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Glendale is a suburb of roughly 13,000 residents located in Milwaukee County, directly north of the City of Milwaukee. A meaningful share of Glendale's housing stock is renter-occupied, and many tenants commute into the greater Milwaukee metro while seeking relatively affordable suburban rents. Renters in Glendale most commonly search for information on security deposit returns, repair obligations, and what steps a landlord must follow before filing for eviction.
All tenant-landlord relationships in Glendale are governed by Wisconsin's comprehensive landlord-tenant statute, Wis. Stat. Chapter 704, along with the Wisconsin Administrative Code (ATCP 134), which adds important consumer-protection rules around disclosures and deposit handling. Glendale itself has not enacted any supplemental tenant-protection ordinances beyond what state law requires.
This article is intended as general legal information only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws can change, and your individual circumstances may affect your rights. If you face a housing emergency, contact one of the legal aid organizations listed at the bottom of this page.
Rent control does not exist anywhere in Wisconsin, including Glendale. Wisconsin state law explicitly prohibits local governments from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any ordinance that controls the amount of rent charged for residential housing. This preemption is codified at Wis. Stat. § 66.1015, which states that no city, village, town, or county may enact such a regulation.
In practice, this means Glendale cannot pass a rent stabilization ordinance even if the city council wanted to. Landlords in Glendale are free to increase rent by any dollar amount between lease terms, provided they give the required advance written notice (28 days for month-to-month tenancies under Wis. Stat. § 704.19). There is no cap on annual increases, no requirement to justify an increase, and no city agency that tracks or approves rent hikes.
Renters approaching a lease renewal should carefully review any rent increase notice and compare it against the local rental market before deciding whether to accept or look elsewhere. Because no local protection exists, the primary defense against large increases is negotiation with the landlord or choosing not to renew.
Wisconsin's Wis. Stat. Chapter 704 and Wisconsin Administrative Code ATCP 134 provide a detailed set of protections that apply to every Glendale renter.
Security Deposits (Wis. Stat. § 704.28; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06): Wisconsin imposes no statutory cap on the deposit amount a landlord may collect. However, once you vacate, the landlord must return the deposit — along with a written, itemized statement of any deductions — within 21 days. If the landlord wrongfully withholds any portion, you are entitled to twice the amount improperly withheld plus reasonable attorney's fees. ATCP 134.06 also requires landlords to give new tenants a check-in sheet and notify them in writing of any pre-existing damages before or at the start of the tenancy.
Habitability & Repairs (Wis. Stat. § 704.07): Landlords must keep rental units in a reasonable state of repair, maintain compliance with applicable housing codes, and ensure essential services (heat, plumbing, electricity) remain functional. After receiving written notice of a defect, the landlord has a reasonable time to make repairs. If the landlord fails to act, tenants may have the right to withhold rent, make repairs and deduct the cost, or terminate the lease — depending on the severity of the condition.
Notice to Terminate (Wis. Stat. § 704.19): A landlord must give a month-to-month tenant at least 28 days' written notice before terminating the tenancy. The notice must clearly state the termination date. A tenant wishing to end a month-to-month tenancy must provide the same 28-day written notice to the landlord.
Anti-Retaliation (Wis. Stat. § 704.45): Landlords may not increase rent, reduce services, threaten eviction, or take other adverse action against a tenant in retaliation for reporting housing code violations, contacting a government agency, or exercising any other legal right. Wisconsin law creates a rebuttable presumption of retaliation if the adverse action occurs within six months of a protected act. A tenant may raise retaliation as a defense in eviction proceedings.
Lockout Prohibition (Wis. Stat. § 704.11): It is illegal for a Glendale landlord to remove a tenant by changing the locks, removing doors or windows, shutting off utilities, or removing the tenant's personal property without a court order. A tenant subjected to an unlawful lockout may recover punitive damages of up to two months' rent, plus actual damages, under Wis. Stat. § 704.11.
Wisconsin law, specifically Wis. Stat. § 704.28 and Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06, governs every aspect of the security deposit process for Glendale rentals.
Amount: There is no statutory cap on how large a security deposit a Glendale landlord may require. Landlords commonly ask for one month's rent, but the amount is negotiable.
Move-In Protections: Before or at the start of the tenancy, the landlord must provide you with a written check-in sheet listing any pre-existing damages to the unit (ATCP 134.06(1)). You have the right to note additional defects and return the sheet. This document is critical evidence if the landlord later tries to charge you for damage you did not cause.
Return Deadline: After you vacate, your landlord has exactly 21 days to mail or deliver the deposit (or the balance after lawful deductions) along with a written, itemized list of any amounts withheld and the reason for each deduction (Wis. Stat. § 704.28(4)).
Allowable Deductions: Landlords may deduct for unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, unpaid utilities the tenant was responsible for, and certain other costs permitted under ATCP 134.06. Deductions for normal wear and tear — such as minor scuffs or carpet aging — are not permitted.
Penalty for Wrongful Withholding: If your landlord fails to return the deposit within 21 days, fails to provide an itemized statement, or improperly withholds any portion, you are entitled to recover twice the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney's fees under Wis. Stat. § 704.28(4). You may file a small claims action in Milwaukee County Circuit Court to pursue this remedy.
Evictions in Glendale follow the procedure established by Wis. Stat. Chapter 799 (small claims procedure) and Wis. Stat. § 704.17 (notices). Wisconsin does not require a landlord to have 'just cause' to end a month-to-month tenancy, but all evictions must go through the court system — a landlord may never remove a tenant by force or self-help.
Step 1 — Written Notice: Before filing for eviction, the landlord must serve the tenant with a written notice. The type and length of notice depend on the reason:
Step 2 — Eviction Complaint: If the tenant does not comply with the notice, the landlord may file a summons and complaint for eviction in Milwaukee County Circuit Court (small claims). The tenant is served and given notice of the hearing date.
Step 3 — Court Hearing: At the hearing, both parties may present evidence. If the court rules for the landlord, it issues a judgment for eviction and a writ of restitution. The writ typically gives the tenant a brief period (often 5 days) to vacate before the Milwaukee County Sheriff can execute the lockout.
Self-Help Eviction is Illegal: Under Wis. Stat. § 704.11, a landlord may not change locks, remove doors, shut off utilities, or remove the tenant's belongings to force them out without a court order. Doing so exposes the landlord to punitive damages of up to two months' rent plus actual damages.
Retaliation Defense: Under Wis. Stat. § 704.45, a tenant may raise unlawful retaliation as a defense if the eviction was filed within six months of the tenant reporting a housing code violation or exercising another legal right.
The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Tenant-landlord laws in Wisconsin, including statutes cited here, may change, and local enforcement practices may vary. Every renter's situation is different, and the application of these laws to your specific circumstances may differ from the general descriptions provided. For advice about your particular situation, consult a licensed Wisconsin attorney or contact one of the legal aid organizations listed above. RentCheckMe is not a law firm and does not represent any individual renter or landlord.
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