Rent control rules in Dane County, WI — also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances — limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Rent control is illegal in Wisconsin. Wis. Stat. §66.1015 preempts any local rent regulation; Act 67 (2011) and Act 317 (2017) further barred Madison and Dane County from capping rent increases. Market rate applies. Wis. Stat. Ch. 704 governs notice.
Wisconsin Statute §66.1015 explicitly prohibits any city, village, town, or county from enacting rent control ordinances. Acts 67 (2011), 76 (2017), and 317 (2017) reinforced state preemption and stripped Madison and Dane County of several additional tenant-protection powers, including the ability to require landlords to disclose building code violations, ban source-of-income discrimination beyond state standards, or impose local inclusionary zoning. Landlords may raise rent by any amount at lease renewal; for month-to-month tenancies, Wis. Stat. §704.19 requires at least 28 days written notice before the rent change takes effect. Fixed-term leases run to their stated end date with no mid-term increases unless the lease allows. Security deposit rules (Wis. Stat. §704.28 and ATCP 134) and habitability standards still protect tenants. Madison's Tenant Resource Center provides counseling but cannot enforce rent caps.
Rent increase without 28-day notice on month-to-month: increase unenforceable until notice requirement met. Retaliatory increase after tenant complaint: banned by Wis. Stat. §704.45, tenant may recover double damages plus costs.
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See how Dane County's rent control rules stack up against other locations.
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