Mobile home utilities in Wisconsin

Wisconsin requires a mobile home community that bills for utilities through its own facilities to charge based on the amount used, to keep those charges competitive with the retail prices charged by public utilities, to invoice in writing showing the charge and the amount used, and to disclose the rate in the lease — and it bars an extra charge when a public utility bills the resident directly.

Published June 3, 2026

Wisconsin's DATCP fair-trade rule (Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 125) governs how a mobile home community can bill for utilities: charges have to track usage, stay competitive with retail rates, and be disclosed and invoiced. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone disputing a specific charge or outage should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Wisconsin.

What the statute says

Under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.04(3)(a), "charges for a utility service provided through the operator's facilities, if not included in the rent, shall be based on the amount of the utility service used by tenants," and the charges or the method of computing them "shall be set forth in the rental agreement under s. ATCP 125.03 (1) (b)." Those charges "shall be periodically invoiced in writing to tenants," and "invoices shall specify both the charge and the amount of the utility service used" (ATCP 125.04(3)(c)).

On the amount, ATCP 125.04(3)(d) provides that charges for a utility provided through the operator's facilities "shall be competitive with retail prices charged for the same or equivalent services by public utilities or other local sources," and "if a utility service is provided directly to tenants by a public utility or other outside source, no additional charge may be assessed for the service by the operator." A mid-term increase is barred by ATCP 125.03(4) except to pass through a supplier's increase, and the lease itself must disclose the rate (ATCP 125.03(1)(b)).

How it works in general

When a Wisconsin park supplies a utility through its own lines and bills the resident separately, the charge has to be based on what the resident actually used, it has to be invoiced in writing showing both the dollar charge and the usage, and it has to be competitive with what a public utility would charge for the same service. The park can't add a surcharge on top of a utility that the public utility already bills the resident directly. The rate or the formula has to be in the lease, and a utility charge can be raised during the lease term only to pass through an increase the supplier imposed on the park. Regulated utility service and rates remain overseen by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.

Common scenarios

General examples Wisconsin park residents commonly encounter:

A park bills a flat utility charge unrelated to use. Charges through the park's facilities must be based on the amount used (ATCP 125.04(3)(a)).
A utility bill arrives with no breakdown. Invoices must specify both the charge and the amount used (ATCP 125.04(3)(c)).
A park marks up a directly billed public-utility service. No additional charge may be assessed when an outside source bills the resident directly (ATCP 125.04(3)(d)).

Other authorities that may apply

The DATCP rule (ATCP 125.04) governs usage-based billing, the competitiveness limit, and itemized invoices; ATCP 125.03 requires the rate to be disclosed in the lease; and the Wisconsin Public Service Commission regulates jurisdictional utility service and rates. The general landlord-tenant law (Wis. Stat. ch. 704) and the written lease set the broader terms.

Frequently asked questions

How can a Wisconsin park bill me for utilities?

If the park supplies a utility through its own facilities and the cost isn't in the rent, Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.04(3)(a) requires the charge to 'be based on the amount of the utility service used by tenants,' and ATCP 125.04(3)(c) requires written invoices that 'specify both the charge and the amount of the utility service used.' The rate or the method of computing it must also be set out in the lease (ATCP 125.03(1)(b)). This is general information, not advice about a specific bill — consider consulting a licensed attorney in Wisconsin.

Can a Wisconsin park mark up my utilities?

There is a competitiveness limit. Under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.04(3)(d), charges for a utility provided through the operator's facilities 'shall be competitive with retail prices charged for the same or equivalent services by public utilities or other local sources,' and 'if a utility service is provided directly to tenants by a public utility or other outside source, no additional charge may be assessed for the service by the operator.'

Can a Wisconsin park raise my utility charge during the lease?

Only to pass through an increase from the supplier. Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 125.03(4) bars increasing rent and other charges during the term, but excepts charges 'for utility services purchased by the operator and delivered and billed to the tenant by the operator ... if the increase is solely to cover an increase in charges to the operator by the supplier of the utility service.'