Wisconsin Act 76 (2018) preempts most local landlord-tenant rules, but Madison still treats bed bug infestations as Ch. 27 housing-code violations requiring owner-paid extermination in rental units.
Bed bugs in Madison rentals fall under the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code and Madison Ch. 27 minimum housing standards. Landlords must keep units free of vermin at the start of tenancy and respond to confirmed infestations with licensed pest control. Tenants must cooperate with treatment access and not introduce infested furniture. Because Act 76 limits Madison from imposing rules stricter than state law, the city cannot mandate disclosure of past infestations in the way some other cities do. PHMDC and Building Inspection share complaint response. Persistent infestations can trigger placarding or vacate orders.
Landlord refusal to treat a confirmed infestation can result in housing-code citations, daily fines, and rent abatement claims by tenants in small claims court under Wis. Stat. ch. 704.
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