Security deposit return deadline in Wisconsin
A Wisconsin landlord has 21 days after the tenancy ends to return a security deposit or send a written list of what was kept.
- Deadline
- 21 days
- What the landlord must send
- Withholdings must be itemized in a written statement (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06).
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- A tenant who suffers a loss from a violation of the state’s rental practices rules can sue under Wis. Stat. § 100.20(5) for twice the loss, plus costs and attorney fees.
The 21 days run from different dates depending on whether the tenant left at the end of the lease, early, or late.
The law
Wis. Stat. § 704.28; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06. Read the statute or the state agency’s page.
Checked against the statute in October 2026. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the deadline has passed, or the landlord kept money without a proper list, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for Wisconsin, and the deadline calculator works out your exact date from your move-out day.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
General information about Wisconsin law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.