Milwaukee landlords must treat confirmed bed bug infestations under property maintenance Ch. 80 and Wis. ATCP 134; tenant retaliation for reports is prohibited under Wis. Stat. §704.45.
Milwaukee does not have a bed-bug-specific ordinance, but treatment duties flow from Milwaukee Code Ch. 80 (property maintenance, requiring premises free of vermin) combined with Wisconsin Administrative Code ATCP 134 (residential rental practices) and the implied warranty of habitability under Wis. Stat. §704.07. Landlords typically bear treatment costs unless they prove the tenant introduced the infestation. The Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) inspects on tenant complaint and can issue orders requiring licensed pest control. Wis. Stat. §704.45 prohibits retaliation against tenants who file good-faith complaints. Wisconsin Act 76 (2018) limits some local landlord-tenant rules, but habitability inspection authority is preserved.
Landlords ignoring DNS abatement orders face citations, special inspection fees, and possible rent escrow under Wis. Stat. §704.07. Tenants withholding entry can lose claims for damages.
Milwaukee, WI
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Milwaukee, WI
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