Wisconsin Rental Fee Rules
Wisconsin rules on rental fees for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: A landlord may charge only its actual cost, up to $25, for a consumer credit report from a nationwide agency, must tell the applicant about the charge beforehand, and must give the applicant a copy. Wis. Stat. 704.085; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.05
The rules in Wisconsin
| Application / screening fees | A landlord may charge only its actual cost, up to $25, for a consumer credit report from a nationwide agency, must tell the applicant about the charge beforehand, and must give the applicant a copy. No charge is allowed if the applicant provides a nationwide-agency credit report less than 30 days old. Non-residents may be charged actual cost up to $25 for a background check (with notice and a copy). Earnest money deposits may be taken only after identifying the unit, and must be refunded by the end of the next business day if the application is rejected or withdrawn or not approved within 3 business days (or up to 21 days if agreed in writing). ATCP 134 text: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/administrativecode/ch.%20ATCP%20134.pdf. Violations of ATCP 134 allow suit for twice the loss plus costs and attorney's fees (s. 100.20(5)). |
|---|---|
| Other rental fees | No general junk-fee or total-cost-of-rent law. Limits: late rent fees only if specifically provided in the rental agreement, prepaid rent must be applied first, and no fee for not paying a late fee; lease clauses requiring the tenant to pay the landlord's attorney fees are prohibited (except court-awarded); utility charges not included in rent (and the allocation method if not separately metered) must be disclosed before signing or taking a deposit; credit-check fees capped at $25. |
Related questions
- How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee?
- What rental fees are illegal (junk fees)?
Wisconsin vs. neighboring states
| State | Application / screening fees | Other rental fees |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | A landlord may charge only its actual cost, up to $25, for a consumer credit report from a nationwide agency, must tell the applicant about the charge beforehand, and must give the applicant a copy. No charge is allowed if the applicant provides a nationwide-agency credit report less than 30 days old. Non-residents may be charged actual cost up to $25 for a background check (with notice and a copy). Earnest money deposits may be taken only after identifying the unit, and must be refunded by the end of the next business day if the application is rejected or withdrawn or not approved within 3 business days (or up to 21 days if agreed in writing). Wis. Stat. 704.085; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.05 | No general junk-fee or total-cost-of-rent law. Limits: late rent fees only if specifically provided in the rental agreement, prepaid rent must be applied first, and no fee for not paying a late fee; lease clauses requiring the tenant to pay the landlord's attorney fees are prohibited (except court-awarded); utility charges not included in rent (and the allocation method if not separately metered) must be disclosed before signing or taking a deposit; credit-check fees capped at $25. Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(8); ATCP 134.08(4); ATCP 134.04(3); Wis. Stat. 704.085 |
| Illinois | Reusable screening reports: if an applicant provides a qualifying reusable tenant screening report (prepared within the last 30 days by a consumer reporting agency, free for the landlord to access, covering the landlord's criteria), the landlord may not charge an application screening fee or a fee to access the report (since Jan. 1, 2025). For leases entered on or after Jan. 1, 2027, rental application fees (including background checks) are capped at $50; a landlord may pass through a higher actual third-party background-check cost only if it paid the cost up front and bills the applicant with receipts within 14 days (otherwise the fee is waived). Fees added on top of the application fee that duplicate screening costs or are unrelated to screening are banned. 765 ILCS 705/30 (P.A. 103-840, eff. 1-1-25); 765 ILCS 705/35(c)(1)-(2) (P.A. 104-479, eff. 1-1-27) | For leases entered on or after Jan. 1, 2027: all non-optional fees (one-time or recurring) must appear on the first page of the lease or the tenant does not owe them; listings must disclose non-optional fees, and listings/leases must say whether utilities are included. Banned: lease renewal/modification fees; fees for an eviction notice or for filing before an eviction order (court costs still recoverable); after-hours maintenance fees; fees for contacting the owner/manager or a maintenance hotline; maintenance travel fees; routine maintenance fees; pest fees where the tenant did not contribute; and move-in/move-out walk-through fees. Renaming a fee does not avoid the law; tenants may sue for injunctive and monetary relief plus attorney's fees. Already in effect: a landlord using a payment portal that charges a transaction fee must allow a fee-free way to pay rent (leases after 1-1-25), and a landlord may not require rent to be paid by electronic funds transfer (leases after 1-1-24). 765 ILCS 705/35 (P.A. 104-479, eff. 1-1-27); 765 ILCS 705/3.5 (P.A. 103-809); 765 ILCS 705/4 (P.A. 103-132) |
| Iowa | No statute — no cap, refund rule, or reusable-screening-report rule was found in Iowa Code ch. 562A. Iowa Code ch. 562A (section list checked) | No general junk-fee or fee-disclosure statute. The only statutory fee limit found is the late-fee cap (rent up to $700/month: $12/day, $60/month max; rent over $700: $20/day, $100/month max). Landlords may not charge fees or penalties for a tenant's summoning police or emergency assistance. Iowa Code §562A.9(4); §562A.27B(1) |
| Michigan | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| Minnesota | No dollar cap. A landlord may not charge a screening fee when no unit is or will soon be available. The landlord must give a receipt on request, and may not cash the fee until all earlier applicants have been screened. Before accepting the fee, the landlord must disclose in writing the screening service used (name, address, phone) and the rental criteria. The landlord must notify a rejected applicant within 14 days, naming the criteria not met. The fee must be refunded if the applicant is rejected for a reason not disclosed, or if an earlier applicant takes the unit, and any unused part must be refunded. Applications may not be denied because of a pending eviction, an expunged or nonpublic file, or an eviction that did not end in a writ. Penalty: the fee plus up to $100, costs and attorney fees. Minn. Stat. § 504B.173 | All non-optional fees must be disclosed in the lease. Rent plus all non-optional fees must be shown as the 'Total Monthly Payment' on the first page of the lease. Advertisements must include non-optional fees in the advertised total and say whether utilities are included. Penalty: treble damages plus attorney fees. Starting Aug. 1, 2026: a landlord that uses a digital payment platform must offer a free alternative when the platform is down, may not take adverse action such as eviction or late fees when both methods fail, and a violation is an affirmative defense to a nonpayment eviction. Final submetered or apportioned utility bills may not include extra fees beyond the authorized administrative and late charges. Minn. Stat. § 504B.120; § 504B.118 (as amended by 2026 Minn. Laws c. 81, § 2); § 504B.216, subd. 7a and § 216B.023, subd. 3a (2026 c. 81) |
City rules that may add to state law
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Wisconsin Rental Fee Rules FAQ
Is there a limit on rental application fees in Wisconsin?
A landlord may charge only its actual cost, up to $25, for a consumer credit report from a nationwide agency, must tell the applicant about the charge beforehand, and must give the applicant a copy. No charge is allowed if the applicant provides a nationwide-agency credit report less than 30 days old. Non-residents may be charged actual cost up to $25 for a background check (with notice and a copy). Earnest money deposits may be taken only after identifying the unit, and must be refunded by the end of the next business day if the application is rejected or withdrawn or not approved within 3 business days (or up to 21 days if agreed in writing). (Wis. Stat. 704.085; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.05)
What rental fees are banned or limited in Wisconsin?
No general junk-fee or total-cost-of-rent law. Limits: late rent fees only if specifically provided in the rental agreement, prepaid rent must be applied first, and no fee for not paying a late fee; lease clauses requiring the tenant to pay the landlord's attorney fees are prohibited (except court-awarded); utility charges not included in rent (and the allocation method if not separately metered) must be disclosed before signing or taking a deposit; credit-check fees capped at $25. (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(8); ATCP 134.08(4); ATCP 134.04(3); Wis. Stat. 704.085)
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.