Wisconsin Landlord Guide — Get Your Action Plan in 60 Seconds

Tenant behind on rent? Damage beyond wear and tear? Holding over after the lease ended? Describe the situation in your own words and get a plain-English breakdown, severity rating, step-by-step next steps, and ready-to-send notices — specific to Wisconsin law.

Wisconsin landlord law, at a glance

• Security deposit: you must return it within 21 days of move-out, with an itemized statement for deductions.
• Tenant entry: Landlords must generally give 12-hour notice before entering, except in emergencies.
• Eviction: you must go through the courts. Self-help eviction is illegal.

Wisconsin landlords must return the deposit with an itemized written statement within 21 days of the applicable trigger — generally lease termination, or the date a new tenant's tenancy begins if the unit is rerented early (Wis. Stat. § 704.28). Landlords may enter only after 12 hours' advance notice, one of the shortest entry-notice periods in the country. There is no mandatory rent grace period and no statewide cap on late fees (fees must be reasonable and written into the lease), and landlords cannot confiscate belongings, cut utilities, or lock tenants out (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09).

Free legal help in Wisconsin

• Legal Action of Wisconsin — (855) 947-2529 — Statewide free legal help; eviction-defense and housing work.
• Tenant Resource Center — (608) 257-0006 — Tenant-only nonprofit: rental-rights questions, housing counseling, mediation.
• Wisconsin Law Help — Statewide legal-aid directory and matching tool.
• Call or text 211 for free local referrals.

Common questions