🇺🇸 Wisconsin tenant document
Landlord kept your deposit? Check the Wisconsin return rules, then challenge withheld funds with an organized written demand, your dates and amounts, an evidence plan, and official starting points in one downloadable pack.
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Official framework
Wisconsin Statutes §§ 704.28 and 100.20(5); Wis. Admin. Code § ATCP 134.06
Wisconsin generally requires the landlord to deliver or mail the security deposit, less amounts lawfully withheld, with a written statement accounting for any amount withheld, within 21 days after the rental agreement’s termination date, with different trigger dates after an early move-out, a rerental, or a move-out after the termination date.
Read the official statute ↗Content reviewed October 1, 2026. General information only—not legal advice.
Wisconsin security deposit rules
Wisconsin generally requires a landlord to deliver or mail a residential security deposit, less amounts lawfully withheld, within 21 days after the rental agreement terminates, along with a written statement describing each item withheld and the amount for each. Deductions are limited to tenant damage, waste, or neglect, unpaid rent, certain utility and permit charges, and separately signed nonstandard rental provisions, not normal wear and tear, and Wis. Stat. § 100.20(5) provides for twice the pecuniary loss plus costs and attorney fees when a court finds a violation.
Watch your own deadline: The 21-day period is not conditioned on a forwarding address, but a landlord who otherwise complied is not in violation solely because the postal service could not deliver the deposit (ATCP 134.06(5)). Give the landlord your mailing address in writing and keep proof of when you sent it.
Check coverage: Section 704.28 applies to residential tenancies only, and ch. ATCP 134 excludes certain units, such as institutional housing, tourist or transient rentals, free or employee housing, and government-owned units. Rent prepaid beyond one month is treated as part of the deposit, and local ordinances may not add security-deposit requirements beyond the state rules.
These are general summaries, not conclusions about your situation. Review the linked official text and obtain legal advice when needed.
Deadline calculator · Normal wear and tear vs. damage · How to get your deposit back · Deadlines in other states
Wisconsin deposit dispute
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Wisconsin generally requires the landlord to deliver or mail the security deposit, less amounts lawfully withheld, with a written statement accounting for any amount withheld, within 21 days after the rental agreement’s termination date, with different trigger dates after an early move-out, a rerental, or a move-out after the termination date. Check the official statute for the conditions that apply to your tenancy.
No. The pack organizes a written demand and supporting record. The lease, facts, delivery, evidence, defenses, and any court decision control the result.
A personalized demand letter, timing worksheet, deduction dispute organizer, evidence and delivery log, and escalation-preparation sheet with official source links.
No. It identifies provisions to review and makes clear that potential enhanced remedies depend on facts and, if disputed, a court determination.
Yes. Complete the guided form to see a personalized preview. The finished five-part PDF costs $39 USD as a one-time purchase.