Wisconsin · verified 2026-07-23

Wisconsin security deposit deadline & deductions

You have 21 days — within 21 days of tenancy ending

Deadline
21 days
Itemized statement
Required by statute
Receipts
No threshold verified
Statute
Wis. Stat. § 704.28

21 days is on the short side — 2 of the 26 states verified here allow less time, and 20 allow more.

Same deadline as California, Connecticut, Minnesota.

Itemized statement of deductions and any refund due within 21 days of the tenancy ending.

When the Wisconsin clock runs out

The deadline runs from the end of the tenancy, not from when you get round to inspecting. On Wisconsin's 21-day rule, these are the dates you would be working to:

Tenant moves outStatement and refund due by
January 31, 2026February 21, 2026
April 15, 2026May 6, 2026
July 31, 2026August 21, 2026
November 30, 2026December 21, 2026

Does Wisconsin require an itemized statement?

Yes — Wisconsin requires an itemized written statement of any deductions rather than a lump sum, under Wis. Stat. § 704.28. Each charge needs to stand on its own: what was damaged, and what it cost to put right.

What you can actually charge for

Wisconsin statute sets the deadline and the paperwork; it does not publish a table of what a worn carpet is worth. The defensible method — charging only the useful life the tenant used up early, and excluding normal wear — is the same in every state, and is explained on the calculator, which builds the itemized statement and puts the Wisconsin deadline on it.

Work out Wisconsin deductions →

Next: Wisconsin deposit return letter · move-in report · every state’s deadline

Wisconsin rule last checked 2026-07-23 against Wis. Stat. § 704.28. General information, not legal advice — confirm the current statute before sending a deduction statement.

Everything else we’ve researched about Wisconsin

Same state, the problems either side of this one. Each carries its own statute and the date we last checked it.