Richland County is a south-central Wisconsin county of approximately 17,500 residents occupying some of the most dramatic Driftless Area terrain in the state — deep coulees, towering limestone ridges, spring-fed streams, and the Wisconsin River that forms much of the county’s eastern boundary. The county seat of Richland Center, with approximately 5,000 residents, is the county’s governmental, commercial, and cultural hub and carries a distinction that gives it outsized historical significance: it is the birthplace of Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most influential architects in American history. Wright was born in Richland Center in 1867 and the A.D. German Warehouse, a prairie-style warehouse designed by Wright and built in Richland Center in 1915–1921, is one of very few Wright buildings in his hometown. The county’s economy is anchored by dairy agriculture — the rugged Driftless landscape supports pasture-based dairy farming that has sustained the county’s agricultural character for generations — along with county government, education, and healthcare. The Wisconsin River corridor along the county’s eastern edge provides some recreational tourism activity including the Kickapoo Valley Reserve and the Blue River area that attract outdoor recreationists.
All residential landlord-tenant matters in Richland County are governed by Wis. Stat. Ch. 704 and ATCP 134. Eviction actions are filed at the Richland County Circuit Court in Richland Center. Wisconsin has no statewide rent control, and Wis. Stat. §66.1015 prohibits municipalities from enacting rent stabilization. No Richland County municipality has a just-cause eviction ordinance. The county’s rental market is very thin, concentrated almost entirely in Richland Center, with very low price points reflecting the rural, agricultural character of the county.
County and municipal rules that apply alongside Wisconsin state law
Category
Details
Rental Registration
No statewide rental registration in Wisconsin. Richland County and Richland Center have not enacted mandatory landlord licensing. Code enforcement is complaint-driven. Pre-1978 properties in Richland Center require lead paint disclosure under ATCP 134.04.
Rent Control
Banned statewide under Wis. Stat. §66.1015. No Richland County municipality may enact rent stabilization. Richland Center rents are among the lowest in south-central Wisconsin. No local rent ordinance exists.
Security Deposit
No statutory cap in Wisconsin. ATCP 134.06 requires return within 21 days of tenancy end with itemized written deduction statement. Wrongful withholding: double damages plus attorney’s fees. Written check-in sheet at move-in required; tenant has 7 days to note disagreements.
Landlord Entry
Minimum 12 hours’ advance notice for non-emergency entry under Wis. Stat. §704.05(2). Emergency entry permitted without notice. Entry at reasonable times only.
Frank Lloyd Wright Birthplace & Driftless Character
Richland Center’s distinction as the birthplace of Frank Lloyd Wright — born June 8, 1867, the son of Anna Lloyd Jones and William Carey Wright — gives the city a cultural identity that attracts architectural heritage tourists and adds a layer of historical significance to an otherwise modest Driftless county seat. The A.D. German Warehouse at 300 South Church Street is one of very few Wright buildings in his hometown and one of the least-visited major Wright structures, making it a genuine discovery for architectural enthusiasts. Richland County’s landscape of deep coulees, spring-fed trout streams, and limestone ridges is among the most visually dramatic in Wisconsin and increasingly recognized as a destination for Driftless Area tourism including trout fishing, bird watching, cycling, and agritourism at the growing number of artisan farms and creameries that serve the farm-to-table economy emerging in the region.
Just-Cause Eviction
No just-cause requirement in Richland County. Month-to-month tenancies may be terminated with 28-day written notice. Milwaukee’s just-cause ordinance (MCO §200-51.5) has no application here.
Wis. Stat. Ch. 704 and ATCP 134 statutes, notice requirements, and landlord rights that apply in Richland County
⚡ Quick Overview
5 (first offense with cure); 14 (repeat within 1 year - no cure)
Days Notice (Nonpayment)
5 (first curable violation); 14 (repeat within 1 year - no cure); 5 (criminal/drug-gang activity - no cure)
Days Notice (Violation)
21-45
Avg Total Days
$$94.50-$114.50
Filing Fee (Approx)
💰 Nonpayment of Rent
Notice Type5-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate (first offense) / 14-Day Notice to Vacate (repeat within 1 year)
Notice Period5 (first offense with cure); 14 (repeat within 1 year - no cure) days
Tenant Can Cure?Yes for first 5-day notice - tenant can pay all rent to stop eviction; No for 14-day notice (repeat nonpayment within 1 year)
Days to Hearing5-25 (hearing 5-25 days after filing; tenant has 5 days to answer after service) days
Days to WritWrit of Restitution issued after judgment; sheriff executes days
Total Estimated Timeline21-45 days
Total Estimated Cost$200-500
⚠️ Watch Out
5-day pay or vacate for first nonpayment. CRITICAL: If landlord has given 5-day notice within past year, can instead give 14-day notice to vacate with NO cure right (§ 704.17(2)(a)). Acceptance of rent during nonpayment action does NOT waive right to proceed (§ 799.40(1m)). Eviction records appear on CCAP (public court records website) for 2-10 years - significant consequence for tenants. Small Claims Court handles all evictions. Declaration of Non-Military Service required (GF-175 form). If tenant wrongfully overstays, landlord can recover 2x daily rent for each day (§ 799.44(3)). 12-hour advance notice required for landlord entry (unless emergency or shorter notice agreed in lease). Some leases with terms >1 year can override statutory notice provisions (§ 704.17(5)).
Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
File an eviction case with the Small Claims Court (Circuit Court) - Eviction Action (Wis. Stat. Ch. 799, §§ 799.40-799.45). Pay the filing fee (~$$94.50-$114.50).
Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
Attend the court hearing and present your case.
If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Wisconsin eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice.
Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections.
For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Wisconsin attorney or local legal aid organization.
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⚠️ Disclaimer: These calculations are estimates based on state statutes and typical court timelines. Actual results vary by county, court backlog, and case specifics. Always verify current requirements with your local courthouse. This is not legal advice.
Frank Lloyd Wright birthplace (Richland Center, 1867), A.D. German Warehouse, Driftless Area coulee and ridge landscape, Wisconsin River border, trout fishing, dairy agriculture dominant. Very thin rental market. Among the lowest rents in south-central Wisconsin.
Richland County
Screen Before You Sign
County government and school district employees, agricultural workers, healthcare staff at local clinics, and Driftless Area tourism and recreation economy employees are your core renter profiles. Written leases required regardless of informal market character. Verify income at 3x rent, run Wisconsin circuit court records.
A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Richland County, Wisconsin
Richland County is one of Wisconsin’s most quietly distinctive rural counties — a place where the Driftless Area reaches some of its most dramatic expression in deep spring-fed valleys and towering ridge farms, where Frank Lloyd Wright was born and where one of his earliest commercial buildings still stands in his hometown, and where a small dairy farming county has begun to attract the attention of those who value the particular beauty and character of this unglaciated landscape. For landlords, it is one of Wisconsin’s thinnest rural rental markets: a handful of units in Richland Center serving a small governmental and service workforce, with very low price points and limited investment case except for those with specific local connections.
Frank Lloyd Wright and Richland Center
Frank Lloyd Wright’s birth in Richland Center on June 8, 1867, is the most historically significant event associated with this county — a connection that earned Richland Center a lasting place in the cultural geography of American architectural history. Wright spent his early years in the Richland Center area before the family moved to Madison, and his subsequent career at the Chicago firm of Adler and Sullivan, the development of Prairie Style architecture, the creation of Taliesin in nearby Spring Green (Sauk County), and his ultimate status as one of the most celebrated architects in the world give Richland Center an association with genius that is rare for a Wisconsin county seat of 5,000 people.
The A.D. German Warehouse — a 1915–1921 warehouse Wright designed for grocer Albert D. German — is one of very few Wright commissions in his birth county and one of the more unusual structures in his portfolio: a reinforced concrete warehouse with ornamental frieze that represents an early example of his exploration of the prairie form in commercial architecture. The building is owned by the City of Richland Center and has been the subject of preservation efforts that reflect the community’s recognition of its architectural heritage.
The Driftless Area Economy
Richland County’s economy is dairy farming at its foundation — the county’s ridges and valley floors support pasture-based dairy operations that have defined its agricultural character for generations. The rugged Driftless terrain that makes Richland County so visually dramatic also makes large-scale row crop farming less viable than in flatter Wisconsin counties, which has preserved the dairy and mixed-livestock character of the agricultural economy. This agricultural base is supplemented by county government, education, and the Gundersen and Richland Hospital healthcare operations in Richland Center that serve the county’s medical needs.
Wisconsin Legal Framework in Richland County
All residential tenancies in Richland County follow the standard Wisconsin Ch. 704 and ATCP 134 framework. The 5-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate for nonpayment, 5-Day Notice to Cure or Vacate for lease violations, and 28-Day Written Notice for no-cause month-to-month termination apply in full. Eviction actions are filed at the Richland County Circuit Court in Richland Center. ATCP 134 security deposit compliance — 21-day return deadline, itemized deduction statement, check-in sheet, double damages — is mandatory. No rent control (Wis. Stat. §66.1015). No just-cause eviction requirement.
Richland County landlord-tenant matters are governed by Wis. Stat. Ch. 704 and ATCP 134. Nonpayment notice: 5-day pay or vacate. Lease violation: 5-day cure or vacate. No-cause termination: 28-day written notice. Security deposit return: 21 days; double damages for wrongful retention. Landlord entry: 12 hours’ advance notice required. No rent control (Wis. Stat. §66.1015). No just-cause eviction requirement. Eviction actions filed at Richland County Circuit Court, Richland Center. Milwaukee just-cause ordinance (MCO §200-51.5) does not apply. Last updated: April 2026.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information about landlord-tenant law in Richland County, Wisconsin and is not legal advice. Laws change frequently. Always verify current requirements with a licensed Wisconsin attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
