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Milwaukee, WI Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
§ 200-51.9, Building & Zoning Code
Info required
Owner name, contact person, address, phone
Enforcing agency
Dept. of Neighborhood Services
Penalty
$150-$5,000 per violation per day
Exempt owners
Owner-occupied one- and two-family buildings

Summary

Rental property and rental units in Milwaukee must register with the city, but the ordinance limits what can be required to the owner's name, an authorized contact person, their address, and phone number.

200-51.9. Registration of Rental Property and Rental Units. Notwithstanding the provisions of ss. 200-22.5, 200-51.5, 200-51.7 or any other real-property registration ordinance, the only information that shall be required to register a rental property or rental unit is: 1. The name of the owner. 2. The name of an authorized contact person, as defined in s. 200-51.5-2-a. 3. The address at which the authorized contact person may be contacted. 4. The telephone number at which the authorized contact person may be contacted.

Source: Milwaukee DNS — Rental Property ProgramView official code

Full Breakdown

Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 200-51.9 governs rental property and rental unit registration. It overrides the broader property-registration requirements in §§ 200-22.5, 200-51.5 and 200-51.7 (and any other real-property registration ordinance the city adopts), providing that the only information the city may require to register a rental property or rental unit is the owner's name, the name of an authorized contact person, that person's mailing address, and their telephone number. Owner-occupied one- and two-family buildings are exempt from registration under § 200-51.5, so the requirement chiefly reaches non-owner-occupied rental property. Registration is filed with the Department of Neighborhood Services.

Violations & Fines

Building-code violations, including registration failures, carry a forfeiture of $150 to $5,000 per violation per day under Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 200-19, enforced by the Department of Neighborhood Services.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information can Milwaukee require to register a rental property?
Only four items: the owner's name, an authorized contact person, that person's address, and their telephone number, per § 200-51.9, notwithstanding any broader registration ordinance.
Are all Milwaukee rental properties required to register?
Non-owner-occupied residential and commercial buildings must register under § 200-51.5; owner-occupied one- and two-family buildings recorded with the county register of deeds are exempt.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Milwaukee

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All Milwaukee rules

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Rental Registration in Nearby Cities

How other cities in Milwaukee County handle rental registration.

West Allis, WI
Significant Restrictions