Tenant may recover double the amount wrongfully withheld, plus costs and reasonable attorney fees, under Wis. Stat. § 100.20(5) for a violation of ATCP 134.06; no bad-faith showing required.
Interest on your deposit is not required
Grace period
No mandatory statewide grace period
Must be in the lease
Yes — a late fee is only enforceable if it is written into your lease
Your privacy protections
Required Notice Period
12 hours
unless you agree to fewer hours when told of the entry (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(2)(a))
In Wisconsin, this notice is not a fixed minimum: you may agree to a shorter time when told of an entry, and a separate signed 'Nonstandard Rental Provisions' document may allow other entry.
Exceptions: Landlords may enter without notice in cases of emergency (fire, flooding, etc.) or if you've abandoned the property.
No notice statute; no caps
Legal basis: No Statute
Prompt repair; rent reduced, not withheld
Legal basis: Wis. Stat. § 704.07
Protected
Legal basis: Wis. Stat. § 704.45
Rent through next month
Legal basis: Wis. Stat. § 704.16
Self-help illegal
Legal basis: Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(7)
Important facts about Wisconsin rental law
Wisconsin has no limit on security deposits.
Wisconsin landlords must return deposits within 21 days of move-out.
Wisconsin requires landlords to provide a move-in checklist within 7 days.
Wisconsin tenants can recover twice their loss, plus costs and attorney fees, when a landlord breaks the deposit rules; no bad faith has to be shown.
Something else? Contact our team
Wisconsin does not have a statutory limit on security deposits.
Wisconsin landlords must return security deposits within 21 days after you move out (counted from the date the rental agreement ends; if the tenant moves out early, from that date or, if earlier, the day a new tenant's tenancy begins; if the tenant moves out after the end date, from the day the landlord learns the tenant has left).
In Wisconsin, landlords must give 12 hours' notice before entering your rental unit (unless you agree to fewer hours when told of the entry (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(2)(a))).
Late fees in Wisconsin: No statewide dollar or percent cap — the fee must be in the rental agreement, and there can be no fee for not paying a late fee. No mandatory statewide grace period.
No notice statute; no caps. No Wisconsin statute sets how much notice a landlord must give before raising rent. A month-to-month tenancy can be ended only with at least 28 days' written notice, at the end of a rental period (Wis. Stat. § 704.19). No statewide cap, and local governments may not regulate rent or fees (Wis. Stat. § 66.1015). Source: No Statute.
Prompt repair; rent reduced, not withheld. Landlord must keep the premises and equipment for heat, water and other promised services in reasonable repair, make necessary structural repairs, and follow local housing code (Wis. Stat. § 704.07(2)). No set number of days: if a health or safety problem makes the home unlivable, you may move out unless the landlord promptly repairs (Wis. Stat. § 704.07(4)). If you stay, rent is reduced to match the use you lose; the law does not allow withholding all rent (Wis. Stat. § 704.07(4)). A landlord's promise to repair must name a completion date and be kept (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.07). Source: Wis. Stat. § 704.07.
Protected. Retaliation prohibited. Cannot evict for complaints. Document communications. Source: Wis. Stat. § 704.45.
Rent through next month. A tenant who faces an imminent threat of serious physical harm, or a sexual assault victim, may end the lease with notice and a certified copy of a court or criminal document. Qualifying documents are injunctions, no-contact release conditions or criminal complaints; a police report alone does not qualify. Rent is owed through the end of the month after you give notice or move out, whichever is later. The landlord must change the locks within 48 hours on request, at your cost. Source: Wis. Stat. § 704.16.
Self-help illegal. A landlord may not exclude, forcibly evict or constructively evict you except through the court eviction process (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(7)). A rental agreement that allows it is void and unenforceable (Wis. Stat. § 704.44(2m)). Contact police if locked out. Source: Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(7).
Wisconsin tenants have rights including security deposit protections, notice requirements for landlord entry, habitability standards, and protections against retaliation. Use Honestkey to analyze your specific lease against Wisconsin law.
Plain-language answers that apply in Wisconsin and beyond
Zillow and HUD figures by city
Upload it now and see your first red flags in the free preview.
Check my lease free