Rental Inspections in Madison, WI (2026)
2 verified rental inspections rules for Madison, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Inspection Programs
Madison's Building Inspection Division Director is ordinance-bound to conduct systematic inspections of buildings, structures and land to enforce the Minimum Housing Code, with fees charged for follow-up compliance inspections that don't resolve a violation order.
Madison's Systematic Housing Code Inspections
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 27.09(3)(c) and (5)(a)
(3)The duties of the Director of the Building Inspection Division shall be as follows: ... (c)Conduct a systematic inspection of buildings, structures, and lands to determine compliance with the terms of this ordinance, all state laws, City ordinances and lawful orders relating to the alteration, repair, maintenance, safety and use of existing buildings and permanent building equipment and take...
Tenant Complaint Process
Madison tenants who complain about code violations to their landlord, the city's Building Inspection Division, or Public Health Madison and Dane County, the joint city-county health department, are protected from retaliation under MGO § 32.15. Landlords who retaliate face a forfeiture of $150 to $900 per act, and any retaliatory act is declared null and void.
Madison Tenant Complaint Retaliation Protection
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 32.15(1), (3)
No person or tenant shall be retaliated against for complaining to the landlord, or to the Building Inspection Division of the Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development or Public Health Madison and Dane County or to any state or local investigatory or enforcement agency of violations of Chapters 7, 18, 19, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 of the Madison General Ordinances or their statu...
Looking for Dane County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Madison city rules.
Rental Inspections in Dane County →