Oneida County, WI Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Declared nuisance
- rentals unfit for human habitation, §11.13(4)(k)
- Inspection warrant
- §66.122, Wis. Stats., if entry refused
- Abatement notice
- sent by certified mail to owner/occupant
- First-offense forfeiture
- $5-$500 plus costs (§25.04)
- Repeat offense
- $10-$500, up to 6 months jail
- Enforcers
- Health Officer, nurses, Planning and Zoning Administrator
- Scope
- countywide, including inside Rhinelander
Summary
Oneida County's Public Health Ordinance, General Code § 11.13, declares any dwelling rented out while 'unfit for human habitation' a public nuisance alongside rubbish piles, dead-animal carcasses, and polluted wells. The Health Committee or its Health Officer can inspect on complaint, order the owner by certified mail to abate, and refer holdouts for forfeiture under § 25.04, county-wide from Rhinelander to the outlying towns.
(1) General Provisions. The purpose of this section is to prohibit, abate, suppress and prevent all acts, practices, conduct, uses of property and all other things detrimental or liable to be detrimental to the health of the inhabitants of the County. ... (k) To rent or lease quarters for human habitation which are declared unfit for human habitation by the Health Committee. ... (5) Penalties and Forfeitures. Any person who maintains a nuisance as declared in this section or who fails to comply with an order of the Health Committee issued under the provisions of this section shall be subject to the forfeiture provisions of § 25.04 of this General Code. Each day that a violation continues to exist shall constitute a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4929683; v20 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
13(4)(k) puts any rental unit the Health Committee has found 'unfit for human habitation' on the same footing as decayed food offered for sale, unburied animal carcasses, polluted wells, and vermin infestations. 122, Wis. Stats. 14(2), Wis. Stats. Enforcing officers include the County Health Officer, public health nurses, and the County Planning and Zoning Administrator or Assistant Administrator, and the Corporation Counsel prosecutes violators referred by the Health Committee. 04: not less than $5 nor more than $500 for a first offense, $10 to $500 for a repeat offense within a year, plus prosecution costs, and jail of up to 90 days (180 for a repeat) if the forfeiture goes unpaid.
Every day the condition continues counts as a separate violation, so an uncorrected unfit-habitation order can compound quickly. 13, not the missing county zoning ordinance, so it reaches rental housing and blighted property anywhere in the county, including inside Rhinelander, rather than only the unincorporated towns.
Violations & Fines
Maintaining a declared nuisance, including a rental unit the Health Committee has found unfit for human habitation, or ignoring its abatement order draws a § 25.04 forfeiture: $5 to $500 for a first offense and $10 to $500 for a repeat offense within twelve months, plus prosecution costs. Nonpayment can mean county jail, up to 90 days on a first offense and up to six months on a second. Each day the violation continues is charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Oneida County have a rule against unfit or dangerous rental housing?
Who enforces Oneida County's nuisance and blight ordinance?
What happens if a property owner ignores an abatement order?
Does this ordinance apply inside the City of Rhinelander?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oneida County
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