Just cause eviction rules in Dane County, WI — sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances — list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
Wisconsin has no just-cause eviction law. Wis. Stat. Ch. 704 governs: 5-day cure or quit for nonpayment, 14-day unconditional quit option, 28-day no-cause for month-to-month. 2017 Act 317 preempts local just-cause ordinances. Self-help evictions banned.
Wisconsin Statute Chapter 704 sets statewide eviction rules; there is no just-cause requirement. For nonpayment of rent, landlords must serve either a 5-day pay-or-quit notice (tenant may cure once per year) or a 14-day unconditional quit for repeated nonpayment. For lease violations, a 5-day cure notice or 14-day unconditional quit applies depending on prior breaches. For month-to-month tenancies, a 28-day written no-cause notice under Wis. Stat. §704.19 ends the tenancy. Fixed-term leases simply expire; no notice is required unless the lease says so. 2017 Wis. Act 317 preempts local just-cause ordinances, meaning Madison and Dane County cannot require a landlord to state a reason. Self-help eviction (lock changes, utility shutoff, removing property) is banned under Wis. Stat. §704.95 and Wis. Stat. §799.40 and exposes landlord to civil damages and ATCP 134 penalties. Retaliatory eviction within 6 months of a habitability complaint is prohibited by Wis. Stat. §704.45.
Self-help eviction: tenant may recover double damages plus costs under Wis. Stat. §100.20. Retaliatory filing: case dismissed plus tenant damages. Skipping statutory notice: eviction denied and must restart.
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