Wisconsin Bans Local Rent Control (Wis. Stat. § 66.1015)

Wis. Stat. § 66.1015(1) provides that "no city, village, town or county may regulate the amount of rent or fees charged for the use of a residential rental dwelling unit." This is an express statewide preemption: local governments have no authority to cap rents or limit rent increases. A narrow exception under § 66.1015(2) lets a municipality or housing authority regulate rent in units it owns or operates, or by voluntary agreement with a private owner — but that is not general rent control. The same statute also prohibits inclusionary zoning that ties residential units to income thresholds. Because no enabling power exists and the statute affirmatively forbids it, no Wisconsin city or county can lawfully adopt a rent-control or rent-stabilization ordinance, and none does.

Wisconsin imposes no penalty on landlords for the amount of rent charged or any increase, because there is no rent ceiling. A local ordinance attempting to regulate rent would be preempted by Wis. Stat. § 66.1015 and unenforceable as beyond the locality's authority.