US landlord tenant law

Wisconsin landlord tenant law: the rules a landlord meets

What Wisconsin statutes require of a landlord, rule by rule: the security deposit, rent and late fees, rent increases, entering the property, ending a tenancy and the disclosures a lease carries, each with the section it comes from.

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Security deposit cap: No cap in statute; No statute sets this
Deposit back within: 21 days; Wis. Stat. § 704.28(4); Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06(2)
Notice before entry: 12 hours; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(2)
Month-to-month notice: 28 days; Wis. Stat. § 704.19(3)

In the order you meet them

Wisconsin landlord tenant laws, rule by rule

From the deposit you take at signing to the notice that ends the tenancy. Every figure names its statute; where none sets it, the page says so.

Wisconsin security deposit law

Most you can take: No cap in statuteNo statute sets this
Back to the tenant within: 21 daysWis. Stat. § 704.28(4); Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06(2)21 days after the rental agreement ends, or after the unit is re-rented if the tenant left early and it is re-rented sooner.

Rent and late fees

Late fee: No statute caps itNo statute sets this

Wisconsin rent increase laws and rent control

Notice before a rent increase: No statutory period confirmedWis. Stat. § 704.19(3); Wis. Stat. § 66.1015No state law limits or sets notice for a rent increase; a month-to-month tenancy can be ended on 28 days' written notice before a rent due date. No city, village, town or county may regulate the amount of rent or fees for a residential rental unit (§ 66.1015(1)), confirmed from excerpts of the official text in search results rather than a full read.
Rent control: Local rent control bannedWis. Stat. § 704.19(3); Wis. Stat. § 66.1015

Entering the property: notice to the tenant

Notice before you enter: 12 hoursWis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(2)

Ending a tenancy and eviction notices

Ending a month-to-month tenancy: 28 daysWis. Stat. § 704.19(3)At least 28 days' written notice, ending on the last day of a rental period.
Unpaid rent: 5 daysWis. Stat. § 704.17“5-day notice to pay rent or vacate”Paying in full within the period stops itOn a lease of one year or less the landlord must first give a notice to pay or vacate at least 5 days later; a second late payment within a year allows a 14-day notice with no cure. On a month-to-month tenancy the landlord may instead give a 14-day notice with no cure. The section does not say whether weekends and holidays count.
Another breach of the lease: 5 daysWis. Stat. § 704.17, § 704.17(3m)“5-day notice to remedy or vacate”The tenant can fix the breach within the periodThe tenant can remedy the breach or move out within 5 days; a repeat breach within 12 months, or any breach on a month-to-month tenancy, allows a 14-day notice with no cure. Criminal or drug activity threatening others allows a 5-day notice to vacate with no cure.
Lockouts and shutoffs: Banned: lockouts and utility shutoffsWis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(7)

The Wisconsin eviction process, step by step

Disclosures a Wisconsin lease has to carry

Include the statutory notice of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking protections in the lease or an addendum. (Wis. Stat. § 704.14)
Before signing or taking a deposit, disclose known uncorrected code violations and listed defects such as no hot or cold water, unsafe heating, electrical or plumbing, or structural hazards. (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.04(2))
Disclose in writing the name and address of the person authorized to collect rent, the person who manages the premises, and an owner or agent authorized to accept legal papers. (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.04(1))
If utilities are not included in rent and units are not separately metered, explain how utility costs are allocated. (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.04(3))
Before taking a security deposit, tell the tenant in writing they have at least seven days to document pre-existing damage and may request the list of damages charged to the previous tenant. (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06(1))

Put the Wisconsin rules on paper

Free documents with these figures already in them, one for each moment of the tenancy.

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Dardaris keeps each of these rules for you

It counts the deposit deadline from the day a tenant moves out, drafts the notice before you enter a home, and dates a rent increase so the notice lands in time. Nothing goes out until you approve it.

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Deposit back to the tenant: 21 days
Notice before the inspection: 12 hours
Rent increase notice: No statutory period confirmed

Where these Wisconsin rules come from

Deposit, entry, fee, notice and disclosure rules read against the official texts on 29 September 2026. Rent increase and eviction rules read on 1 November 2026.

Questions landlords ask

What is the security deposit limit in Wisconsin?

Deposit cap in Wisconsin: No cap in statute. Back to the tenant within: 21 days (Wis. Stat. § 704.28(4); Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06(2)). The conditions are in the security deposit section above.

How much Wisconsin rent increase notice does a landlord give?

Notice before a rent increase in Wisconsin: No statutory period confirmed (Wis. Stat. § 704.19(3); Wis. Stat. § 66.1015). Rent control: Local rent control banned. The rent increase section above quotes what the statutes say, exceptions included.

How much notice does a Wisconsin landlord give before entering?

Notice before entry in Wisconsin: 12 hours (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(2)).

How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Wisconsin?

Notice from the landlord to end a month-to-month tenancy in Wisconsin: 28 days (Wis. Stat. § 704.19(3)).

Can a Wisconsin landlord change the locks or shut off utilities?

No. Wisconsin bans lockouts and utility shutoffs as a way to remove a tenant (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(7)). Only a court order ends the tenant’s possession.

Does this page cover repairs and mold?

No figures for repairs or mold are on this page. Both fall under the landlord’s duty to keep a home fit to live in and under the state’s own rules; read the Wisconsin statutes and your local housing code before you act.

Wisconsin landlord tenant law repairs: what does this page cover?

Repairs are not in this summary. It covers what the Wisconsin statutes say about deposits, fees, rent increases, entry, notices and disclosures. Repair duties fall under the landlord’s duty to keep a home fit to live in, the state’s own rules and the local housing code.

Landlord tenant law in other states

All 50 states compared

This is not legal adviceThis page summarises statutes as read on 29 September 2026. Laws change, cities add their own rules, and a court reads a statute against the facts of a case. Check the official text, or ask a lawyer, before you act on it.

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