Pop. 36,657 · Rock County
Beloit considers excessive barking a nuisance. Animal control handles complaints. WI Stat. §174 covers dog regulation statewide.
Beloit enforces quiet hours in this border city (pop. 37,000) on the Wisconsin-Illinois state line. Home to Beloit College, the city manages noise from student activities, the casino, and Rock River recreation.
Beloit regulates amplified music under the general noise ordinance. Sound amplification permits available for events. WI Stat. §947.01 applies.
Rock County has no countywide construction-hours limit. Cities and towns set their own daytime windows. Janesville does restrict aircraft used for construction, barring helicopter or aircraft construction work between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
Neither Rock County nor Wisconsin sets a leaf-blower decibel limit or time restriction. Leaf-blower noise is governed by local nuisance rules. In Janesville, it must not become 'unnecessary and annoying noise' under section 9.42.020.
Rock County sets no numeric decibel limit, and Wisconsin has no statewide dB standard. Noise is judged by a nuisance test: whether it is 'unnecessary and annoying' or 'loud or raucous,' as in Janesville's Municipal Code 9.42.020.
Aircraft-in-flight noise is regulated by the FAA, not Rock County. Locally, Janesville bans helicopter or aircraft use for construction between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. under Municipal Code section 9.42.025.
Rock County has no countywide outdoor-music ordinance. Cities and towns control it through nuisance rules and event permits. In Janesville, loud or raucous outdoor amplified sound in public places is barred under 9.42.020.
Rock County sets no vehicle-noise decibel limit. Loud mufflers and exhaust are governed statewide by Wis. Stat. 347.39, which requires an adequate muffler that prevents excessive or unusual noise. Cities add local nuisance rules.
Rock County zones unincorporated towns and can address industrial nuisances there, but sets no countywide industrial dB limit. Cities like Janesville regulate factory noise through nuisance and zoning rules, backed by state disorderly-conduct law.
Beloit enforces pool safety requirements including anti-entrapment drain covers (VGB Act), barriers, and depth markers. WI Stat. §145.17 governs.
Beloit requires pool barriers to prevent unsupervised child access. Minimum 48-inch height. Self-closing, self-latching gates. WI Stat. §145.17.
Beloit requires building permits for pools, spas, and hot tubs. WI Uniform Dwelling Code governs. Inspections required.
Private residential hot tubs are not covered by Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code, so Rock County sets no rule; check your town, city, or village. Public and semi-public spas must meet state SPS 390, including barrier and safety requirements.
Above-ground pools are not regulated by Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code, so there is no county rule. Your town, city, or village decides on permits and barriers. In unincorporated towns, county zoning setbacks apply to where the pool is placed.
Beloit may allow residential beekeeping with hive limits and setbacks. Registration with WI DATCP required. WI Stat. §94.76.
Wisconsin does not preempt local breed-specific legislation. Some WI cities have breed bans. WI Stat. §174.042 covers dangerous dogs based on behavior.
Beloit requires dogs on leash in public. Off-leash in designated parks only. Dog licensing required statewide under WI Stat. §174.
Whether you can keep chickens or livestock depends on local zoning. In unincorporated towns the Rock County zoning ordinance (Wis. Stat. 59.69) controls; villages like Footville and Orfordville allow up to six hens per dwelling. Cities set their own limits.
Rock County has no single exotic-pet ordinance, but most municipalities ban wild or exotic animals as pets. Janesville prohibits keeping any wild, exotic, or vicious animal; Evansville and Town of Beloit restrict constrictor snakes over six feet, primates, and big cats.
Wisconsin requires cats, like dogs, to be vaccinated against rabies. Rock County does not license cats countywide, and at-large or nuisance cat rules are set by each municipality. Owners remain responsible for damage or nuisance their cats cause.
Rock County sets no countywide numeric pet limit. Caps on the number of dogs or cats per household are set by each city, village, or town. The county's role is dog licensing and enforcement, not a household pet cap.
Wisconsin's cruelty statute (Ch. 951) makes it illegal to keep animals without proper food, water, and shelter, which is how hoarding is enforced. Rock County uses these state cruelty laws plus municipal pet limits; there is no separate county hoarding ordinance.
Livestock is allowed on agricultural land under the Rock County zoning ordinance (Wis. Stat. 59.69) in consenting unincorporated towns, and is generally prohibited in residential zones. Cities and villages set their own livestock limits. Right-to-farm law protects established farms.
Rock County has no blanket countywide wildlife-feeding ban, but deer and elk feeding is regulated statewide, and nuisance-feeding of wild animals is addressed by local codes. Attracting wildlife that becomes a nuisance can trigger municipal enforcement.
Beloit enforces maximum grass and weed height, typically 8 to 12 inches. Overgrown properties subject to code compliance action and city abatement.
Beloit enforces weed abatement under WI Stat. §66.0407. WI DNR NR 40 governs invasive species. County enforcement also applies.
Rock County sets no general tree-trimming permit for private yards. The main county-level limit is on shoreland: near navigable water, cutting trees and shrubs is restricted under Wisconsin's NR 115 shoreland-protection standards. Elsewhere trimming is a municipal matter.
Rock County does not ban native or naturalized landscaping, but the mandatory noxious-weed duty still applies. Near navigable water, native shoreland buffers are actively encouraged under NR 115. Any grass-height limits come from your municipality.
Rock County has no general private-property tree-removal permit. The binding county-level restriction is near water: within 35 feet of the ordinary high water mark, clear-cutting trees and shrubs is prohibited and other removal needs a county permit under NR 115 shoreland zoning.
Collecting rainwater is legal in Wisconsin and Rock County sets no barrier to rain barrels. There is no state permit for a basic downspout rain barrel used for outdoor, non-potable purposes. Some cities add setup conditions.
Rock County encourages waste reduction and does not ban backyard composting. Wisconsin bans yard waste from landfills, so composting is favored. Nuisance conditions like odor or vermin are handled by municipal property-maintenance rules.
Rock County sets no countywide lawn-watering schedule. The state does not require a permit to water a lawn or private garden. Odd/even or drought watering limits, when they exist, come from your city or water utility, not the county.
Rock County has no countywide ordinance regulating artificial turf. Whether synthetic grass is allowed, and any coverage or stormwater conditions, is decided by your city, village or town zoning, not the county.
Outdoor burning regulated by WI DNR and local ordinance. Beloit may prohibit most open burning. Garbage burning always illegal. DNR permits required in protection areas.
Wisconsin bans all aerial and explosive consumer fireworks. Only non-explosive types legal (sparklers, snakes, smoke devices). WI Stat. §167.10.
Rock County has no county-wide fire-pit code; rules are set by your town, city or village. In the unincorporated towns, small recreational fires must be confined in a ring, barrel or pit, constantly attended, and follow town burn-permit rules and Wisconsin DNR burn restrictions.
Small backyard cooking, ceremony and recreational fires are generally allowed in Rock County towns if contained in a ring, barrel or pit and constantly attended, but open burning of yard debris is otherwise prohibited under DNR NR 429 without a permit and safe weather.
Statewide, Wis. Stat. 101.145 requires working smoke detectors in the basement, at each stairway head on every floor, and in or near each sleeping area of every home and rental unit. Owners install them; occupants maintain them and must report failures in writing.
Wisconsin has no defensible-space wildfire law, but Wis. Stat. 66.0407 requires every landowner to destroy noxious weeds (Canada thistle, leafy spurge, field bindweed and locally designated weeds) on their land. Removal by open burning must still follow DNR NR 429 rules.
Rock County sets no separate propane ordinance; storage follows Wisconsin's gas-systems code (SPS 340) and NFPA 58. Typical rules place a 125-to-500-gallon above-ground tank at least 10 feet from any building and property line, with larger tanks set back farther.
Rock County is not in a designated wildfire hazard zone and Wisconsin has no defensible-space law, but the DNR sets daily fire-danger ratings and burn restrictions. Southern Wisconsin grasslands can reach very high fire danger in spring, when burn permits are suspended.
Beloit restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential zones. Weight, size, and signage limits apply. Overnight heavy truck storage prohibited.
Beloit manages parking around downtown, Beloit College campus, and the Ho-Chunk casino area. Winter alternate-side parking enables snow plowing on city streets.
Beloit requires vehicles parked on improved surfaces. Front lawn parking prohibited. Driveway modifications require permits.
Rock County has no single countywide RV or boat parking rule. In unincorporated towns that adopted county zoning, storage standards apply; many towns bar unregistered RVs, campers, and boats from open residential lots. Inside Janesville, Beloit, and villages, the city or village sets the rule.
Rock County does not set a countywide oversized-vehicle parking limit for residential areas. Whether large RVs, buses, or heavy trailers may be parked on a lot or street is decided by your town, city, or village. County trunk highways carry posted weight and size limits.
Wisconsin law makes an abandoned vehicle a public nuisance and lets the Rock County Sheriff or a local officer tow it. A vehicle left unattended without permission for more than 48 hours (or a shorter time set locally) is deemed abandoned, and the owner pays all towing and impound costs.
Rock County has no countywide ordinance governing home EV chargers or parking at charging stations. Installing a home charger follows the state electrical code and your municipality's building-permit process. Wisconsin law protects EV drivers from being blocked at public chargers.
Rock County has no countywide overnight on-street parking ban. Overnight and winter parking restrictions are set by each city, village, and town. Watch for local snow-emergency and alternate-side rules, especially in Janesville and Beloit from November through March.
Rock County does not designate on-street loading zones on local roads. Loading and unloading zones are marked and enforced by cities and villages under state authority. On county trunk highways the county may restrict stopping and standing.
Rock County does not paint or regulate colored parking curbs on local streets. Curb markings and their meaning are established by cities and villages. Residents may not paint public curbs themselves; only the road authority may mark a curb.
WI Stat. §90.02 to 90.14 provides line fence cost-sharing for rural/agricultural land. Urban residential fences: each owner responsible for their own.
The City of Beloit regulates fence heights and placement under Section 9.28 of the Beloit Municipal Code (Chapter 9 - Building Code), with related setback and use standards in the Chapter 19 Zoning Code. In residential rear and interior side setbacks, fences are limited to 6 feet in height. In front-yard and street-side setbacks, fences must be at least 50 percent open and chain-link fences are not allowed in those locations. A fence permit is required from the Community Development Department's Planning & Building Services Division (City Hall, 100 State Street) before installation, including for dog enclosures. State law (Wis. Stat. ch. 90 and Wis. Stat. Sec. 62.23) provides the underlying authority for partition fences and municipal zoning.
Rock County imposes no countywide restriction on fence materials such as barbed wire, chain link, or electric fencing. Any prohibited-material rules come from your city, village, or town zoning. Wisconsin's line-fence statute actually recognizes barbed and electric farm fences.
There is no countywide Rock County fence permit. Whether you need a permit and what it costs is set by your city, village, or unincorporated town. In mapped shoreland or floodplain areas, county zoning permits can apply to structures near navigable water.
Wisconsin defines a 'legal and sufficient fence' by statute: a fence must be at least 50 inches high with its bottom no more than 4 inches from the ground. Wis. Stat. 90.02 lists the acceptable fence types. Rock County adds no countywide fence-construction standard.
Rock County has no countywide retaining-wall ordinance. Height thresholds, engineering, and permits are set by your city, village, or unincorporated town building code. Walls near navigable water may trigger county shoreland permits and erosion-control review.
Common materials (wood, vinyl, chain link, aluminum) are generally allowed; there is no countywide Rock County material standard. Wisconsin's line-fence statute lists eight acceptable constructions for farm boundary fences. Residential material choices follow your city or town code.
Wisconsin enforces uniform pool barrier requirements through the Department of Safety and Professional Services. SPS 390 governs public pools and the Uniform Dwelling Code addresses residential pool fencing, preempting inconsistent local building standards for one and two-family dwellings.
Beloit regulates but cannot ban STRs under WI Act 59 (2017). DATCP tourist rooming house license may be required. WI Stat. §66.1014.
Wisconsin state room tax is 5% (WI Stat. §77.98). Beloit levies additional local room tax. Platforms auto-collect in many jurisdictions. Total 10 to 14% typical.
Short-term rentals in Beloit must follow the city's standard residential parking rules: vehicles park on a paved driveway or a public street, never on the lawn, and overnight street parking (midnight to 7 a.m.) follows the alternate-side rule based on house number and calendar date. Off-street parking standards are set in Chapter 19 (Zoning Code, Rep. & recr. #2946) and on-street parking is regulated under Chapter 13 (Traffic Code).
Short-term rentals in the City of Beloit are subject to the general public-peace standards in Chapter 15 (Public Peace and Good Order) of the Beloit Municipal Code, which prohibits loud, disturbing or unnecessary noise audible from neighboring residences. The state-level right-to-rent law (Wis. Stat. § 66.1014) preserves the city's authority to enforce generally applicable nuisance and noise ordinances against tourist rooming houses.
Rock County sets no countywide occupancy cap for short-term rentals. Limits come from state tourist rooming house rules (ATCP 72) and local zoning. Tourist rooming houses are defined as lodging with four or fewer keyed units.
Registration is handled by the state, not Rock County. Operators get a DATCP tourist rooming house license, and if a town caps rental days they must notify the local clerk in writing when the first rental of a 365-day period begins.
Rock County sets no night cap. Wisconsin lets a city, village, or town cap rentals of more than 6 but fewer than 30 consecutive days at no fewer than 180 days per year, and those days may be required to run consecutively.
Rock County imposes no primary-residence requirement for short-term rentals. Wisconsin's Right to Rent law limits how far any subdivision can restrict rentals, though local day caps may effectively favor part-year, owner-occupied use.
Rock County has no STR insurance mandate, and Wisconsin sets none statewide. Standard homeowner policies often exclude commercial rental use, so hosts should carry short-term rental or landlord coverage. Some cities may require proof of liability insurance.
Rock County requires no host to be on site during a short-term rental. Wisconsin law does not mandate host presence, and its Right to Rent statute limits how far a local government can restrict unhosted whole-home rentals.
Beloit allows home occupations as accessory use in residential zones. Home occupation permit required. WI cottage food law applies for home bakers.
Wisconsin lets home producers sell non-hazardous baked goods directly to consumers without a license (the 2017 Kivirist ruling), and sell home-canned high-acid pickles and preserves under the 'pickle bill' up to $5,000 a year at farmers' markets and community events.
In Rock County's unincorporated towns a home occupation is a conditional use, so a conditional use permit from the Plan Commission and Town Board may be required. Cities and villages issue their own home-occupation approvals. The county administers town zoning under Wis. Stat. 59.69.
Rock County town zoning ordinances tightly limit business signage. A home occupation, kept incidental to the residence, may not add external alterations changing residential character. Where a lighted sign is allowed for certain uses, town codes cap it around 24 square feet.
Family child care is licensed or certified by the state (DCF), not Rock County. A home caring for 4 to 8 children needs a state license; 3 or fewer children can be certified. Local zoning in your town, city, or village governs whether the home use is allowed.
Sheds in the City of Beloit are detached accessory structures regulated under Chapter 19 of the Municipal Code (Zoning Code, Rep. & recr. by Ordinance #2946) and built under Chapter 9 (Building Code). The Planning and Building Services Division administers zoning clearance and building permits for accessory structures; permit applications are submitted to permits@beloitwi.gov.
The City of Beloit Zoning Code is Chapter 19 of the Beloit Municipal Code (recreated by ordinance #2946) and is administered under the authority of Wis. Stat. Sec. 62.23. Beloit's residential zoning districts are oriented around single-family and multi-family use categories rather than a dedicated accessory dwelling unit (ADU) framework, and Chapter 19 does not contain a separate, named ADU section comparable to the dedicated ADU ordinances adopted by some other Wisconsin cities. Property owners interested in adding a second dwelling unit on a single-family lot should confirm current options with the Community Development - Planning & Building Services Division before making plans, since any second residential unit is treated as a change in use and a building permit issue.
A carport is an accessory structure. Rock County sets no separate carport ordinance; it must meet your town, village or city zoning setbacks and, in county-zoned towns, the location and height limits under Wis. Stat. 59.69.
Rock County has no single garage-conversion ordinance. Turning a garage into living space creates a dwelling unit subject to your town, village or city zoning plus the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code for habitable-space standards.
Wisconsin has no statewide tiny-home law. Whether a tiny house is allowed in Rock County depends on your town, village or city zoning and whether it sits on a permanent foundation meeting the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code.
The City of Beloit participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and regulates floodplain development under Chapter 19 of the Beloit Municipal Code, with floodplain districts established in Article V (Sec. 5-410 through Sec. 5-420). The ordinance is adopted under Wis. Stat. Sec. 87.30 and conforms to Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter NR 116. The Rock River is the primary regulated waterway. The currently effective FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panels for Rock County (community panels in the 55105C series, including 0308E through 0455E) became effective September 16, 2015. New residential structures are prohibited in the regulatory floodway, and structures in the flood fringe must be elevated to the flood protection elevation.
Wisconsin's NR 115 sets minimum shoreland zoning standards along navigable waters, and the Public Trust Doctrine protects Great Lakes shores. Counties must adopt rules at least as strict as NR 115 statewide.
Wisconsin requires erosion control practices on construction sites under NR 151 and SPS 321. State standards apply uniformly, and one- and two-family dwelling sites follow Department of Safety and Professional Services rules.
Wisconsin's NR 151 sets statewide performance standards for construction site and post-construction stormwater runoff. DNR administers WPDES permits, and local programs must meet or exceed state minimums.
Rock County has no BBQ ordinance, but Wisconsin's fire code follows the national rule: charcoal and open-flame grills cannot be used or stored on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. One- and two-family homes and fully sprinklered buildings are exempt.
Rock County sets no smoker-specific ordinance. At single-family homes, wood and pellet smokers are allowed as legitimate cooking devices exempt from open-burning rules. In apartments, the same fire-code limits on open-flame cooking near combustible balconies apply.
General yard setbacks are set by your city, village, or town zoning. Rock County directly enforces the mandatory shoreland setback: at least 75 feet from the ordinary high-water mark of navigable waters for buildings and structures, under NR 115 and the county shoreland ordinance.
Maximum lot coverage and impervious-surface limits for general zoning are set by your city, village, or unincorporated town. Rock County directly limits impervious surface only within its shoreland districts, where NR 115 caps hard-surface coverage near navigable water.
Rock County sets no countywide building-height limit for general zoning. Maximum structure height in residential and rural districts is fixed by your city, village, or unincorporated town. The county regulates height only where shoreland, floodplain, or airport-overlay zoning applies.
Rock County does not run a countywide property-blight code. Blight, junk-storage and dilapidated-building rules are set by your city, village or town (Janesville, Beloit, Edgerton, etc.). The county's role is public-nuisance abatement authority under its ordinance and Wisconsin law.
Rock County sets no countywide rule on trash-cart storage or screening. Whether bins must be stored out of view or off the street is decided by your city, village or town. In Janesville the city issues and services the carts under its municipal solid-waste program.
Rock County has no countywide garage-sale or rummage-sale ordinance. Permit needs, allowed number of sales per year, hours and sign rules are set by your city, village or town. Many Rock County municipalities limit rummage sales to a few days and a few events per year.
Wisconsin does regulate weed-choked vacant lots, but through the noxious-weed statute and municipal codes rather than a Rock County blight ordinance. Under Wis. Stat. §66.0407 the local weed commissioner can order destruction of noxious weeds on any lot and bill the owner.
Rock County has no countywide lawn-height limit, but Wisconsin's noxious-weed statute applies everywhere. Wis. Stat. §66.0407 requires landowners to destroy noxious weeds; the local weed commissioner can cut them and charge you. Tall-grass height limits are set by your city or village.
For appliances, furniture, tires and other bulky items, Rock County residents use municipal bulk pickup and the Rock County/Janesville Sanitary Landfill and drop-off sites. Janesville offers appliance, tire and metal drop-offs; disposal fees apply. The county's Clean Sweep program handles household hazardous waste.
Rock County does not run residential curbside collection. Pickup is municipal: the City of Janesville collects trash and recycling from single-family and 2-to-4-unit homes with city carts, and other cities, villages and private haulers set their own schedules. Check your municipality for your day.
Wisconsin law bans specific recyclables from the trash statewide, so Rock County residents must separate them. Wis. Stat. 287.07 prohibits disposing of aluminum, glass, steel and plastic containers, cardboard, newspaper, magazines and office paper in a landfill or incinerator.
Rock County sets no countywide bin set-out rule. When and where to place carts at the curb, and how soon to remove them, are decided by your city, village or hauler. Janesville requires carts placed at the curb on your collection day per its city solid-waste program.
Illegal dumping is a state crime everywhere in Rock County. Under Wis. Stat. 287.81, depositing solid waste on any highway, waters, or public or private property brings a forfeiture up to $500, rising to $1,000 for large items like appliances, furniture, tires or building debris.
Rock County has no general dark-sky lighting ordinance, and neither does the City of Janesville. Outdoor lighting is mainly addressed through zoning conditions and shoreland standards, not a county-wide dark-sky code.
Rock County has no county-wide light-trespass ordinance. Glare or spillover from a neighbor's outdoor lights is generally handled as a private nuisance, or under any lighting rule your specific town or city has adopted.
Wisconsin law strongly protects yard signs. During an election campaign period, no county or municipality in Rock County may regulate the size, shape, placement or content of a political sign on your residential property, except narrow traffic-safety limits.
In Rock County, garage-sale signs can't legally go in the street or highway right-of-way. Wis. Stat. 86.19 bars any sign within street limits except traffic signs, and road authorities may remove and dispose of the rest.
Wisconsin has no legal recreational or medical marijuana dispensary program. State law prohibits cannabis sales, so no municipality can authorize dispensary operations through zoning ordinances.
Wisconsin prohibits all marijuana cultivation, including for personal use. Growing any cannabis plant is a felony under state controlled substances law. No municipality may authorize home cultivation.
Wisconsin commercial drone operators follow FAA Part 107 and state preemption under Wis. Stat. 114.045. Local governments cannot impose competing flight rules, though state privacy and surveillance statutes apply.
Wisconsin Statute 114.045 preempts most local drone regulation, reserving authority to the state and FAA. Recreational pilots must follow federal Part 107 hobbyist rules and Wisconsin's drone-privacy criminal statute.
Wisconsin Statute 104.001 expressly preempts cities, villages, towns, and counties from establishing a minimum wage higher than the state minimum, ensuring uniform wage rules across Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Statute 103.10 and 104.001 preempt local paid sick leave ordinances, blocking cities and counties from requiring private employers to provide paid time off beyond state and federal mandates.
Wisconsin preempts local predictive scheduling and fair workweek ordinances under Wis. Stat. 103.007, ensuring statewide uniformity for employer scheduling practices and forbidding municipal advance-notice mandates.
Wisconsin issues shall-issue concealed weapon licenses to qualified residents age 21+ who complete training, pass a background check, and pay required fees, with statewide preemption preventing local rules.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0409 broadly preempts local firearm regulation, barring cities, villages, towns, and counties from enacting ordinances stricter than state law on possession, transportation, sale, or registration of firearms and ammunition.
Wisconsin permits adults at least 18 who are not prohibited persons to openly carry firearms in public without a permit, with statewide preemption blocking local restrictions on lawful open carry.
Wisconsin Statute 941.23 makes carrying a concealed handgun in a vehicle without a CCW license a misdemeanor, while open carry and licensed concealed carry inside vehicles are lawful statewide subject to limited prohibited zones.
Wisconsin has no comprehensive non-condo HOA act. Condominium associations get a statutory assessment lien under Wis. Stat. § 703.165 that is foreclosed like a mortgage. Non-condo HOAs have no such statute and collect through their recorded declaration plus the Nonstock Corporation Act, Wis. Stat. ch. 181.
Wisconsin condominiums run through an association of unit owners under Wis. Stat. § 703.15, which sets meeting-notice, proxy, and voting rules. Non-condo HOAs are governed as nonstock corporations under Wis. Stat. ch. 181, including member record-inspection rights under § 181.1601 and § 181.1602 and statutory meeting and election rules.
Wisconsin has no comprehensive HOA act governing covenant enforcement. Condominium use and architectural restrictions are enforced through the declaration and bylaws under Wis. Stat. § 703.10. Non-condo HOA covenants are enforced as recorded deed restrictions under common law plus the declaration and ch. 181.
Wisconsin has no statute that sets or caps HOA or condominium fines. Condominium enforcement power flows from the Condominium Ownership Act and the recorded bylaws under Wis. Stat. § 703.10, while non-condo HOA fine authority exists only in the recorded declaration plus the Nonstock Corporation Act, ch. 181.
Wisconsin overrides anti-solar and anti-wind HOA restrictions by statute. Wis. Stat. § 236.292 voids restrictions on platted land that prevent or unduly restrict solar or wind energy systems. Because there is no comprehensive HOA act, most other owner protections still come from the declaration, ch. 703, and local zoning.
Wis. Stat. Sec. 704.17 sets the pre-eviction notice. For nonpayment of rent on a month-to-month tenancy or a lease of one year or less, the landlord gives a 5-day notice to pay or vacate; a second default within a year allows a 14-day no-cure notice. Notices for other lease breaches follow the same 5-day cure or 14-day pattern. Eviction itself proceeds under ch. 799.
Wis. Stat. Sec. 704.07 makes the landlord keep structural elements, common areas, and equipment supplying heat, water, and other services in a reasonable state of repair. If the premises become untenantable from fire, water, or a health or safety hazard, the tenant may move out unless the landlord repairs promptly, and rent abates to the extent the tenant loses full normal use.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0104 and Act 317 prevent municipalities from limiting landlord-tenant relationships beyond state law, including any local just-cause eviction requirement. Eviction grounds and procedures are governed exclusively by Wis. Stat. ch. 704 and ATCP 134.
Wis. Stat. Sec. 704.05(2) lets a landlord enter only on advance notice and at reasonable times to inspect, repair, or show the unit. Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(2) makes that concrete: at least 12 hours' advance notice unless the tenant consents to less. A landlord may enter without notice in an emergency to preserve or protect the premises.
Wisconsin sets no dollar or percentage cap on residential late fees. Under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09, a landlord may charge one only if the rental agreement specifically provides for it, must first apply rent prepayments to offset rent owed, and may not charge a penalty for nonpayment of a late fee.
Under Wis. Stat. Sec. 704.19, either the landlord or tenant may end a month-to-month or other periodic tenancy with at least 28 days' written notice. If rent is payable on a basis less than monthly, notice at least equal to the rent-paying period is enough. Year-to-year agricultural tenancies require 90 days. A fixed-term lease ends on its own date without this notice.
Wisconsin prohibits rent control statewide. Wis. Stat. § 66.1015 bars every city, village, town, and county from regulating the amount of rent charged for a residential rental unit. There is no statewide rent cap and no Wisconsin locality operates a rent control program, so rent and increases are set by the lease and the market.
Wisconsin has no rent control and no dedicated rent-increase notice law. Because an increase changes the terms of a periodic tenancy, it takes effect only at a new rental period, so a landlord must use the termination notice in Wis. Stat. Sec. 704.19. For month-to-month that means at least 28 days' written notice.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0104 limits how cities can require rental property registration and inspection. Programs must target districts with documented blight or code issues, and inspection fees are capped between roughly $75 and $150 depending on inspection type.
Wisconsin sets no statutory cap on the amount of a residential security deposit. After a tenancy ends, the landlord must mail or deliver the deposit, less lawful deductions, within 21 days. If any amount is withheld, the landlord must include a written, itemized statement describing each deduction. Normal wear and tear cannot be charged.
Wisconsin recognizes three adverse-possession tracks. The default under Wis. Stat. Sec. 893.25 is 20 years of uninterrupted possession with no written instrument. Sec. 893.26 shortens it to 10 years when entry is under a recorded written instrument or judgment. Sec. 893.27 cuts it to 7 years when, in addition, the claimant pays all taxes for the period.
Wisconsin's Working Lands Initiative under Statute 91 establishes farmland preservation zoning districts, certifies county and local plans, and offers income tax credits to farmers in certified agricultural enterprise areas.
Wisconsin Statute 823.08 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits by neighbors, requiring courts to dismiss claims unless the farm substantially threatens public health or safety.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0419, enacted by 2015 Act 17, preempts cities, villages, towns, and counties from regulating, banning, or imposing fees on auxiliary containers including plastic bags, cups, and bottles.
Wisconsin's auxiliary container preemption law in Statute 66.0419 prevents municipalities from banning or restricting expanded polystyrene foam takeout containers, leaving any restriction to state legislation.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0419 preempts cities and counties from regulating plastic straws, stirrers, and similar single-use items, and the state has not adopted a statewide straw-on-request rule.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0401 applies to homeowners associations and condo associations, preempting deed restrictions and covenants that prohibit or significantly impair solar energy systems on owner property.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0401 broadly preempts municipalities and counties from restricting solar and wind energy systems unless restrictions serve specific public health, safety, or aesthetic exceptions defined by state law.
Wisconsin Statute 134.66 prohibits selling, giving, or furnishing cigarettes, tobacco, or vapor products to any person under 21 years of age and requires retailers to verify age via valid ID before sale.
Wisconsin has not enacted a statewide ban on flavored tobacco or vapor products; sales of menthol cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes remain lawful under Wis. Stat. 134.66 subject to age and licensing rules.
Wisconsin regulates electronic vaping devices under its tobacco statutes, requiring retailer licenses, age-verification, and excise taxes on vapor products, with state law preempting most local retail rules under 134.66.