704.03(5) (5)Proof. In any case where a lease or agreement is not in writing signed by both parties but is enforceable under this section, the lease or agreement must be proved by clear and convincing evidence.
704.03 History History: 1993 a. 486.
704.03 Annotation If there is no written lease, section 704.07 applies to the obligation to make repairs. For there to be a remedy for a breach of a duty to repair other than that provided in s. 704.07, the obligation must be in a written lease signed by both parties. Halverson v. River Falls Youth Hockey Association, 226 Wis. 2d 105, 593 N.W.2d 895 (Ct. App. 1999), 98-2445.
704.05 704.05 Rights and duties of landlord and tenant in absence of written agreement to contrary.
704.05(1) (1)When section applicable. So far as applicable, this section governs the rights and duties of the landlord and tenant in the absence of any inconsistent provision in writing signed by both the landlord and the tenant. This section applies to any tenancy.
704.05(2) (2)Possession of tenant and access by landlord. Until the expiration date specified in the lease, or the termination of a periodic tenancy or tenancy at will, and so long as the tenant is not in default, the tenant has the right to exclusive possession of the premises, except as hereafter provided. The landlord may upon advance notice and at reasonable times inspect the premises, make repairs and show the premises to prospective tenants or purchasers; and if the tenant is absent from the premises and the landlord reasonably believes that entry is necessary to preserve or protect the premises, the landlord may enter without notice and with such force as appears necessary.
704.05(3) (3)Use of premises, additions or alterations by tenant. The tenant can make no physical changes in the nature of the premises, including decorating, removing, altering or adding to the structures thereon, without prior consent of the landlord. The tenant cannot use the premises for any unlawful purpose nor in such manner as to interfere unreasonably with use by another occupant of the same building or group of buildings.
704.05(4) (4)Tenant's fixtures. At the termination of the tenancy, the tenant may remove any fixtures installed by the tenant if the tenant either restores the premises to their condition prior to the installation or pays to the landlord the cost of such restoration. Where such fixtures were installed to replace similar fixtures which were part of the premises at the time of the commencement of the tenancy, and the original fixtures cannot be restored the tenant may remove fixtures installed by the tenant only if the tenant replaces them with fixtures at least comparable in condition and value to the original fixtures. The tenant's right to remove fixtures is not lost by an extension or renewal of a lease without reservation of such right to remove. This subsection applies to any fixtures added by the tenant for convenience as well as those added for purposes of trade, agriculture or business; but this subsection does not govern the rights of parties other than the landlord and tenant.
704.05(5) (5)Storage or disposition of personalty left by tenant.
704.05(5)(a)(a) Procedure. If a tenant removes from the premises and leaves personal property, the landlord may do all of the following:
704.05(5)(a)1. 1. Store the personalty, on or off the premises, with a lien on the personalty for the actual and reasonable cost of removal and storage or, if stored by the landlord, for the actual and reasonable value of storage. The landlord shall give written notice of the storage to the tenant within 10 days after the charges begin. The landlord shall give the notice either personally or by ordinary mail addressed to the tenant's last-known address and shall state the daily charges for storage. The landlord may not include the cost of damages to the premises or past or future rent due in the amount demanded for satisfaction of the lien. The landlord may not include rent charged for the premises in calculating the cost of storage. Medicine and medical equipment are not subject to the lien under this subdivision, and the landlord shall promptly return them to the tenant upon request.
704.05(5)(a)2. 2. Give the tenant notice, personally or by ordinary mail addressed to the tenant's last-known address, of the landlord's intent to dispose of the personal property by sale or other appropriate means if the property is not repossessed by the tenant. If the tenant fails to repossess the property within 30 days after the date of personal service or the date of the mailing of the notice, the landlord may dispose of the property by private or public sale or any other appropriate means. The landlord may deduct from the proceeds of sale any costs of sale and any storage charges if the landlord has first stored the personalty under subd. 1. If the proceeds minus the costs of sale and minus any storage charges are not claimed within 60 days after the date of the sale of the personalty, the landlord is not accountable to the tenant for any of the proceeds of the sale or the value of the property. The landlord shall send the proceeds of the sale minus the costs of the sale and minus any storage charges to the department of administration for deposit in the appropriation under s. 20.143 (2) (h).
704.05(5)(a)3. 3. Store the personalty without a lien and return it to the tenant.
704.05(5)(c) (c) Rights of 3rd persons. The landlord's lien and power to dispose as provided by this subsection apply to any property left on the premises by the tenant, whether owned by the tenant or by others. That lien has priority over any ownership or security interest, and the power to dispose under this subsection applies notwithstanding rights of others existing under any claim of ownership or security interest. The tenant or any secured party has the right to redeem the property at any time before the landlord has disposed of it or entered into a contract for its disposition by payment of the landlord's charges under par. (a) for removal, storage, disposition and arranging for the sale.
704.05(5)(d) (d) Other procedure. The remedies of this subsection are not exclusive and shall not prevent the landlord from resorting to any other available judicial procedure.
704.05 History History: 1993 a. 374, 486; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 33; 2005 a. 253.
704.05 Annotation Any act of the landlord that so interferes with the tenant's enjoyment or possession of the premises as to render them unfit for occupancy for the purposes for which they were leased is an eviction releasing the tenant from the obligation to pay rent. First Wisconsin Trust Co. v. L. Wiemann Co. 93 Wis. 2d 258, 286 N.W.2d 360 (1980).
704.05 Annotation An allegation in a lessee's complaint that the premises were undamaged did not relieve the lessor of the burden to prove damages. Rivera v. Eisenberg, 95 Wis. 2d 384, 290 N.W.2d 539 (Ct. App. 1980).
704.05 Annotation Landlords' liability for defective premises: caveat lessee, negligence, or strict liability? Love, 1975 WLR 19.
704.06 704.06 Water heater thermostat settings. A landlord of premises which are subject to a residential tenancy and served by a water heater serving only that premises shall set the thermostat of that water heater at no higher than 125 degrees Fahrenheit before any new tenant occupies that premises or at the minimum setting of that water heater if the minimum setting is higher than 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
704.06 History History: 1987 a. 102.
704.07 704.07 Repairs; untenantability.
704.07(1) (1)Application of section. This section applies to any nonresidential tenancy if there is no contrary provision in writing signed by both parties and to all residential tenancies. An agreement to waive the requirements of this section in a residential tenancy is void. Nothing in this section is intended to affect rights and duties arising under other provisions of the statutes.
704.07(2) (2)Duty of landlord.
704.07(2)(a)(a) Except for repairs made necessary by the negligence of, or improper use of the premises by, the tenant, the landlord has a duty to do all of the following:
704.07(2)(a)1. 1. Keep in a reasonable state of repair portions of the premises over which the landlord maintains control.
704.07(2)(a)2. 2. Keep in a reasonable state of repair all equipment under the landlord's control necessary to supply services that the landlord has expressly or impliedly agreed to furnish to the tenant, such as heat, water, elevator, or air conditioning.
704.07(2)(a)3. 3. Make all necessary structural repairs.
704.07(2)(a)4. 4. Except for residential premises subject to a local housing code, and except as provided in sub. (3) (b), repair or replace any plumbing, electrical wiring, machinery, or equipment furnished with the premises and no longer in reasonable working condition.
704.07(2)(a)5. 5. For a residential tenancy, comply with any local housing code applicable to the premises.
704.07(2)(b) (b) If the premises are part of a building, other parts of which are occupied by one or more other tenants, negligence or improper use by one tenant does not relieve the landlord from the landlord's duty as to the other tenants to make repairs as provided in par. (a).
704.07(2)(c) (c) If the premises are damaged by fire, water or other casualty, not the result of the negligence or intentional act of the landlord, this subsection is inapplicable and either sub. (3) or (4) governs.
704.07(3) (3)Duty of tenant.
704.07(3)(a)(a) If the premises are damaged by the negligence or improper use of the premises by the tenant, the tenant must repair the damage and restore the appearance of the premises by redecorating. However, the landlord may elect to undertake the repair or redecoration, and in such case the tenant must reimburse the landlord for the reasonable cost thereof; the cost to the landlord is presumed reasonable unless proved otherwise by the tenant.
704.07(3)(b) (b) Except for residential premises subject to a local housing code, the tenant is also under a duty to keep plumbing, electrical wiring, machinery and equipment furnished with the premises in reasonable working order if repair can be made at cost which is minor in relation to the rent.
704.07(3)(c) (c) A tenant in a residential tenancy shall comply with a local housing code applicable to the premises.
704.07(4) (4)Untenantability. If the premises become untenantable because of damage by fire, water or other casualty or because of any condition hazardous to health, or if there is a substantial violation of sub. (2) materially affecting the health or safety of the tenant, the tenant may remove from the premises unless the landlord proceeds promptly to repair or rebuild or eliminate the health hazard or the substantial violation of sub. (2) materially affecting the health or safety of the tenant; or the tenant may remove if the inconvenience to the tenant by reason of the nature and period of repair, rebuilding or elimination would impose undue hardship on the tenant. If the tenant remains in possession, rent abates to the extent the tenant is deprived of the full normal use of the premises. This section does not authorize rent to be withheld in full, if the tenant remains in possession. If the tenant justifiably moves out under this subsection, the tenant is not liable for rent after the premises become untenantable and the landlord must repay any rent paid in advance apportioned to the period after the premises become untenantable. This subsection is inapplicable if the damage or condition is caused by negligence or improper use by the tenant.
704.07 History History: 1981 c. 286; 1993 a. 213, 486, 491; 2001 a. 103.
704.07 Annotation The remedy provided to the lessor by sub. (3) does not exclude diminution of market value as an alternative method of computing damages, and although the former is to be preferred where the property is easily repairable and the latter where the injury does not destroy the property, evidence of each method may be introduced by either party with the lesser amount awardable as the proper measure of damages. Laska v. Steinpreis, 69 Wis. 2d 307, 231 N.W.2d 196 (1975).
704.07 Annotation A landlord must exercise ordinary care toward tenants and others on leased premises with permission. Pagelsdorf v. Safeco Insurance Co. of America, 91 Wis. 2d 734, 284 N.W.2d 55 (1979).
704.07 Annotation Sub. (3) (a) requires a tenant to pay for damage that the tenant negligently causes to a landlord's property regardless of whether the landlord or landlord's insurer initially pays for the damage. Bennett v. West Bend Mutual Insurance Co. 200 Wis. 2d 313, 546 N.W.2d 204 (Ct. App. 1996), 95-2673.
704.07 Annotation If there is no written lease, section 704.07 applies to the obligation to make repairs. For there to be a remedy for a breach of a duty to repair other than that provided in s. 704.07, the obligation must be in a written lease signed by both parties. Halverson v. River Falls Youth Hockey Association, 226 Wis. 2d 105, 593 N.W.2d 895 (Ct. App. 1999), 98-2445.
704.07 Annotation Sub. (2) does not authorize an independent cause of action for defective conditions that do not rise to the level of a health or safety hazard, but are nonetheless the result of the failure of a landlord to maintain equipment in a reasonable state of repair. Sub. (4) is the exclusive remedy for violations of sub. (2). Zehner v. Village of Marshall, 2006 WI App 6, 288 Wis. 2d 660, 709 N.W.2d 64, 04-2789.
704.07 Annotation Sub. (2) (a) 3. does not require the landlord to make all structural repairs, only all necessary structural repairs, and implies that the landlord will have some notice of the defect, latent or obvious, so that he or she can evaluate whether a repair is, in fact, a necessary repair. Raymaker v. American Family Mutual Insurance Co. 2006 WI App 117, 293 Wis. 2d 392, 718 N.W.2d 154, 05-1557.
704.07 Annotation Nothing in the history of the section suggests any intent by the legislature to impose negligence per se for a violation of this section. Rather, the legislature intended only to alter the common law rule to make the landlord and tenant more evenly share the duties of repair. Sub. (4) provides the tenant with the remedy of rent abatement if the landlord fails to fulfill his or her repair duties and to the extent the tenant is deprived of use of the premises, but this section does not provide a private cause of action. Raymaker v. American Family Mutual Insurance Co. 2006 WI App 117, 293 Wis. 2d 392, 718 N.W.2d 154, 05-1557.
704.07 Annotation An appliance that cannot be used as intended without creating a risk of fire or electrocution is not in reasonable working condition and constitutes a substantial violation materially affecting the health or safety of the tenant under sub. (4), entitling the tenant to rent abatement. Boelter v. Tschantz, 2010 WI App 18, 323 Wis. 2d 208, 779 N.W.2d 467, 09-1011.
704.07 Annotation Landlord and tenant law — the implied warranty of habitability in residential leases. 58 MLR 191.
704.07 Annotation Landlord no longer immune from tort liability for failure to exercise reasonable care in maintaining premises. 64 MLR 563 (1981).
704.09 704.09 Transferability; effect of assignment or transfer; remedies.
704.09(1)(1)Transferability of interest of tenant or landlord. A tenant under a tenancy at will or any periodic tenancy less than year-to-year may not assign or sublease except with the agreement or consent of the landlord. The interest of any other tenant or the interest of any landlord may be transferred except as the lease expressly restricts power to transfer. A lease restriction on transfer is construed to apply only to voluntary transfer unless there is an express restriction on transfer by operation of law.
704.09(2) (2)Effect of transfer on liability of transferor. In the absence of an express release or a contrary provision in the lease, transfer or consent to transfer does not relieve the transferring party of any contractual obligations under the lease, except in the special situation governed by s. 704.25 (5).
704.09(3) (3)Covenants which apply to transferee. All covenants and provisions in a lease which are not either expressly or by necessary implication personal to the original parties are enforceable by or against the successors in interest of any party to the lease. However, a successor in interest is liable in damages, or entitled to recover damages, only for a breach which occurs during the period when the successor holds his or her interest, unless the successor has by contract assumed greater liability; a personal representative may also recover damages for a breach for which the personal representative's decedent could have recovered.
704.09(4) (4)Same procedural remedies. The remedies available between the original landlord and tenant are also available to or against any successor in interest to either party.
704.09(5) (5)Consent as affecting subsequent transfers. If a lease restricts transfer, consent to a transfer or waiver of a breach of the restriction is not a consent or waiver as to any subsequent transfers.
704.09 History History: 1971 c. 211 s. 126; 1993 a. 486.
704.11 704.11 Lien of landlord. Except as provided in ss. 704.05 (5), 704.90 and 779.43 or by express agreement of the parties, the landlord has no right to a lien on the property of the tenant; the common-law right of a landlord to distrain for rent is abolished.
704.11 History History: 1979 c. 32 s. 92 (9); 1987 a. 23 s. 2.
704.13 704.13 Acts of tenant not to affect rights of landlord. No act of a tenant in acknowledging as landlord a person other than the tenant's original landlord or the latter's successors in interest can prejudice the right of the original landlord or the original landlord's successors to possession of the premises.
704.13 History History: 1993 a. 486.
704.15 704.15 Requirement that landlord notify tenant of automatic renewal clause. A provision in a lease of residential property that the lease shall be automatically renewed or extended for a specified period unless the tenant or either party gives notice to the contrary prior to the end of the lease is not enforceable against the tenant unless the lessor, at least 15 days but not more than 30 days prior to the time specified for the giving of such notice to the lessor, gives to the tenant written notice in the same manner as specified in s. 704.21 calling the attention of the tenant to the existence of the provision in the lease for automatic renewal or extension.
704.15 History History: 1993 a. 486.
704.16 704.16 Termination of tenancy for imminent threat of serious physical harm; changing locks.
704.16(1) (1)Terminating tenancy by tenant. A residential tenant may terminate his or her tenancy and remove from the premises if both of the following apply:
704.16(1)(a) (a) The tenant or a child of the tenant faces an imminent threat of serious physical harm from another person if the tenant remains on the premises.
704.16(1)(b) (b) The tenant provides the landlord with notice in the manner provided under s. 704.21 and with a certified copy of any of the following:
704.16(1)(b)1. 1. An injunction order under s. 813.12 (4) protecting the tenant from the person.
704.16(1)(b)2. 2. An injunction order under s. 813.122 protecting a child of the tenant from the person.
704.16(1)(b)3. 3. An injunction order under s. 813.125 (4) protecting the tenant or a child of the tenant from the person, based on the person's engaging in an act that would constitute sexual assault under s. 940.225, 948.02, or 948.025, or stalking under s. 940.32, or attempting or threatening to do the same.
704.16(1)(b)4. 4. A condition of release under ch. 969 ordering the person not to contact the tenant.
704.16(1)(b)5. 5. A criminal complaint alleging that the person sexually assaulted the tenant or a child of the tenant under s. 940.225, 948.02, or 948.025.
704.16(1)(b)6. 6. A criminal complaint alleging that the person stalked the tenant or a child of the tenant under s. 940.32.
704.16(1)(b)7. 7. A criminal complaint that was filed against the person as a result of the person being arrested for committing a domestic abuse offense against the tenant under s. 968.075.
704.16(2) (2)Not liable for rent. If a residential tenant removes from the premises because of a threat of serious physical harm to the tenant or to a child of the tenant from another person and provides the landlord with a certified copy specified under sub. (1) and with notice that complies with s. 704.21, the tenant shall not be liable for any rent after the end of the month following the month in which he or she provides the notice or removes from the premises, whichever is later. The tenant's liability for rent under this subsection is subject to the landlord's duty to mitigate damages as provided in s. 704.29 (2).
704.16(3) (3)Termination of tenancy by landlord.
704.16(3)(a)(a) In this subsection, "offending tenant" is a tenant whose tenancy is being terminated under this subsection.
704.16(3)(b) (b) A landlord may terminate the tenancy of an offending tenant if all of the following apply:
704.16(3)(b)1. 1. The offending tenant commits one or more acts, including verbal threats, that cause another tenant, or a child of that other tenant, who occupies a dwelling unit in the same single-family rental unit, multiunit dwelling, or apartment complex as the offending tenant to face an imminent threat of serious physical harm from the offending tenant if the offending tenant remains on the premises.
704.16(3)(b)2. 2. The offending tenant is the named offender in any of the following:
704.16(3)(b)2.a. a. An injunction order under s. 813.12 (4) protecting the other tenant from the offending tenant.
704.16(3)(b)2.b. b. An injunction order under s. 813.122 protecting the child of the other tenant from the offending tenant.
704.16(3)(b)2.c. c. An injunction order under s. 813.125 (4) protecting the other tenant or the child of the other tenant from the offending tenant, based on the offending tenant's engaging in an act that would constitute sexual assault under s. 940.225, 948.02, or 948.025, or stalking under s. 940.32, or attempting or threatening to do the same.
704.16(3)(b)2.d. d. A condition of release under ch. 969 ordering the offending tenant not to contact the other tenant.
704.16(3)(b)2.e. e. A criminal complaint alleging that the offending tenant sexually assaulted the other tenant or the child of the other tenant under s. 940.225, 948.02, or 948.025.
704.16(3)(b)2.f. f. A criminal complaint alleging that the offending tenant stalked the other tenant or the child of the other tenant under s. 940.32.
704.16(3)(b)2.g. g. A criminal complaint that was filed against the offending tenant as a result of the offending tenant being arrested for committing a domestic abuse offense against the other tenant under s. 968.075.
704.16(3)(b)3. 3. The landlord gives the offending tenant written notice that complies with s. 704.21 requiring the offending tenant to vacate on or before a date that is at least 5 days after the giving of the notice. The notice shall state the basis for its issuance and the right of the offending tenant to contest the termination of tenancy in an eviction action under ch. 799. If the offending tenant contests the termination of tenancy, the tenancy may not be terminated without proof by the landlord by the greater preponderance of the credible evidence of the allegations against the offending tenant.
704.16(4) (4)Changing locks.
704.16(4)(a)(a) Subject to pars. (b) and (c), regardless of whether sub. (1) applies, at the request of a residential tenant who provides the landlord with a certified copy of a document specified in sub. (1) (b) 1. to 7., a landlord shall change the locks to the tenant's premises.
704.16(4)(b) (b) A landlord shall have the locks changed, or may give the tenant permission to change the locks, within 48 hours after receiving a request and certified copy under par. (a). The tenant shall be responsible for the cost of changing the locks. If the landlord gives the tenant permission to change the locks, within a reasonable time after any lock has been changed the tenant shall provide the landlord with a key for the changed lock.
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