Wisconsin Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
Wisconsin rules on privacy, guests & animals for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No landlord-specific statute. It is a crime (Class A misdemeanor; felony if the victim is a minor) to knowingly install a surveillance device in a private place, or use one to observe there, with intent to observe a nude or partially nude person without consent; Wis. Stat. 942.08; 968.31(2)(c)
The rules in Wisconsin
| Cameras & privacy | No landlord-specific statute. It is a crime (Class A misdemeanor; felony if the victim is a minor) to knowingly install a surveillance device in a private place, or use one to observe there, with intent to observe a nude or partially nude person without consent; a 'private place' is anywhere a person may reasonably expect to be safe from being observed without knowledge and consent, and 'surveillance device' includes a peephole. It is also a crime to enter a common area of a multiunit dwelling and look into a unit for sexual gratification. Wisconsin is a one-party consent state for audio interception. Interception statute: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/968.pdf. Landlord entry generally requires at least 12 hours' advance notice under ATCP 134.09(2). Source: Wis. Stat. 942.08; 968.31(2)(c) |
|---|---|
| Guests & occupants | No statute — ch. 704 and ATCP 134 set no statewide occupancy limit and do not define when a guest becomes a tenant; the rental agreement governs, subject to local occupancy codes and fair-housing law (family status is protected under Wis. Stat. 106.50). A tenant may be evicted for criminal activity by members of the household or guests under certain conditions (Wis. Stat. 704.17(3m)). |
| Service & support animals (state law) | State fair housing law covers both trained assistance animals and emotional support animals (ESAs: animals that provide emotional support, comfort or companionship but are not trained to perform tasks). A landlord may not refuse to rent, evict, charge extra compensation, or harass because of a disability-related animal. For an ESA, the landlord may request reliable documentation of the disability and the disability-related need for the animal from a licensed health professional; for a trained animal it may request documentation as provided by statute. The tenant is liable for sanitation and damage caused by the animal. The animal may be refused if documentation is not provided, if it would impose an undue burden, or if the specific animal poses a direct threat or would cause substantial damage that cannot be reduced by another accommodation. Misrepresenting a disability or the need for an ESA to obtain housing carries a forfeiture of at least $500 (also for a health professional who misrepresents a patient's need). Federal Fair Housing Act rules also apply. |
Related questions
- Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental?
- Can a landlord limit overnight guests or roommates?
- Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal?
Wisconsin vs. neighboring states
| State | Cameras & privacy | Guests & occupants | Service & support animals (state law) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | No landlord-specific statute. It is a crime (Class A misdemeanor; felony if the victim is a minor) to knowingly install a surveillance device in a private place, or use one to observe there, with intent to observe a nude or partially nude person without consent; a 'private place' is anywhere a person may reasonably expect to be safe from being observed without knowledge and consent, and 'surveillance device' includes a peephole. It is also a crime to enter a common area of a multiunit dwelling and look into a unit for sexual gratification. Wisconsin is a one-party consent state for audio interception. Wis. Stat. 942.08; 968.31(2)(c) | No statute — ch. 704 and ATCP 134 set no statewide occupancy limit and do not define when a guest becomes a tenant; the rental agreement governs, subject to local occupancy codes and fair-housing law (family status is protected under Wis. Stat. 106.50). Wis. Stat. ch. 704; Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 134 (checked) | State fair housing law covers both trained assistance animals and emotional support animals (ESAs: animals that provide emotional support, comfort or companionship but are not trained to perform tasks). A landlord may not refuse to rent, evict, charge extra compensation, or harass because of a disability-related animal. For an ESA, the landlord may request reliable documentation of the disability and the disability-related need for the animal from a licensed health professional; for a trained animal it may request documentation as provided by statute. The tenant is liable for sanitation and damage caused by the animal. The animal may be refused if documentation is not provided, if it would impose an undue burden, or if the specific animal poses a direct threat or would cause substantial damage that cannot be reduced by another accommodation. Misrepresenting a disability or the need for an ESA to obtain housing carries a forfeiture of at least $500 (also for a health professional who misrepresents a patient's need). Wis. Stat. 106.50(1m)(im), (2r)(bg), (2r)(br) |
| Illinois | No landlord-specific statute, but Illinois law expressly protects renters: it is a crime to knowingly video record or live-stream another person in that person's residence without consent — and 'residence' expressly includes a rental dwelling (but not stairwells, corridors, laundry facilities, or other areas open to the public). Placing such a device is a Class A misdemeanor; recording is a Class 4 felony. Audio recording of private conversations without the consent of all parties is eavesdropping. 720 ILCS 5/26-4(a-5), (a-6), (a-20), (d), (e); 720 ILCS 5/14-2 | No statute — the lease governs guests, occupancy, and roommates statewide; landlords may make reasonable rules and regulations. Illinois Attorney General, Landlord and Tenant Rights and Laws, p. 1 | Illinois' Assistance Animal Integrity Act (eff. 2020) covers emotional support and service animals that qualify as a reasonable accommodation. A housing provider may require reliable documentation only if the disability or need is not readily apparent or known; documentation must be in writing, from someone with whom the person has a therapeutic relationship, and describe the disability-related need. Online certificate sellers that do no meaningful assessment do not qualify. Providers may offer a standard form but may not deny a request for not using it, may ask for documentation for each animal when more than one is requested, and may deny or rescind for undue burden, direct threat, substantial property damage, or uncontrolled behavior after an individualized assessment. Providers are immune from liability for injuries caused by a permitted assistance animal. 310 ILCS 120/5, 120/10, 120/15 |
| Iowa | No landlord-specific statute. Knowingly viewing, photographing, or filming another person in full or partial nudity, without consent, where the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, for sexual gratification, is invasion of privacy (an aggravated misdemeanor). Intercepting oral communications is unlawful unless the person is a party or one party consents. The landlord must give at least 24 hours' notice before entry (except emergencies or impracticability), enter at reasonable times, and not use access to harass. Iowa Code §§ 709.21; 808B.2; 562A.19 | No statute — the lease and reasonable landlord rules govern guests, occupancy, and roommates. Tenants may not knowingly permit anyone to damage the premises and must not disturb neighbors' peaceful enjoyment. Iowa Code § 562A.17(6), (7) | Iowa law lets a person with a disability request to keep an assistance or service animal as a reasonable accommodation; the landlord must respond within a reasonable time and in writing. If the disability or need is not readily apparent, the landlord may request supporting information, which may be a licensed provider's written finding stating, among other things, whether a provider-patient relationship (in person or telehealth) has existed for at least 30 days, the expiration date, license number, and whether a separate fee was paid for the finding. Online registrations, ID cards, patches, or certificates are not sufficient. Landlords may not request diagnosis, severity, or medical records; may require proof of licensure and vaccination; and may deny for undue hardship, fundamental alteration, direct threat, or substantial property damage. Tenants are liable for damage caused by the animal. Intentionally misrepresenting an animal as a service animal is a simple misdemeanor. Iowa Code §§ 216.8B; 216.8C; 216C.11(3) |
| Michigan | No landlord-specific statute, but Michigan law is strict. It is a felony to install, place or use in any private place, without the consent of the people entitled to privacy there, a device for observing, recording, transmitting, photographing or eavesdropping. The penalty is up to 2 years and/or $2,000, or up to 5 years for repeat offenses or for distributing the images. A 'private place' is one where a person can reasonably expect to be safe from casual or hostile intrusion or surveillance; places with public access are excluded. Security monitoring in a residence by its owner or principal occupant is allowed unless done for a lewd purpose. Eavesdropping means overhearing or recording private conversation without the permission of ALL participants. Trespassing to conduct surveillance is a misdemeanor. MCL 750.539d; MCL 750.539a; MCL 750.539b | No statute — the lease governs guests, occupancy limits and roommates. Michigan's landlord-tenant statutes don't define guests versus tenants or give roommate rights. MCL 554.139; MCL 554.601-554.616 (checked) | Michigan's Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act bars landlords from refusing to rent to, or discriminating in rental terms against, a person because of a disability unrelated to their ability to rent or maintain the property. It also bars discrimination based on use of adaptive devices or aids. Federal Fair Housing Act reasonable-accommodation rules govern emotional support animals, including no pet fees or deposits. State law also makes it a misdemeanor to maliciously harass, injure or interfere with a service animal. No state statute setting housing-specific documentation rules or a misrepresentation penalty was found in the sections checked. MCL 37.1502(1); MCL 750.50a; MCL 750.502c |
| Minnesota | No landlord-specific statute. It is a gross misdemeanor to enter another's property and secretly install or use a device to observe, photograph or record through the window or other opening of someone's home, with intent to intrude on a household member's privacy. It is also a gross misdemeanor to secretly use such a device in places like hotel sleeping rooms and other places where people reasonably expect privacy while exposed. Recording conversations is legal if the recorder is a party or one party consents (one-party consent). Minn. Stat. § 609.746, subd. 1; § 626A.02, subd. 2(d) | No statute on guests versus tenants, occupancy limits or roommate rights — the lease governs. By statute, a landlord generally cannot evict or end a lease because of a tenant's, household member's or guest's conduct OFF the premises and curtilage, unless it is a crime of violence against another tenant, a guest, the landlord or staff, or results in a conviction for such a crime. Minn. Stat. § 504B.171, subd. 2a; ch. 504B (checked) | A landlord may require documentation from a licensed professional (doctor, PA, nurse, psychologist, mental health professional, social worker or counselor, including out-of-state licensees with an existing treatment relationship) confirming the disability and the need for a service or support animal. This is not allowed when the need is obvious or already known. Online certification businesses don't qualify. Landlords can't demand medical records. No extra fee, charge or deposit may be charged for a service or support animal, though the tenant is liable for damage. A landlord with a pet fee policy must disclose this ban in the lease. Tenants may not knowingly misrepresent a disability or provide fraudulent documentation; if they do, the landlord may deny the application or animal request. Minn. Stat. § 504B.113 |
City rules that may add to state law
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Compare privacy, guests & animals in all 50 states and DC →
Wisconsin Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules FAQ
Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental in Wisconsin?
No landlord-specific statute. It is a crime (Class A misdemeanor; felony if the victim is a minor) to knowingly install a surveillance device in a private place, or use one to observe there, with intent to observe a nude or partially nude person without consent; a 'private place' is anywhere a person may reasonably expect to be safe from being observed without knowledge and consent, and 'surveillance device' includes a peephole. It is also a crime to enter a common area of a multiunit dwelling and look into a unit for sexual gratification. Wisconsin is a one-party consent state for audio interception. (Wis. Stat. 942.08; 968.31(2)(c))
Can a landlord limit guests or roommates in Wisconsin?
No statute — ch. 704 and ATCP 134 set no statewide occupancy limit and do not define when a guest becomes a tenant; the rental agreement governs, subject to local occupancy codes and fair-housing law (family status is protected under Wis. Stat. 106.50). (Wis. Stat. ch. 704; Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 134 (checked))
Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal in Wisconsin?
State fair housing law covers both trained assistance animals and emotional support animals (ESAs: animals that provide emotional support, comfort or companionship but are not trained to perform tasks). A landlord may not refuse to rent, evict, charge extra compensation, or harass because of a disability-related animal. For an ESA, the landlord may request reliable documentation of the disability and the disability-related need for the animal from a licensed health professional; for a trained animal it may request documentation as provided by statute. The tenant is liable for sanitation and damage caused by the animal. The animal may be refused if documentation is not provided, if it would impose an undue burden, or if the specific animal poses a direct threat or would cause substantial damage that cannot be reduced by another accommodation. Misrepresenting a disability or the need for an ESA to obtain housing carries a forfeiture of at least $500 (also for a health professional who misrepresents a patient's need). (Wis. Stat. 106.50(1m)(im), (2r)(bg), (2r)(br))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.