Can a Wisconsin park charge an entrance or exit fee?

No. Under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.04(1), 'no operator may charge an entrance fee or exit fee in return for allowing the movement of a manufactured home into or out of a manufactured home community.' The park can still charge rent, a security deposit within the cap, and the actual material and labor cost of a move or installation if that cost is set out in the lease. This is general information, not advice about a specific charge — consider consulting a licensed attorney in Wisconsin.

How large a security deposit can a Wisconsin park require?

Under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.04(1)(b), a security deposit may not exceed 'the amount of 2 months' rent or $750, whichever is less.' The deposit and any other charge must be disclosed in the written rental agreement (ATCP 125.03(1)(b)).

Can a Wisconsin park charge me for community improvements?

No. Under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.09(3), an operator may not 'require any tenant to make permanent improvements to the manufactured home community or any of its facilities, or assess any separate charge therefor' — though the operator can still require the home to be installed according to applicable installation codes.

Mobile home park fees in Wisconsin

Wisconsin controls park fees mainly through the DATCP fair-trade rule (Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 125), which bans entrance and exit fees, caps the security deposit, and requires every charge to be written into the lease. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone disputing a specific charge should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Wisconsin.

What the statute says

Under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.04(1), "no operator may charge an entrance fee or exit fee in return for allowing the movement of a manufactured home into or out of a manufactured home community." The exceptions are narrow: ordinary rent, a security deposit "not exceeding the amount of 2 months' rent or $750, whichever is less" (ATCP 125.04(1)(b)), and the actual "material and labor costs" of moving, installing, or connecting utilities if the amount or basis "shall be clearly set forth in the rental agreement" (ATCP 125.04(1)(c)).

Disclosure is required by ATCP 125.03(1), which says the written agreement "shall conspicuously set forth all terms and conditions affecting the rental of the site," including the rent and "the amount of any security deposit, installation charge, or other charge payable by the tenant," plus "the amount of the monthly municipal permit fee assessed by local units of government." That municipal permit fee is set by Wis. Stat. §66.0435(3), which a city, town, or village charges in place of property tax on a home in a community. The rule also bars several other charges: ATCP 125.06(1)(b) bars a fee "as a condition to the assignment or sublease of a rental agreement ... or ... transfer of tenancy to a buyer," ATCP 125.08(3) bars a payment "in return for permitting a tenant to leave the tenant's mobile home in the ... community upon termination," and ATCP 125.09(3) bars requiring or charging for "permanent improvements to the manufactured home community or any of its facilities."

How it works in general

A Wisconsin park can't charge an entrance fee to move in or an exit fee to move out — those are flatly prohibited. It can collect rent, a security deposit capped at the lesser of two months' rent or $750, and the actual cost of a move or installation if that cost is spelled out in the lease. Every fee has to be disclosed in the written agreement, including the monthly municipal permit fee the local government assesses in place of property tax. A park also can't charge a fee just to let a sale or transfer go through, can't charge to leave a home in place after a tenancy ends, and can't make a resident pay for permanent community improvements. The deposit and any move-in charges are the figures to confirm in the lease before signing.

Common scenarios

General examples Wisconsin park residents commonly encounter:

A park demands a move-in "entrance fee." That is prohibited (ATCP 125.04(1)).
A deposit is set above two months' rent. The cap is the lesser of two months' rent or $750 (ATCP 125.04(1)(b)).
A park bills residents for a new clubhouse or road. A required permanent improvement charge is barred (ATCP 125.09(3)).

Other authorities that may apply

The DATCP rule (ch. ATCP 125) governs entrance/exit fees, the deposit cap, disclosure, and prohibited charges; the monthly municipal permit fee comes from Wis. Stat. §66.0435(3). The general landlord-tenant law (Wis. Stat. ch. 704) and DATCP's residential rental rule (ch. ATCP 134) supply background deposit rules, and the written lease defines the disclosed charges. A resident who loses money to a violation of ch. ATCP 125 may sue under Wis. Stat. §100.20(5) and "recover twice the amount of the loss, together with costs and reasonable attorneys' fees."