During COVID-19, Madison and Dane County operated under federal CDC and Wisconsin Supreme Court rulings rather than a local moratorium. Today no local moratorium exists, and Wisconsin Act 76 prevents Madison from imposing one independently.
Madison did not adopt its own COVID-era eviction moratorium because Wisconsin Act 76 (2018) reserved that authority to the state. Governor Evers issued Emergency Order 15 in 2020, suspending most evictions for 60 days, and the federal CDC moratorium then governed until the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down in Alabama Association of Realtors v. HHS (2021). Dane County operated rental assistance through the Tenant Resource Center and CDA, distributing federal Emergency Rental Assistance funds. No local moratorium presently exists. Tenants now rely on retaliation defenses, fair housing law, and direct assistance to manage hardship.
There is no current Madison moratorium to violate, but landlord retaliation tied to past assistance applications remains actionable under Wis. Stat. 704.45.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Madison, WI
Madison has no city ordinance restricting lawn ornaments on residential property. MGO Chapter 27 (Property Maintenance) requires general yard upkeep but does...
Madison, WI
Madison has no city ordinance regulating residential inflatable holiday displays. MGO Chapter 24 (Noise) sets residential noise standards that could theoreti...
Madison, WI
Madison has no municipal ordinance regulating residential holiday lights. Timing, brightness, and animation are governed by HOA and condo covenants under Wis...
Madison, WI
Madison requires building permits for outdoor kitchens with gas lines, electrical wiring, plumbing, or structural roofs. Permits route through Madison Buildi...
Madison, WI
Madison has no specific smoker ordinance. MGO Chapter 24 (Noise) and Chapter 7 (Public Health) provide nuisance authority for excessive smoke. Wisconsin DNR ...
Madison, WI
Madison Fire Code under MGO Chapter 34 adopts the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code (SPS 361-366) and Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 314 (Fire Prevention...
See how Madison's eviction moratorium history rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.