Below you will find an alphabetical list of building inspection websites and phone numbers for nearly every city and town in Wisconsin. While we try our best to keep this up to date, we recommend you navigate to your local municipality's website for the most up-to-date contact information.

Pro-Tip: You can also use the shortcut CTRL + F on your keyboard to quickly search & find your city!

Building Inspectors in Wisconsin

When a refrigerator quits working, it can create costly and time-consuming issues.

Landlords are required to maintain and repair appliances that are supplied with the rented home. Wis. Stat. 704.07(2)(a)2. It is important for tenants to let their landlord know about any problems with their fridge (or other appliances) as soon as possible. Repair requests or concerns should be made in writing or you can write an email or letter to your landlord after the conversation to document what you discussed. Other steps for a repair are outlined here.  

If the fridge quits working, tenants can talk to their landlord about next steps and if any options are available. For example, could the landlord bring in a mini-fridge or is there a fridge in a vacant unit that can be moved? This should also be in writing!

Also, tenants should keep track of their extra expenses caused by the fridge not working, such as buying new food or a mini-fridge to prevent food from spoiling.

If the tenant has renter’s insurance, it may cover the replacement costs of the food lost.

If the landlord refuses to compensate the tenant or make repairs, another option may be file an action in small claims court.

According to Wis. Stat. 704.05(2), a tenant has "exclusive possession" (i.e., they are the only ones who may live in their unit) except when the landlord gives advance notice to come in at "reasonable times" to "inspect the premises, make repairs, and show the premises to prospective tenants or purchasers." A landlord may also enter without notice in an emergency.

A landlord has to give at least 12 hours advance notice to enter for inspections, repairs, or showings. A tenant can let the landlord come in with less than 12 hours notice. A landlord must always announce themselves before entering the unit. ATCP 134.09(2) 

Landlord Notice Requirements

Advance notice must be in writing, including email or text. Wis. Stat. 704.10(4), 2017 Wis. Act 317, Sec. 42, Effective 4/18/18. The tenant is not required to receive the notice (for example, during an extended absence). ATCP 134.09(2)

Announce and Identify

Before entering, the landlord must announce their presence to persons in the unit and identify themselves upon request. ATCP 134.09(2)(d), MGO 32.05(1)(f), FO 72-29

Exceptions to Advance Notice

• If the tenant, knowing the proposed time of entry, requests or consents to the entry. ATCP 134.09(2)(b)1
• If there is a "health or safety emergency."  ATCP 134.09(2)(b)2
• To protect the premises from damage when the tenant is absent. ATCP 134.09(2)(b)3
• A tenant may waive their right to advance entry notice with a NONSTANDARD RENTAL PROVISION where the tenant and landlord agree to alternative rules in writing. MGO 32.07(14)(f), MGO 32.05(1), Wis. Stat. 704.05(2), ATCP 134.09(2)(c), 2013 Wis. Act 76, Sec. 2 

Mobile Homes/Manufactured Homes

When the tenant owns a manufactured home but rents the lot (and they live in a mobile home park with two or more units), the landlord may not "enter a tenant's manufactured home without the tenant's permission and reasonable prior notice to the tenant." The landlord may enter without permission and notice if "...entry is necessary because of emergency, or to preserve and protect the manufactured home or the manufactured home community." ATCP 125.09(4)

For all parts of the manufactured home and lot rented by the tenant (not owned), the landlord must follow landlord entry laws for rentals throughout the rest of this section.

Tenant Action if Landlord Enters Without Proper Notice

• Contact the landlord in writing, citing the dates of illegal entry and applicable laws prohibiting it. ATCP 134.09(2), MGO 32.05(1)(d), or FO 72-29(4). More information on how to write a letter is here.
• File a complaint with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection at 1-800-422-7128 or by visiting their website.
• Contact law enforcement. The police may at least document the incident of illegal entry. A tenant may also call the police if a tenant is home when the landlord tries to enter illegally. In Madison, the police can give the landlord a $600 ticket if the landlord does not cooperate.

Landlord Entry Facts 

 People are often surprised to discover these facts:

• Tenants do not have the right to deny the landlord entry if the landlord has given proper notice. 
• Tenants may not require they be there when the landlord has chosen to enter. 
• A landlord may not require that a tenant not be there when the landlord has chosen to enter. 
• A tenant may always let the landlord in sooner than the 12-hour advance notice. If a landlord wants to assume they can come in quickly for a repair request without waiting for the tenant's explicit permission, they must state this in the NONSTANDARD RENTAL PROVISIONS on the lease.
• "Landlord," in these laws about entry, means the person who owns the property, the person who is leasing it out, the manager, maintenance, and a real estate agent. It can mean the owner, but it can also mean the agent of the owner. It can be anyone the "real" landlord permits to enter on their behalf. 
• The law only states that landlords may enter at "reasonable times," but does not clearly define a "reasonable time" or a maximum time window during which the landlord may enter. 

Tips for Landlords:

• It is a great idea to get some information upfront with your prospective tenant about landlord entry and anything you should know about entering their unit. A sample form is available here.
• If you know of an upcoming issue where you (or an employee or representative) will need to spend a lot of time in the rental home, address it with your tenant ahead of time. Offer incentives to gain tenant cooperation in dealing with upcoming rental home issues like lengthy repairs or intent to sell the property. 

Tips for Tenants:

• If your landlord doesn't ask, contact them in writing and tell them your preferred contact methods. You can also mention other relevant details, such as the hours you sleep (for example, if you work 2nd or 3rd shift) and essential details about your pets. 
• If something isn't working for you, a long repair or renovation, for example, then contact the landlord in writing and explain why you think their actions aren't reasonable and what you'd prefer as a way of resolving your concerns.

Here are two examples of landlord entry disputes:

Example 1:When a landlord sells a home, tenants may face challenges. Realtors, in this case, are agents of the landlords who are free to enter tenants' units as long as they follow all applicable laws. However, they may still ask tenants to move furniture, keep the home clean, and leave during showings, which does not align with landlord entry laws or tenant rights. Tenants should contact the landlord with a letter, offer compliance for a fee, or decline altogether.

Example 2: When tenants ask for repairs or renovations, they might not realize how inconvenient the process can be. Some tenants only want repair workers in their homes for a short time, even if they need the repairs. Tenants can suggest convenient repair times, but landlords are not required to comply. It is best to negotiate a solution that works for everyone, such as a hotel stay paid for by the landlord or a rent discount during the repairs. The tenant could also consider staying with family or vacationing during the repair.

Ultimately, a landlord has control over when they want to come in (as long as they give correct notice), and the tenant may file a complaint with DATCP or sue the landlord if the tenant feels that the landlord didn't comply with the laws.

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What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are tiny brown insects about the size of an apple seed. They typically spend the day in small cracks and crevices in the bedroom—often in the bed. At night, they bite and feed on the blood of the person sleeping in the bed, then return to their hiding place. Under the right conditions, adult bed bugs can survive up to one year without feeding, which is one reason it can be so hard to get bed bugs out of a home.

According to DATCP, bed bugs are found throughout Wisconsin and commonly in buildings occupied by tenants, such as private homes, apartment complexes, communal living facilities, and hotels. 

As their name suggests, bed bugs are often found in living and sleeping areas. Although sometimes associated with poor sanitary conditions, eliminating clutter helps ensure successful treatment.

Repairs are an extremely common subject of housing counseling sessions at TRC, with so many common questions. Who is responsible for what? What are the options when repairs go unaddressed for too long? What does the law actually say? What other resources exist in Dane County to support tenants and landlords with repair issues?

The following should provide helpful information to answer all of these questions. 

Landlords must: 

Under Wis. Stat. 704. 07

• Make routine repairs to the rental unit to make sure the unit is kept in a "reasonable state of repair." 
• Routine repairs include:
  •  maintaining supplied equipment (such as refrigerators, washers and dryers, heat, air conditioning, etc.)
  • Repairing plumbing, electrical wiring, machinery, or equipment that is a part of the rental unit and does not work 
  • Comply with local housing codes. 
  • Provide a working smoke detector on each floor, including the basement. If a tenant gives written notice that the smoke detector is not working, the landlord must fix it within five days. Wis. Stat. 101.145
  • Install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors in all new and existing residential buildings. Wis. Stat. 101.149
• Communicate to tenants, before they sign a lease or the landlord accepts any money from them, any building or housing code violation to which the following apply
  • The landlord must know about the violation. 
  • The violation must affect the specific rental unit the tenant is signing for 
  • The violation poses a health or safety concern. 
  • The violation still needs to be corrected. 
• Provide a check-in sheet at the beginning of a tenant's occupancy of their rental unit so that that tenant may make a note of any existing repair issues. A tenant must return this within seven days. 
• May not put any language in the lease which says the landlord may not deliver the premises in a fit or habitable condition as defined by law. 
• May not put any language in the lease which states that the landlord does not have to maintain the premises during the tenancy. 
• May not retaliate against the tenant if the tenant makes a good-faith complaint to the landlord, an agency such as the local building inspector or DATCP, or an elected public official (such as a city alder).  

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Tenants must:

• Keep the apartment in a safe, sanitary condition. 
• Keep the thermostat set at a reasonable temperature to prevent pipes and other equipment from freezing.
• Reimburse the landlord for "reasonable costs" of repairs IF the premises are damaged by the tenant's (or the guests' of the tenant's) "actions or inactions." 
  • This language in the law is why tenants need to notify their landlord when they see a repair issue begin. For example, a tenant might notice a minor mold problem and choose not to tell their landlord about it. However, one outcome is that the mold spreads and creates a significant structural problem. In that case, the landlord may ask the tenant to pay for the mold treatment. In this case, the tenant's "inactions" would be not reporting the mold problem at its onset. 
• Reasonable costs include: 
  • Materials provided or labor performed by the landlord.
  • Time the landlord spends purchasing or providing materials, supervising an agent of the landlord, or hiring a third-party contractor.
• Tenants are also usually required to keep plumbing, electrical wiring, machinery, and equipment furnished with the premises in reasonable working order if a repair can be made at a minor cost related to the rent. (An example of this is changing lightbulbs). 
• Tenants must comply with local housing codes. 
• Keep working batteries in smoke detectors and give written notice to the landlord if the smoke detectors are not working correctly. Wis. Stat. 101.145

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Under ATCP 134

Landlords must: 

• If a landlord promises repair, they must specify the date or time when the improvements will be completed. A landlord may not follow through on the promised deadline if circumstances arise that are out of their control. In that case, they must notify the tenant of the reasons and state a new deadline by which the repairs will be completed. 
• Communicate to tenants before they sign a lease or the landlord accepts any money from them if any of the following situations apply to a tenant's unit: 
  • The unit doesn't have hot or cold water. 
  • The heat in living areas cannot be maintained at least 67 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.
  • The unit does not have electricity.
  • The unit has any other significant health or safety concerns.
  • The plumbing is not in good operating condition.
  • Sewage is not in good operating condition.
• Give advance notice if they enter a tenant's unit to make repairs. Advance notice means at least 12 hours unless the tenant, upon being notified of the proposed entry, consents to a shorter period or waives the right to advance notice in a nonstandard rental provision.

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Getting Repairs Done: Options for Tenants

1. Make a list
2. Contact the landlord in writing. Typically, an email is an ideal way of doing this, but any written communication (such as a letter or text) can also work. Your written communication to the landlord should include the needed repairs and a reasonable time limit to do the work. You can base this on the issue's urgency and how long it might take to repair. If you speak in person, that's fine, but following up in writing is advisable. 
3. Keep a written record of all communications. This record should include calls, emails, and in-person conversations. It should specify dates, times, and what was discussed. Having a record helps show that tenants made every effort to resolve the repair issues directly.
4. Final written attempt. If the repair issues persist, write a letter, text, or email with a new deadline. Letters can even be sent by certified or registered mail. Inform the landlord that you can contact third-party agencies, such as your local building inspector or DATCP. 
5. If the repair issues persist, you can contact your local building inspector. We have a list of contact information for local building inspectors below. 
   1. Suppose you live in an area where there is no building inspector. In that case, you can call a fire department (if the repair concern is something like faulty wiring, which poses a fire hazard), a public health inspector, or the Department of Safety and Professional Services.
   2. The City of Madison building inspector's process involves an initial inspection of the tenant's unit (and areas to which the tenant has access, such as a mailroom, laundry room, or fitness center). The building inspector has a checklist of items that must be up to code. If anything needs to be better, the landlord is given a written deadline by which the issues must be fixed, and a reinspection occurs. Suppose the necessary repairs must still be made by the inspector's deadline. In that case, you can initiate the process of claiming rent abatement through the City's rent abatement program. You can read more about rent abatement here.  
6. Another option is contacting the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. The WI state government agency oversees many aspects of consumer-business law. The chapter of tenant-landlord law, ATCP 134, is under DATCP's jurisdiction, meaning that if you are a tenant with concerns related to the repair-focused section of this statute, you may file a complaint with DATCP. 
   1. ATCP 134 mainly deals with "promises to repair," so if your landlord made a promise to repair that they didn't follow through on, you may start the complaint process. 
   2. A note about the DATCP complaint process: 
      1. Their agency does not enforce anything in such a way that the building inspector could. 
      2. They follow up with both parties and offer mediation, which can result in a solution. 
      3. Complaints also go on file with the agency as a public record. 
      4. Finally, it may take up to 90 days to complete the complaint process, so it should not be seen as a solution to resolve repairs that significantly threaten a tenant's health and safety–that is a job for the building inspector. Think of it as another option for documenting and resolving the issue.

Are you considering withholding rent because of unaddressed repairs? 

Don't! We at the Tenant Resource Center never suggest tenants withhold rent, even when unaddressed repairs occur. Why?

• Falling behind on rent, even if it is because of withholding rent due to unaddressed repair issues, could result in the landlord taking steps to pursue eviction for nonpayment of rent or issuing a nonrenewal notice. Other important things to keep in mind: 
  • A landlord beginning an eviction, in this case, is not retaliatory. 
  • Even if you only get a notice (such as a five-day notice to cure), the landlord will still have it on record that the notice was given. 
  • You could still be subject to any lawful late fees, thereby increasing the back-owed balance.
  • Even if an eviction is only filed and dismissed, it will remain on a tenant's record for several years. Having an eviction on your record on CCAP poses a significant barrier to housing. A default judgment of eviction (where a judge or court commissioner grants a Writ of Restitution, which authorizes the Dane County Sheriff to perform an eviction) can stay on a tenant's record for 20 years. 

Are you looking to move out instead?

Consider negotiating a mutual termination agreement first. You could mention that you will not take further action–such as contacting any third-party agencies such as DATCP or the building inspector–if the landlord agrees to let you out of your lease early. 

Pros: 

• A mutual termination agreement gives a precise date by which a tenant is released from their obligation to their lease agreement. 
• You may have to pay less overall than if you break your lease. 

Cons:

• A landlord is in no way required to offer a mutual termination agreement. 
• It may require you to pay additional money or forfeit your security deposit. 

Break your lease. Breaking a lease is something tenants always have the right to do; if a lease has language that prohibits it, this renders the entire agreement void and unenforceable. In this case, you would let the landlord know when you are moving out and surrender the premises by turning the keys in. At that point, it becomes the landlord:

Pros: 

• If you are a tenant and want out of your lease, this is the easiest way to go because it does not require a landlord's permission. 
• The landlord is responsible for mitigating damages by finding a new tenant for the unit. The landlord may not legally let the unit sit vacant and make no effort to rent it. 

Cons: 

• As the tenant, you do not know how long it will take for the landlord to find someone new. 
• It also may be more challenging for the landlord to find a new tenant if the unit has significant repair issues. 

Suppose the repair issues are so severe that your unit is uninhabitable (common examples include extreme damage due to fire, flooding, or mold). In that case, you can move out under the argument of constructive eviction. 

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Useful Phone Numbers

Emergency Utility Numbers

Other Statewide Resources

Dane County Building Inspectors

Relevant Sample Letters

Repairs

Looking for additional sample letters? Check out our page here!

Do you still have more questions about Repairs?

If you can't find the answers you are looking for on our website, you may want to speak with a Housing Counselor or other staff at Tenant Resource Center. See our hours and locations here!

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Hello, my lovelies. 

As winter blasts its way into our lives, here at the TRC, our call logs fill up with questions about the cold, and the problems it causes. Here are answers to some of our more frequently asked questions.

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So, there's been a lot of water around Wisconsin lately. And, as they say, when it rains, it floods. (Or something like that). Flooding is technically a repair issue, so for more information on the overarching laws about repairs, see our repairs page for Wisconsin, or for Madison & Fitchburg.

We've been flooded with calls about this issue (pun totally intended), and we have answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. 

We've got fridge issues and heat issues lined up in our emails today, and I'm combining them for one blog post for giggles, and also for the thrill of tangential hyperlinks.

Fridges: sometimes they die. But what about all the stuff that's inside? Is there someone who is responsible for that, if it's lost? (Also, is Wisconsin unique in its meat raffles?)

Heat: it was cold this weekend! And it's supposed to be again, soon. However, not all landlords have the heat on, and frozen tenants are calling us to ask when their heat must be on (spoiler: there's no date! It just has to be warm enough to maintain 67 degrees in your house!)

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For those of us with children, I think we have all had the experience, at least once, of knowing that we are in a situation that is harmful to our children, in this very moment, and we are currently powerless to do anything about it. A friend-turned-client called me recently, in the throes of desperation: her baby had high lead levels in his blood, and it seemed like there was so very little that she could do to keep him safe. 

In the end, they were able to take steps to get their family and kiddos into a safe home, and today I'm going through those steps with you.

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When repairs get really bad, many tenants get to a point where they have Had Enough. Some internal line in the sand has been crossed, and all negotiation and reason fly out the window. And they stop paying rent. Which is a terrible idea.

We normally meet these tenants when they are astonished to find an eviction notice at their doors, citing them for unpaid rent. Frankly, eviction hearings are most often the result for tenants who find themselves in the midst of reactive rent withholding, and are shocked to discover that there is actually a way to withhold rent legally, or to reduce rent legally, during the time that repairs have gone un-fixed. If only they had known! 

But you have the opportunity, here in this very post, to learn all the things a person should know about rent withholding and abatement, so that you are as protected as you can be.