Wisconsin Statewide Ban on Municipal Rent Control

Under Wis. Stat. 66.1015, no Wisconsin municipality may enact rent control of any kind on private residential dwellings. The statute also bars inclusionary zoning that would force developers to set aside affordable units, and Wisconsin courts have extended the ban to zoning conditions that effectively require affordable pricing through development approval. Local governments and housing authorities may still set rents on housing they own or operate, and may enter voluntary agreements with private parties who choose to limit their own rents. Outside those narrow exceptions, every attempt by a Wisconsin city or county to cap rent, limit increases, or condition approvals on affordability is preempted as a matter of state law.

Local rent-control ordinances are void and unenforceable. Landlords or developers may sue to invalidate them, and municipalities risk attorney-fee awards for adopting preempted regulations.