Tenant Screening in Wisconsin

FCRA-compliant tenant screening for landlords in Wisconsin — serving Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha, Racine and every other Wisconsin market. Reports start at $24.99 with no subscription. Wisconsin-specific reporting-law overlays are applied automatically before the landlord sees any record.

What landlords in Wisconsin can include in a screening report

• Credit report and score — TransUnion VantageScore plus tradeline detail.
• Criminal background — nationwide criminal record search with Wisconsin-specific look-back limits applied.
• Housing records — sealed, dismissed, and time-barred housing-court records filtered before they reach you.
• Income verification — optional payroll + bank-link verification via Pinwheel.
• AI landlord reference call — optional AI agent calls the applicant’s prior landlord and produces a structured summary.

Housing records reporting in Wisconsin

Federal FCRA 7-year limit applies. Wisconsin Stat. § 799.205 limits public housing-record visibility in certain circumstances.

Statutory citation: Wis. Stat. § 799.205

How reporting limits interact with what you may lawfully consider is covered in what landlords can screen for and the investigative consumer report explainer.

Criminal-record reporting in Wisconsin

Federal FCRA 7-year limit applies for non-conviction items.

Fair housing in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Open Housing Law applies in addition to the federal Fair Housing Act. Source of income is a protected class statewide in Wisconsin — landlords may not refuse to consider an applicant solely because they intend to pay with a housing-choice voucher or similar lawful source.

Notable Wisconsin considerations

Source of income protections vary by jurisdiction within the state.

What Wisconsin law limits when you screen and rent

These are the statutory limits most likely to affect a Wisconsin landlord at the application stage, compiled from state statutes and reviewed August 2026. Where a limit could not be tied to a specific statute it is left out rather than estimated. Statutes change and local ordinances often add limits your state does not — this is a starting point for your own check, not legal advice, and not a substitute for counsel licensed in Wisconsin.

Rental application / screening fee

Wisconsin lets a landlord charge an applicant only the actual cost, up to $25, for a consumer credit report, plus up to $25 for a background check on an applicant who lives outside Wisconsin. Citation: Wis. Stat. § 704.085; Wis. Admin. Code § ATCP 134.05(4)

Security deposit limit

Wisconsin sets no statewide cap on security deposit amounts; state law regulates only permitted withholdings and the 21-day deadline to return the deposit after a tenant vacates. Citation: Wis. Stat. § 704.28; Wis. Admin. Code § ATCP 134.06 (no cap on amount)

Criminal history (fair-chance housing)

Wisconsin has no statewide fair-chance housing law, and state law bars cities and counties from prohibiting landlords from using publicly accessible arrest and conviction court records. Citation: No statewide statute; Wis. Stat. § 66.0104(2)(a)1.e. (local-ordinance preemption)

Local ordinances frequently add limits your state statute does not — check your city and county before you set an application fee or a deposit.

How RentalApplication.ai works for Wisconsin landlords

1. You start a screening at rentalapplication.ai/apply. Enter the applicant’s name and email; pick the reports you want.
2. The applicant gets an email with a secure link, completes the application, and authorizes the screening (FCRA § 1681b(b)(2)).
3. The applicant pays at the moment of submission (or you can land-lord-pay).
4. Reports are delivered to you in minutes (credit) to a few hours (housing/criminal). State-law overlays are applied before the landlord sees any record.
5. If you decline based on the report, we generate the FCRA § 1681m adverse-action notice for you.

This page is an informational summary, not legal advice. State and local landlord-tenant law changes frequently — verify against current statute and local counsel before relying on this content. RentalApplication.ai is a reseller of consumer reports under FCRA § 1681a(u) and does not make tenancy decisions. The landlord (the “end user”) is the party who decides whether to approve or deny an application.