Milwaukee has a Tenant Bill of Rights that summarizes protections, but Wisconsin Act 76 (2018) sharply limits the city's ability to create stand-alone anti-harassment ordinances. Tenants rely on state landlord-tenant law and ATCP 134 unfair-trade-practice rules.
Wisconsin Act 76 broadly preempts Milwaukee from adding tenant-protection requirements beyond what state law provides. The city's Tenant Bill of Rights, distributed by the Department of Neighborhood Services, mostly restates rights under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134, which forbids unfair trade practices including retaliatory rent increases, lockout, and utility shutoff. Tenants who experience harassment can complain to Wisconsin DATCP, sue under Wis. Stat. §100.20(5) for double damages, or seek help from Legal Action of Wisconsin. Milwaukee enforces building-code violations under Ch. 200 when conditions create habitability problems.
Retaliatory eviction, illegal lockout, or utility shutoff exposes landlords to double damages, court costs, and attorney fees, plus possible building-code citations when habitability is harmed.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee landlords follow Wisconsin's statewide security deposit framework. Wisconsin Act 76 (2018) and ATCP 134 require deposits to be returned within 21 d...
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee requires rental property registration and inspection through the Department of Neighborhood Services. The city's rental property inspection program...
See how Milwaukee's tenant anti-harassment rules stack up against other locations.
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