Ending a month-to-month tenancy in Wisconsin

The rule in Wisconsin

To end a month-to-month tenancy in Wisconsin, the notice period is 28 days, set by Wis. Stat. § 704.19(3). The words: “At least 28 days' notice must be given except in the following cases.” The same period binds the tenant: the statute gives landlord and tenant one rule.

Of the 29 states verified on this site, 2 require less notice and 26 require more, counting a month as 30 days for comparison; the median is 30 days. No other verified state uses the same length.

Worked date: a notice delivered on November 10, 2026 runs its 28 days on December 8, 2026, so the notice can name December 8, 2026 or a later date as the end of the tenancy, 28 days after delivery.

Given on the rent day itself, December 1, 2026, the same notice reaches its end on December 29, 2026, 28 days later. A period stated in days is the same length in every month.

Across the border, among neighbours with a verified rule: Illinois requires 30 days, Iowa requires 30 days, Michigan requires one month and Minnesota requires one month.

Where rent is payable on a basis less than monthly, notice at least equal to the rent-paying period is sufficient (§ 704.19(3)).

After the notice: the landlord then has 21 days to return the security deposit (deposit rules), so a tenancy ending on December 8, 2026 puts the deposit deadline at December 29, 2026.

Source: Wisconsin State Legislature, Wis. Stat. § 704.19 · last checked October 21, 2026.

Giving or receiving notice

The statute sets the shortest period; a lease can add conditions such as a written form or a delivery method, and some cities add their own rules. The guide on ending a month-to-month tenancy compares how the verified states count the period.