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Tools · Security Deposit

Wisconsin Security Deposit Calculator (2026)

Enter your rent and move-out date to see the most a Wisconsin landlord can charge and the exact date your deposit is due back — no statutory cap here, returned 21 days after the lease ends and the tenant surrenders the unit; if the tenant leaves early or is evicted, the 21 days runs from when the lease ends or, if the landlord re-rents sooner, when the new tenant moves in.

Cited to Wis. Stat. §704.28; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP §134.06; Wis. Stat. §100.20(5)Source: Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06 (return + itemization) with Wis. Stat. 704.28 (withholding) and 100.20(5) (double damages).

Wisconsin security deposit calculator

Security deposit · Wisconsin
Wisconsin rule applied to your numbers
Maximum deposit
No cap
Wisconsin sets no statutory maximum; your lease sets the amount. Neither Wis. Stat. 704.28 nor Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06 sets a maximum deposit. A landlord may require any amount agreed in the lease, so long as the practice is not discriminatory.
Return deadline
21 days
21 days after the lease ends and the tenant surrenders the unit; if the tenant leaves early or is evicted, the 21 days runs from when the lease ends or, if the landlord re-rents sooner, when the new tenant moves in. Enter your move-out date for the exact deadline.

These are the Wisconsin figures applied to what you entered: a plain summary of the rule and the dates, not a determination that anyone did or did not comply.

If a deposit is wrongly kept
A landlord who violates the security deposit rules can be sued under Wis. Stat. 100.20(5) for double the amount wrongfully withheld, plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees. Because a violation of ATCP 134.06 is treated as an unfair trade practice, a landlord who intentionally fails to provide the required statement can also face criminal exposure under Wis. Stat. 100.26(3).
Interest on the deposit
Wisconsin does not require a landlord to pay interest on a security deposit. State law also removed the ability of local governments to impose an interest requirement, so this is uniform statewide.

Informational only, not legal advice. Security-deposit rules carry exceptions (lease type, small landlords, city ordinances) this summary cannot weigh. See the full statute and exceptions on the Wisconsin security deposit reference, cited to Wis. Stat. §704.28; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP §134.06; Wis. Stat. §100.20(5).

How Wisconsin security deposits work

Wisconsin splits its security deposit rules between two places, and the important one is not the statute you would expect. The main withholding rule sits in Wis. Stat. 704.28, but the 21-day return deadline and the itemization requirement live in the administrative code at ATCP 134.06, a consumer protection regulation. A landlord must return your deposit, minus any lawful deductions, within 21 days after your lease ends and you move out, and must include a written statement listing every charge. There is no cap on how much a landlord can require up front. If a landlord breaks these rules, you can sue under Wis. Stat. 100.20(5) for double the amount wrongfully withheld plus your court costs and attorney fees. A landlord can only keep money for unpaid rent, tenant damage beyond normal wear and tear, and a few specific unpaid charges like utilities.

This calculator shows the Wisconsin figures applied to your own rent and dates. It is informational only and not legal advice — exceptions this summary cannot weigh may apply. For the full rules, penalties, and citations, see the Wisconsin security deposit reference.

Security deposit calculators for other states

Same tool, each with its own cap and return deadline.