Wisconsin notice periods
A Wisconsin landlord must give 28 days’ written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and the tenant must give the same. There is no separate statutory notice period for rent increases; the month-to-month termination notice is the practical minimum. For nonpayment, the landlord must serve a 5-day notice to pay or quit before filing for eviction.
The Wisconsin rules in detail
At least 28 days' written notice by either party for month-to-month (notice equal to the rent period if rent is paid more often than monthly; 90 days for agricultural year-to-year) Nonpayment: 5-day notice to pay or vacate for month-to-month tenants and leases of one year or less; a landlord may instead give a month-to-month tenant a 14-day unconditional notice to vacate, and a repeat default within a year under a lease of one year or less allows a 14-day notice.
No statute governs rent-increase notice; in practice the 28-day periodic-tenancy notice is used
5 days. The tenant may cure by paying everything owed within the period; after that the landlord may file for eviction.
Serving the notice
- Notice must be in writing. Text messages and emails count only where the lease or statute allows electronic notice.
- The clock starts when the notice is delivered, not when it is written. Mailed notices usually add days; check the statute’s service rules.
- Termination notices generally take effect at the end of a rental period. Served mid-month, a 30-day notice ends the tenancy at the end of the next full month.
- A fixed-term lease ends on its own date; these periods apply to month-to-month tenancies and to tenancies that continued after a lease expired.
Related Wisconsin rules
- Late fees: No statutory cap or grace period for residential late fees in Wisconsin; the lease controls (ATCP 134 requires fees to be disclosed in the rental agreement). Late fee calculator.
- Security deposit: No statutory limit; returned Full deposit less itemized withholdings delivered or mailed within 21 days after the tenant surrenders the premises (or, if the tenant vacates before the lease ends, within 21 days after the lease ends or a new tenant moves in). Deposit rules.
- All rules on one page: Wisconsin landlord and tenant law.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a landlord have to give a tenant to move out in Wisconsin?
28 days’ written notice for a month-to-month tenancy. At least 28 days' written notice by either party for month-to-month (notice equal to the rent period if rent is paid more often than monthly; 90 days for agricultural year-to-year) Nonpayment: 5-day notice to pay or vacate for month-to-month tenants and leases of one year or less; a landlord may instead give a month-to-month tenant a 14-day unconditional notice to vacate, and a repeat default within a year under a lease of one year or less allows a 14-day notice.
How much notice does a tenant have to give in Wisconsin?
28 days’ written notice on a month-to-month tenancy. A fixed-term lease ends on its own date unless it says otherwise.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has no specific statute. No statute governs rent-increase notice; in practice the 28-day periodic-tenancy notice is used
How long is a pay-or-quit notice in Wisconsin?
5 days. The tenant can stop the eviction by paying the full amount within that time.
Does the notice have to end on the last day of the month?
In most states, yes: a termination notice on a periodic tenancy takes effect at the end of a rental period that is at least the required number of days after service. Serving on the 15th with a 30-day requirement typically ends the tenancy at the end of the following month, not 30 days later. The calculator shows both dates.