Wisconsin Residential Lease Agreement

Read the Wisconsin clauses

The wording below is what prints in the PDF for Wisconsin, word for word, under the headings Security deposit, Entry, Ending the lease and default, and Disclosures.

Wisconsin lease questions

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin statute sets no cap on the deposit, so the amount is whatever the lease says. What Wis. Stat. 704.28 does fix is how and when the deposit comes back.

When does the security deposit come back in Wisconsin?

Within 21 days after the tenancy ends, the Tenant leaves or a new tenant moves in, as the statute counts it, the Landlord delivers or mails the deposit with a written statement describing each item of damage or other claim and the amount withheld for it, and may not deduct for normal wear and tear.

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

Either party ends a month-to-month tenancy with at least 28 days' written notice, effective at the end of a rental period.

How much notice does a Wisconsin landlord give before entering?

The Landlord gives at least 12 hours' advance notice and enters at reasonable times to inspect, repair or show the Premises, and needs no notice in a health or safety emergency, when the Tenant agrees to shorter notice, or when the Tenant is absent and entry is needed to protect the Premises from damage.

What does a Wisconsin landlord have to disclose with the lease?

Beyond the federal lead paint disclosure for a building built before 1978, the Wisconsin checklist has four items: name and address of the person who collects rent and manages the Premises and of the owner or a person authorized to accept legal process, in writing at or before signing; any known uncorrected building or housing code violation affecting the Premises, before signing or accepting a deposit; and written notice of the Tenant's right to inspect and report existing damage by a deadline at least 7 days after move-in, and to request the list of charges against the prior tenant's deposit. The other one are on the checklist in the document. Each one names its statute and the landlord initials it in the document.

Do any Wisconsin cities or counties add rules of their own?

Cities and counties, including Madison and Milwaukee, may not add their own security deposit, inspection or tenant-information rules, so the state rules apply statewide (Wis. Stat. 66.0104).

Which Wisconsin statutes does this lease cite?

Wis. Stat. 704.28, Wis. Stat. 704.19, Wis. Stat. 704.05(2), Wis. Stat. 704.14, Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06 and Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(2), read on October 23, 2026. They print in the document footer so a reader can check each clause against the statute in a minute.

Should a lawyer look at this Wisconsin lease before I use it?

It is a general form, not legal advice, and it does not claim to comply with any law. The clauses state what the Wisconsin statute requires and name the statute. A lawyer who works with Wisconsin landlords can tell you whether the form fits your property, your city and the terms you want to add, which is worth the hour before signing a lease for a large rent or a long term.