Landlord Retaliation Laws in Wisconsin

Wisconsin bars a landlord from raising rent, cutting services, refusing to renew, evicting or threatening these acts in retaliation for good-faith code complaints, complaints to the landlord or exercising a tenancy right; the statute sets no presumption period.

Last checked October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Retaliation banned by statute: Yes; A landlord may still evict for unpaid rent other than a prohibited rent increase.
Presumption period: No presumption period; Wis. Stat. 704.45 sets no time window; the tenant must show by a preponderance of evidence that the action would not occur but for retaliation.
Protected tenant actions: Code complaints, complaints to landlord, tenancy rights; Covers good-faith code complaints, complaints to the landlord and exercising a tenancy right. Complaints may go to an elected official or local housing code agency.

Sources

Last checked October 2026

The rules in Wisconsin

Does Wisconsin law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

Yes. Retaliation banned by statute in Wisconsin: yes. A landlord may still evict for unpaid rent other than a prohibited rent increase.

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in Wisconsin?

Presumption period in Wisconsin: No presumption period. Wis. Stat. 704.45 sets no time window; the tenant must show by a preponderance of evidence that the action would not occur but for retaliation.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in Wisconsin?

Protected tenant actions in Wisconsin: Code complaints, complaints to landlord, tenancy rights. Covers good-faith code complaints, complaints to the landlord and exercising a tenancy right. Complaints may go to an elected official or local housing code agency.

Where do the Wisconsin landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from Wis. Stat. 704.45 and Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(5). Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(5) also bars retaliation, including for ATCP 134 complaints.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.

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