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 — 5 of the 26 states verified here allow less time, and 18 allow more.
Same deadline as California, 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 around to inspecting. On Wisconsin's 21-day rule, these are the dates you would be working to:
| Tenant moves out | Statement and refund due by |
|---|---|
| January 31, 2026 | February 21, 2026 |
| April 15, 2026 | May 6, 2026 |
| July 31, 2026 | August 21, 2026 |
| November 30, 2026 | December 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.
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.
- Wisconsin deposit return law & letterThe landlord's deadline to return a deposit, and the itemized letter.
- Wisconsin deposit demand letterFor the tenant: whether the landlord is late, and by how many days.
- Wisconsin move-in condition reportThe walkthrough record that decides deposit arguments later.
- Wisconsin emergency plan rulesDrill frequency, filings, prescribed forms and retention, cited.
Questions people ask
- How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Wisconsin?
- Wisconsin: Itemized statement of deductions and any refund due within 21 days of the tenancy ending. (Wis. Stat. § 704.28). 21 days is on the short side — 5 of the 26 states verified here allow less time, and 18 allow more.
- Does Wisconsin require an itemized statement of deductions?
- Yes. Wisconsin requires an itemized written statement of any deductions rather than a lump sum (Wis. Stat. § 704.28).
- Do I need receipts for deductions in Wisconsin?
- No threshold verified. Wisconsin's statute, as verified here, does not set a dollar figure above which receipts are required (Wis. Stat. § 704.28). That does not make an undocumented charge safe: every deduction still has to be reasonable and documented, and a receipt or invoice is what makes it so.