Legal Templates

Wisconsin Rental/Lease Application

Use our Wisconsin Rental/Lease Application to screen tenants before renting your property.

Updated February 1, 2023 | Legally reviewed by Susan Chai, Esq.

If you are a landlord, listing agent, or property owner, you must screen your rental applicants thoroughly before offering a lease agreement.

We have a Wisconsin Rental Application form that you can use to ensure you do not overlook any important questions.

Use our template to ensure you have a complete rental application and review the pertinent information below regarding Wisconsin landlord and tenant law. 

Table of Contents

Wisconsin Rental Application Information for Applicants and Tenants

Renters in Wisconsin should be aware of their rights. Some of the most important points to keep in mind include the following:

  • Application Fee: In Wisconsin, the application fee is also referred to as an earnest money deposit and there is no limit to what landlords can charge. The landlord must return the full earnest money deposit to the applicant if the landlord rejects the application, does not enter into a rental agreement with the applicant or the applicant withdraws the application before the landlord accepts it. If the parties enter a rental agreement, the earnest money deposit must be returned to the applicant or applied as rent or security deposit.
  • Credit Check Fee: Landlords can charge applicants their actual cost, up to $20 for a credit check fee. If the applicant can produce a consumer credit report less than 30 days old, the landlord must accept it without charging a fee. 
  • Security Deposit: If the landlord decides to accept an applicant, they can ask for a security deposit. There is no limit to the security deposit a landlord can ask for. 
  • Pet Deposit: Wisconsin does not impose a limit on a pet deposit, but the deposit cannot be ‘non-refundable.’

Federal Law and Wisconsin Rental Applications

Under the Federal Fair Housing Act, landlords are prohibited from asking questions about the following:

  • Information on disabilities.
  • Information about gender identity, sex, or sexual orientation
  • Family status, particularly as it pertains to children
  • Race, color, or national origin
  • Any information related to religion 

Wisconsin Rental Application Information for Landlords

In addition, the Wisconsin Fair Housing Law prohibits landlords from discriminating based on these additional categories:

  • The source of income as it relates to public assistance
  • Marital status
  • Information about ancestry
  • The age of the applicant
  • Information about whether the applicant is a prior victim of stalking, sexual assault, or domestic abuse 

Authorization for Background Check

Landlords who want to conduct a tenant background check as part of the screening process must obtain the applicant’s permission. 

Background checks are useful to uncover any poor credit, eviction, and criminal history that might pose a financial or safety risk to the landlord and the rental community.

To run background checks on your applicant, you must get his or her permission. You can include a consent statement in your rental application or use our background check authorization form.

  1. Navigate to the Wisconsin Circuit Courts website
  2. Accept the terms and conditions
  3. Enter the applicant’s information

If you decide not to offer a rental agreement to the applicant based on the results of a background check or eviction search, send a rental application rejection letter explaining the reasons for your decision.

Other Resources for Landlords

Wisconsin Rental Application Statistics

According to a local Wisconsin news outlet, people filed 200 housing discrimination complaints with the state in 2021.

The number of complaints filed based on housing discrimination has increased in Wisconsin over the past few years.

Sometimes, landlords face a lawsuit because they are simply unfamiliar with the applicable federal, state, and local laws.

These complaints and lawsuits can be stressful to deal with and the best way to handle them is to prevent them from being filed in the first place. 

How to Write a Rental Application

When writing a rental application in Wisconsin, landlords must follow several steps.

They include:

  • Include the address of the property.
  • Ask for basic information from every applicant.
  • Collect a prior rental history from every applicant.
  • Ask for the employment status of the applicant.
  • Consider requesting a few character references. 
  • Do not forget to ask whether the applicant smokes or has pets.

Sample Wisconsin Rental Application Form

Use our sample Wisconsin rental application form to ensure you do not forget to ask any of the key questions listed above. 

wisconsin rental application