Landlord / Tenant Law
Wisconsin
- Agencies & Organizations
- Tenant Resource Center
Includes information on security deposits, repairs, ending a lease, eviction, roommates, pets, carpet cleaning, discrimination, etc. Includes blog examining various rental issues. - WI Dept of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection
- Tenant Resource Center
- Complaints
- Discrimination Complaint Fair Housing (WI Dept. of Workforce Development)
- Landlord/Tenant Complaint (WI Dept. of Agriculture Trade & Consumer Protection)
- Landlords in Federal Housing (U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development)
- Forms
- Residential Lease / Notice to Terminate Tenancy / 5, 14, and 28-day Notices $ (WSLL)
- Milwaukee County
- Notice to Terminate Tenancy / Pay Rent / Vacate Premises - 5, 14, and 28-day Notices (Milwaukee County Court)
- Tenant Resource Center
- CheckIn Form
- Check-Out Form
- Nonrenewal of Month-to-Month Tenancy
- Rent Payment Agreement
- Repair Request
- Roommate Agreement
- Sample Letter for Breaking a Lease
- Sample Letter for a Wrongfully Withheld Security Deposit
- Security Deposit Payment Agreement
- Sublet Agreement
- Termination of Tenancy by Mutual Agreement
- Landlord/Tenant Forms & Guides from Wisconsin Counties (WI State Law Library)
- Rental Forms $ (WI Legal Blank)
- Eviction
- Pre-Judgment: Basic Steps for Handling a Small Claims Case for Eviction (WI Court System)
- Eviction (Tenant Resource Center)
- Small Claims Service Court Rules for Wisconsin Counties (Wisconsin Law Review, 2014)
- Farm Rentals
- See Agriculture & Food Law (WI State Law Library)
- FAQs & Guides
- Landlord / Tenant: Answering Your Legal Questions (State Bar of WI)
- Landlord / Tenant Guide (WI Dept. of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection)
- Landlord/Tenant Forms & Guides from Wisconsin Counties (WI State Law Library)
Includes guides on the eviction process in various counties. - Tenant Sourcebook (Legal Action of Wisconsin)
- Tenants' Rights & Responsibilities (WI Dept. of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection)
- Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know (US Bureau of Consumer Protection)
- Foreclosure
- Foreclosure in Rental Units (Tenant Resource Center)
- Tenant Sourcebook (Legal Action of Wisconsin)
Includes information on renting and foreclosure
- Mobile Homes
- Mobile Home Park / Manufactured Home Community (WI Bureau of Consumer Protection)
- WI Admin. Code: ATCP 125 "Manufactured home communities"
- Service Animals
- Service Animals (WI State Law Library)
- Short Term Rentals
- Thinking of renting out your property for overnight stays? (WI Dept. of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection)
- Vacation rental laws in Wisconsin (WI State Law Library)
- Utility Bills
- Municipal Utilities' Tax Lien Bill Collection Powers and Their Application to Rental Properties (WI Legislative Council)
- Utility Billing Tax Lien Process for Residential Rental Properties (League of WI Municipalities)
Used when tenant is responsible. - Wis. Statute: s. 66.0809 "Municipal public utility charges"
- Vehicles
- Involuntary Lien Transfers and Abandonment of Property to a Landlord (WI Dept. of Transportation)
- WI Communities
- Civil rights decision digest (City of Madison)
Includes housing discrimination decisions - Local Ordinances may also contain landlord/tenant requirements.
- Landlord Tenant Handbook: a guide to rental practices (City of Janesville, WI)
Includes local agency contact information and procedures.
- Civil rights decision digest (City of Madison)
The Law (Additional statutes, regulations & opinions may apply to your specific situation.)
- WI Statute: s. 106.50 "Open Housing"
- WI Statutes: ch. 704 "Landlord and Tenant"
- WI Statute: s. 943.215 "Absconding Without Paying Rent"
- WI Admin. Code: ATCP 134 "Residential Rental Practices"
- WI Admin. Code: SPS 320-325 "Uniform Dwelling Code"
- U.S. Code 42 USC ch. 45 "Fair Housing"
- WI Attorney General Opinions
Search for more statutes, regulations & opinions.
General
- Landlord-Tenant (Cornell Legal Information Institute)
Commentary with links to federal statutes, regulations & opinions - Renting
a Home (American Bar Association)
Information on leases, lease clauses, evictions, security deposits, fair housing, and where to get help.
County Resources
Recommended links from our County Resources database:
Legal Assistance
- AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin
(800) 878-6267, (414) 225-1578. Dedicated to ensuring that individuals are treated fairly in employment, housing, and health. - Community Advocates
Serving people in need of urgent help, victims of domestic violence, people living with mental illness, and people dealing with substance abuse. Services include assistance with housing, utilities, health care, SSI and disability, homelessness and mental illness, and family violence. - Eviction Defense Project
Meets in room G-9 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse on Thursdays from 12-3. Check the website for additional hours. - Tenant Resource Center (UW-Madison location)
(608) 216-2321 For UW-Madison students. Provides student tenant education, problem resolution assistance, and no cost mediation services for housing issues.
- AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin
Court Forms
- Writ of Restitution and Request for Writ (Manitowoc Clerk of Court)
Guides
- Eviction Notice Grid (Milwaukee Justice Center)
Which types of notice must be given for different types of rental agreements. - Housing Resources from Community Advocates (Milwaukee Community Advocates)
Short and long term assistance programs and housing FAQs. - Landlord - Tenant Issues (Milwaukee Justice Center (MJC))
- Procedure for Eviction by Landlords (Rock Sheriff's Office)
- Small Claims (Waukesha Circuit Court)
Guided resource to the small claims process, procedures and forms. - Steps for the Eviction Process (Milwaukee Sheriff's Dept.)
- What you need to know about eviction (Milwaukee Legal Action of Wisconsin)
- Eviction Notice Grid (Milwaukee Justice Center)
Related Topics
Law Review Articles
- "Cash for Keys" Agreements
Uniform Laws Commission Memorandum, May 17, 2012 - Act 317: More changes to landlord-tenant law
91 Wis. Lawyer 8, September 2018 - Landlord-tenant law: Rights, remedies, and changes under new Act 143
State Bar News, March 30, 2012