Rock County is a southern Wisconsin county of approximately 165,000 residents anchored by two substantial cities with distinct economic characters: Janesville, the county seat at approximately 67,000 residents, is Wisconsin’s fourth-largest city and a regional commercial, healthcare, and educational center whose economy has diversified significantly since the closure of its General Motors assembly plant in 2009 — a closure that was one of the most economically significant events in Wisconsin’s post-2008 recession history. Beloit, at approximately 37,000 residents on the Illinois border, is an independent industrial and college city whose economy is anchored by a remarkable manufacturing base including Curtiss-Wright, Beloit College, and a growing employer diversity that has made Beloit a study in small-city industrial reinvention. Rock County’s position on I-90 between Madison to the northwest and Chicago to the southeast creates a corridor dynamic that gives some county residents commuter access to both metros — Janesville is approximately 70 miles south of Milwaukee and approximately 90 miles north of Chicago, positioning it at the outer edge of meaningful commute access to both metropolitan labor markets.
All residential landlord-tenant matters in Rock County are governed by Wis. Stat. Ch. 704 and ATCP 134. Eviction actions are filed at the Rock County Circuit Court in Janesville. Wisconsin has no statewide rent control, and Wis. Stat. §66.1015 prohibits municipalities from enacting rent stabilization. No Rock County municipality has a just-cause eviction ordinance. Illinois tenant law does NOT apply to Wisconsin tenancies.
Diversified manufacturing, Mercy Health, UW-Rock County, Beloit College, I-90 corridor
Rent Control
None (banned statewide §66.1015)
Landlord Rating
6.5/10 — Two-city county, diversified economy, Chicago-Madison corridor access
⚖️ Eviction At-a-Glance
Nonpayment Notice
5-Day Pay or Vacate
Lease Violation
5-Day Cure or Vacate
No-Cause (Month-to-Month)
28-Day Written Notice
Court
Rock County Circuit Court
Process Name
Eviction (formerly Forcible Entry & Detainer)
Post-Judgment Move-Out
As ordered by court; writ issued after judgment
Avg Timeline
4–7 weeks (active dual-city docket)
Rock County Local Ordinances
County and municipal rules that apply alongside Wisconsin state law
Category
Details
Rental Registration
No statewide rental registration in Wisconsin. Rock County and its municipalities have not enacted mandatory landlord licensing at the county level. The City of Janesville and City of Beloit have their own code enforcement programs that may include rental property inspection requirements. Landlords in either city should verify current local registration or inspection obligations with the respective city’s building inspection or neighborhood services division. Pre-1978 properties in both cities’ substantial older housing stock require lead paint disclosure under ATCP 134.04.
Rent Control
Banned statewide under Wis. Stat. §66.1015. No Rock County municipality may enact rent stabilization. No local rent ordinance exists or is legally permissible.
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. Janesville and Beloit have active community organizations and legal aid resources that serve tenants; security deposit violations are pursued in both cities.
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.
Post-GM Economic Diversification
The closure of the General Motors Janesville Assembly Plant in December 2008 — one of the oldest GM plants in North America — eliminated approximately 2,500 direct assembly jobs and thousands more in the supplier network, and it triggered one of the most significant economic disruption events in Wisconsin in the post-recession period. Janesville’s subsequent economic recovery has been studied as a case study in Rust Belt community resilience. The county’s economy has diversified substantially since 2008, with Mercy Health System, SSM Health, the Janesville school district, County of Rock, and a growing manufacturing employer base providing employment across healthcare, government, and industry. Beloit has developed a manufacturing ecosystem anchored by Curtiss-Wright, Hendricks Commercial Properties, and other employers alongside Beloit College’s contribution to the professional and educational employment base. The I-90 corridor’s position between Madison and Chicago creates some commuter access to both metros for Rock County residents. Illinois tenant law does not apply to Wisconsin tenancies.
Just-Cause Eviction
No just-cause requirement in Rock County. Month-to-month tenancies may be terminated with 28-day written notice. Milwaukee’s just-cause ordinance (MCO §200-51.5) does NOT apply in Rock County.
Wis. Stat. Ch. 704 and ATCP 134 statutes, notice requirements, and landlord rights that apply in Rock 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.
Janesville (WI’s 4th-largest city, post-GM diversification), Beloit (Beloit College, Curtiss-Wright), I-90 Madison-Chicago corridor, Mercy/SSM Health, UW-Rock County. Illinois law does not apply. No just-cause eviction, no rent control.
Rock County
Screen Before You Sign
Mercy/SSM Health healthcare workers, Curtiss-Wright/diversified manufacturing employees, Beloit College and UW-Rock County faculty and staff, county/city government employees, and I-90 corridor commuters to Madison or northern Illinois are your strongest profiles. Verify income at 3x rent, run Wisconsin circuit court records. Illinois law does not apply.
A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Rock County, Wisconsin
Rock County’s rental market is defined by its two-city structure and the economic resilience story that both cities have demonstrated in the post-2008 period. Janesville and Beloit each bring distinct employer profiles, renter demographics, and neighborhood characters to a county that collectively offers one of southern Wisconsin’s more active and economically layered rental markets. For landlords, the county’s diversified economy, corridor location, and strong institutional employers provide a stable foundation for residential investment.
Janesville After GM: A Resilience Story
The closure of the General Motors Janesville Assembly Plant in December 2008 — the facility had assembled Chevrolet Suburbans and Tahoes and had been in continuous operation since 1919 — was among the most significant single-site economic dislocations in Wisconsin history. The plant had been Janesville’s largest employer for decades, and its closure eliminated approximately 2,500 union assembly jobs and thousands of additional positions in the supplier network, service economy, and community tax base that depended on those wages.
Janesville’s subsequent recovery is genuinely notable. The city’s healthcare sector — Mercy Health System and SSM Health both operate significant Janesville facilities — has grown substantially as a major employment anchor. The UW-Rock County campus in Janesville provides educational employment and student demand. Local government and the Janesville school district provide stable public sector employment. New manufacturing employers have incrementally filled portions of the industrial employment gap. The result is a Janesville economy that is more diversified and arguably more resilient than the GM-dependent economy it replaced, though the loss of high-wage union manufacturing jobs has had lasting effects on the community’s economic stratification.
Beloit’s Industrial and Educational Identity
Beloit presents a different economic character than Janesville — a smaller city whose industrial history predates and extends beyond any single employer, and whose Beloit College provides a distinctive liberal arts educational presence. Beloit College, founded in 1847 and consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, enrolls approximately 1,300 students and employs faculty and staff who form a professional renter segment with academic values and tenure-length tenancy horizons. The college’s Logan Museum of Anthropology and its strong programs in international studies give it a cosmopolitan character unusual for a Wisconsin city of Beloit’s size.
Beloit’s manufacturing economy anchored by Curtiss-Wright (aerospace and defense components) and other industrial employers provides working-class employment that feeds the city’s core residential rental market. Beloit’s southern position adjacent to the Illinois state line gives it additional commuter dynamics for workers seeking Wisconsin residential locations while accessing northern Illinois employment along the I-90 corridor.
Wisconsin Legal Framework in Rock County
All residential tenancies in Rock 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 are the operative notice timelines. Eviction actions are filed at the Rock County Circuit Court in Janesville. ATCP 134 security deposit compliance is mandatory. No rent control (Wis. Stat. §66.1015). No just-cause eviction requirement. Illinois tenant law does NOT apply to Wisconsin tenancies regardless of the tenant’s Illinois employment or Illinois residency history.
Rock County landlord-tenant matters are governed by Wis. Stat. Ch. 704 and ATCP 134. Illinois tenant law does not apply to Wisconsin tenancies. 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. Milwaukee just-cause ordinance (MCO §200-51.5) does not apply. Eviction actions filed at Rock County Circuit Court, Janesville. Last updated: April 2026.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information about landlord-tenant law in Rock County, Wisconsin and is not legal advice. Illinois tenant protection laws do not apply to Wisconsin tenancies. Laws change frequently. Always verify current requirements with a licensed Wisconsin attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
