Does Wisconsin require a written lease for a mobile home lot?

Yes. Under Wis. Stat. §710.15(1m), 'every agreement for the rental of a site shall be by lease,' and 'every lease shall be for a term of at least one year unless the resident or occupant requests a shorter term and the operator agrees to the shorter term.' Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.03(1) adds that 'every rental agreement shall be in writing' and a copy must be given to the tenant. This is general information, not advice about a specific lease — consider consulting a licensed attorney in Wisconsin.

Does Wisconsin cap mobile home lot rent?

No. Wisconsin sets no statewide dollar or percentage cap on the amount of lot rent. What the law controls is the structure: a written lease of at least one year (Wis. Stat. §710.15(1m)), no increase during the term, and at least 28 days' written notice of a rent or fee change at renewal (Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.03(4), 125.05(1)).

Mobile home lot rent rules in Wisconsin

Q: Can a Wisconsin park raise the rent in the middle of my lease?

No. Under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.03(4), 'rent and other charges under the rental agreement may not be increased during the term of the rental agreement,' apart from a few pass-through items like municipal fees and directly billed utilities. For a change at renewal, ATCP 125.05(1) requires the operator to furnish the proposed new terms in writing 'at least 28 days prior to the date on which the proposed new agreement is to take effect.'

Wisconsin has a dedicated park law — Wis. Stat. §710.15 (manufactured and mobile home community regulations), backed by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's fair-trade rule, Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 125 — that requires a written lease, fixes the rent for the lease term, and controls how a rent change is made. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone dealing with a specific increase should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Wisconsin.

What the statute says

Under Wis. Stat. §710.15(1m), "every agreement for the rental of a site shall be by lease," and "every lease shall be for a term of at least one year unless the resident or occupant requests a shorter term and the operator agrees." Section 710.15(2) requires that "all community rules that substantially affect the rights or duties of residents or occupants or of operators ... shall be made a part of every lease."

The DATCP rule fills in the rent terms. Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.03(2) repeats that "the initial, and each succeeding rental agreement shall be for a term of no less than one year," and ATCP 125.03(4) provides that "rent and other charges under the rental agreement may not be increased during the term of the rental agreement" — with narrow exceptions for municipal fees and directly billed utilities. For a change at renewal, ATCP 125.05(1) requires the operator to furnish the proposed new agreement or amendments "in writing, at least 28 days prior to the date on which the proposed new agreement is to take effect," with the changes "specifically brought to the tenant's attention." There is no statute capping the amount of rent.

How it works in general

A Wisconsin park resident is entitled to a written lease of at least one year, and the rent and other charges set in that lease can't be raised while the term runs. The community's rules have to be part of the lease, so a resident knows the terms up front. When the lease comes up for renewal and the park wants to change the rent or fees, it must put the proposed new terms in writing at least 28 days ahead, highlight the changes, and — on request — meet with residents about them. Wisconsin doesn't cap the amount of rent or set a percentage limit, so the lease term, the no-mid-term-increase rule, and the 28-day renewal notice govern the timing, while the market sets the figure.

Common scenarios

General examples Wisconsin park residents commonly encounter:

A park tries to raise rent partway through the lease. Rent and other charges can't be increased during the term (ATCP 125.03(4)).
A renewal arrives with a higher rent. The proposed new terms must be furnished in writing at least 28 days before they take effect (ATCP 125.05(1)).
A resident is offered only a short lease. Every lease must be for at least one year unless the resident requests a shorter term (Wis. Stat. §710.15(1m)).

Other authorities that may apply

The dedicated act (Wis. Stat. §710.15) and the DATCP rule (ch. ATCP 125) govern the lease, the rules, and rent changes; the general landlord-tenant law (Wis. Stat. ch. 704) supplies background rules. Because Wisconsin sets no rent cap, this guide flags that gap honestly. Federal law such as the Fair Housing Act can also apply.