Landlord kept your deposit in Wisconsin? Find your next step.
No refund, only part of your money back, or charges you disagree with? Start with what you received, then build a response using your records and Wisconsin law.
Analysis free · Full case package $29-$49, one time · mailing optional
The deadline check is optional. See what you get
What do you need help with?
Open the situation that fits. Each route gives you something to check, something to keep, and a next step.
I received nothingNo refund and no list of deductions.
Check the trigger, then the date. Deposit less lawful withholdings due within 21 days after the termination date (or the date a new tenancy begins if re-rented sooner; or, for late vacates, the date the landlord learns the tenant left).
Keep: your deposit payment, move-out or key-return record, forwarding-address notice and any earlier written request. These establish the timeline behind your demand.
Analyze my missing refund - free →I received part of my depositSome money came back. Find out what explains the difference.
Reconcile the refund. Compare the original deposit, what was returned and each deduction. Separate charges you accept from charges you dispute.
Check the amount they kept - free →Enter the refund and deductions in the case builder. You do not need a separate worksheet first.
The Wisconsin accounting rule: Any withholding requires, within the same 21 days, a written statement accounting for all amounts withheld, describing each damage item or claim and the amount as reasonable compensation (ATCP 134.06(4)); intentionally falsified claims are prohibited and can be criminal (State v. Lasecki, 2020 WI App 36).
Keep: the refund record, deduction list and notice envelope or delivery record. If money is still unexplained, identify that gap in your written request.
I disagree with the deductionsYou have a charge list, whether or not a refund arrived.
Respond to the specific charges. Note each amount, why you dispute it, and which photo, message or record supports your position. Check the notice instructions above before choosing how and when to reply.
Check my deductions - free →The records rule in Wisconsin: No receipts requirement - but withholding is limited to tenant damage/waste/neglect, unpaid rent, tenant-owed utilities, and items in a signed Nonstandard Rental Provisions document; normal wear (including routine painting and routine carpet cleaning) may never be withheld, even if the lease says otherwise.
No move-in photos? Use an inventory checklist, inspection report, dated repair request, messages or witness accounts to explain the condition.
I already sent a demandThe landlord has not paid, or the dispute is still unresolved.
Compare the written accounting with permitted withholding grounds and reasonable amounts. A lease provision does not make an ordinary-wear charge permissible.
See the Wisconsin court route →Keep: your sent demand, delivery record and any reply. Use the court guide to check where to file, which forms to use, and the filing and service costs.
Turn the dispute into a documented demand
- Free: understand your dispute
- Add your refund, charges and records. Get a charge-by-charge analysis of the deposit rules and potential remedies under Wis. Admin. Code § ATCP 134.06.
- Optional: your case documents, $29-$49
- Your demand letter, damages summary and evidence checklist, ready to review and send with your records. Mailing is optional and costs extra.
One charge, backed by a reason and records
Fictional Wisconsin example. Assumes coverage under the cited law; not a customer outcome.
- The charge
- Repainting ordinary wall scuffs: $900
- Records to attach
- move-in photos and move-out photos
Open PDF ↗In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Prefer to write it yourself? Use the free Wisconsin letter template.
Before you call the refund late
Deposit less lawful withholdings due within 21 days after the termination date (or the date a new tenancy begins if re-rented sooner; or, for late vacates, the date the landlord learns the tenant left).
Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06; Wis. Stat. § 100.20(5) ↗Deposit statute reviewed August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules.
Check the return timeline
Optional date estimate. Read the start conditions above; a passed date alone does not establish a violation. Your date and deposit amount carry into the free analysis.
Already know the dates? Go straight to the refund and charges.
Continue to my free analysis →Questions before your next step
What should I do first if my landlord kept my deposit in Wisconsin?
Check the statutory deadline. Deposit less lawful withholdings due within 21 days after the termination date (or the date a new tenancy begins if re-rented sooner; or, for late vacates, the date the landlord learns the tenant left). Save your move-out records, any refund and the itemized statement. Compare them with the deadline and deduction rules below.
Do I need a lawyer to get my deposit back in Wisconsin?
You can write a demand yourself. If you consider a court claim, small claims court (limit: $10,000) is designed for self-represented tenants - filing fees run $94.50 under Wis. Stat. § 814.62.
What happens if my landlord doesn't return my security deposit in 21 days in Wisconsin?
Missing the 21-day deadline or the accounting violates § 100.20, so the tenant 'shall recover twice the amount of such pecuniary loss, together with costs, including a reasonable attorney fee' (§ 100.20(5)). Under Pierce v. Norwick, when no accounting was given the doubling applies to the whole deposit, regardless of the landlord's actual damages.
What can I ask to recover in a Wisconsin deposit dispute?
Double the pecuniary loss plus costs and a mandatory reasonable attorney fee (§ 100.20(5)); no cap. If no accounting was provided, damages are double the entire deposit (Pierce v. Norwick); with an accounting, doubling is subject to offset for actual damages. DATCP also takes consumer complaints, and criminal liability exists for failing to provide the statement.
Read the full Wisconsin deposit-law guide for the return, deduction and remedy rules.