Rusk County is a north-central Wisconsin county of approximately 14,000 residents positioned between the agricultural communities to the south and the deep Northwoods to the north, straddling a geographic and economic transition zone where dairy farming gives way to timber and recreation economies. The county seat of Ladysmith, with approximately 3,000 residents on the Flambeau River, is the county’s governmental, commercial, and healthcare hub — a small city that serves as the market and service center for the surrounding agricultural and forested townships. Ladysmith’s economy reflects the county’s mixed character: county government, school district employment, the Rusk County healthcare system, agricultural support businesses, and a modest manufacturing presence that includes Flambeau Products’ historical operations. The Flambeau River corridor is the county’s signature natural feature, providing fishing, canoeing, and recreational access that supplements the county’s year-round employment economy. Dairy farming in the county’s southern and central townships and timber operations in the northern portions round out the primary economic sectors.
All residential landlord-tenant matters in Rusk County are governed by Wis. Stat. Ch. 704 and ATCP 134. Eviction actions are filed at the Rusk County Circuit Court in Ladysmith. Wisconsin has no statewide rent control, and Wis. Stat. §66.1015 prohibits municipalities from enacting rent stabilization. No Rusk County municipality has a just-cause eviction ordinance. The county’s rental market is very thin, concentrated almost entirely in Ladysmith, with very low price points.
Dairy agriculture, timber, county government, Flambeau River recreation
Rent Control
None (banned statewide §66.1015)
Landlord Rating
3.5/10 — Remote, very thin market, transition county between ag and Northwoods
⚖️ 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
Rusk County Circuit Court
Process Name
Eviction (formerly Forcible Entry & Detainer)
Post-Judgment Move-Out
As ordered by court; writ issued after judgment
Avg Timeline
3–5 weeks (very light docket)
Rusk County Local Ordinances
County and municipal rules that apply alongside Wisconsin state law
Category
Details
Rental Registration
No statewide rental registration in Wisconsin. Rusk County and Ladysmith have not enacted mandatory landlord licensing. Code enforcement is complaint-driven and minimal. Pre-1978 properties in Ladysmith require lead paint disclosure under ATCP 134.04.
Rent Control
Banned statewide under Wis. Stat. §66.1015. No Rusk County municipality may enact rent stabilization. Rusk County rents are among the lowest in north-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.
Flambeau River, Timber & Agricultural Transition
Rusk County straddles the transition between Wisconsin’s agricultural south and its forested Northwoods, giving it a character that blends dairy farming in the south and central townships with timber, recreation, and small-town economies in the north. The Flambeau River runs through the county’s western portion, providing fishing, canoeing, and recreational access that supplements the permanent employment base. Ladysmith’s historic connection to Flambeau Products — a plastics manufacturer known for its fishing tackle boxes and outdoor products — reflects the county’s tradition of industrial employment serving the outdoor recreation market, though the manufacturing landscape has changed significantly. County government, the school district, and the Rusk County Memorial Hospital healthcare services anchor the county’s year-round employment base in Ladysmith.
Just-Cause Eviction
No just-cause requirement in Rusk 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 Rusk 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.
Flambeau River corridor, agricultural-Northwoods transition county, Ladysmith county seat on Flambeau River, dairy farming in south, timber in north, very thin rental market with lowest rents in north-central Wisconsin. No rent control, 5-day pay/vacate.
Rusk County
Screen Before You Sign
County government and school district employees, Rusk County Memorial Hospital healthcare staff, agricultural workers, timber industry employees, and Flambeau River recreation economy workers are your core renter profiles. Written leases required regardless of market informality. Verify income at 3x rent.
A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Rusk County, Wisconsin
Rusk County occupies a transitional position in Wisconsin’s geography — not quite the deep Northwoods of Vilas or Oneida County, not quite the dairy flatlands of central Wisconsin, but a rolling, mixed-landscape county where timber, agriculture, and the Flambeau River corridor combine to create an economy that is firmly rural and modestly commercial. Ladysmith, the county seat, is the reasonable scale for this landscape — a city of about 3,000 that provides the governmental, healthcare, educational, and commercial functions needed to serve the surrounding county without the economic depth of larger Wisconsin cities.
Ladysmith and the Flambeau River
Ladysmith’s position on the Flambeau River gives the county seat a character shaped by the river’s recreational and historical significance. The Flambeau River — which flows from Price County through Rusk County on its way to join the Chippewa River — is one of Wisconsin’s most productive fisheries for muskellunge, walleye, and smallmouth bass, and its lower sections near Ladysmith provide excellent fishing access that draws anglers from throughout the region. The county’s manufacturing history includes Flambeau Products Corporation, founded in Baraboo but associated with Middleton and ultimately with multiple Wisconsin facilities, whose plastic storage products, fishing tackle boxes, and outdoor equipment became household names among anglers and sportsmen. This outdoor recreation and manufacturing heritage reflects Rusk County’s character as a working-class rural county with genuine natural resource strengths.
Agricultural and Timber Economy
Rusk County’s economy divides roughly along a north-south axis. The county’s southern and central townships support dairy farming on the rolling glaciated terrain that was cleared for agriculture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The northern portion of the county transitions into the mixed forest and cutover land that was heavily logged in the great timber era and has since regenerated into a mosaic of aspen, birch, and conifers supporting both timber operations and the recreation economy of hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling. This geographic division means the county’s year-round workforce includes both agricultural employees and timber industry workers alongside the government and service sector employees in Ladysmith.
Wisconsin Legal Framework in Rusk County
All residential tenancies in Rusk 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 regardless of the informal character of the local market. Eviction actions are filed at the Rusk County Circuit Court in Ladysmith. ATCP 134 security deposit compliance is mandatory. No rent control (Wis. Stat. §66.1015). No just-cause eviction requirement.
Rusk 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 Rusk County Circuit Court, Ladysmith. 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 Rusk 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.
