QUICK LINKS
- Tenant to Landlord (End of Lease) [.pdf] – notice is required in Wisconsin at least 28 days prior to the end of a fixed-term lease.
- Tenant to Landlord (Month-to-Month) [.pdf] – notice is required at least 28 days from the next payment date in Wisconsin for month-to-month leases.
- Landlord to Tenant (End of Lease) [.pdf] – notice is required in Wisconsin at least 28 days prior to the end of a fixed-term lease.
- Landlord to Tenant (Month-to-Month) [.pdf] – notice is required at least 28 days from the next payment date in Wisconsin for month-to-month leases.
Purpose. A Wisconsin lease termination letter (“Notice to Vacate”) is a required document to end month-to-month lease agreements in Wisconsin. State law requires giving at least 28 days notice for termination. However, state law does not require notice to be given to end fixed term lease agreements on their end date.
Read further to learn more about notice requirements and the residential lease termination process in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Notice Requirements for Lease Termination by Tenant
- When a tenant wishes to end a lease that has a definitive end date, they will not have to give the landlord notice if they are ending the agreement on that date.
- With a month-to-month lease, the tenant will need to give the landlord a 28-day notice that they are going to terminate the lease agreement that they have.
- For a tenant with a week-to-week rental agreement, the tenant must provide the landlord with a five-day notice before they plan to vacate the unit.
Legally Terminating a Lease Early in Wisconsin
- If the tenant is starting active duty in the military, they will not be obligated to keep the rental agreement.
- If the rental unit is unsafe or unhealthy to live in, then the tenant is no longer obligated to keep paying the rent. This could mean that the unit has no heat, hot water, or other essentials that the landlord is supposed to take care of. If there is a major issue, the tenant will need to follow specific procedures to break the lease.
- If the landlord has violated the tenant’s rights in any way, they will be able to break the lease at any time without penalty.
- This could mean that the landlord is entering the property without adequate notice, or it could mean that they have shut off the utilities or changed the locks on the unit.
