Taylor County is a north-central Wisconsin county of approximately 20,000 residents occupying the transition zone between Wisconsin’s dairy farming south and the deep Northwoods to the north — a landscape of rolling farmland giving way to forest that gives the county both an agricultural economic foundation and a timber and recreation secondary economy. The county seat of Medford, with approximately 4,500 residents, is the county’s governmental, commercial, and healthcare hub — a compact small city that provides the regional market and service functions for the surrounding dairy farming communities, the forest industries in the county’s northern portions, and the healthcare, government, and educational employment that anchors the permanent workforce. Medford is situated at the intersection of Highways 13 and 64, a crossroads position that supports its role as a regional center for surrounding counties. The county’s economy is anchored by dairy agriculture across its southern and central townships, with timber operations and the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest adding employment in the north. Gilman, Rib Lake, and Lublin are the county’s other communities, each serving as local service centers for the agricultural and forested townships in their vicinity.
All residential landlord-tenant matters in Taylor County are governed by Wis. Stat. Ch. 704 and ATCP 134. Eviction actions are filed at the Taylor County Circuit Court in Medford. Wisconsin has no statewide rent control, and Wis. Stat. §66.1015 prohibits municipalities from enacting rent stabilization. No Taylor County municipality has a just-cause eviction ordinance. The rental market is thin and concentrated in Medford, with very low price points reflecting the rural agricultural character of the county.
Dairy agriculture, timber, county government, healthcare, Chequamegon-Nicolet NF
Rent Control
None (banned statewide §66.1015)
Landlord Rating
3.5/10 — Remote agricultural/transition county, very thin rental market
⚖️ 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
Taylor 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)
Taylor County Local Ordinances
County and municipal rules that apply alongside Wisconsin state law
Category
Details
Rental Registration
No statewide rental registration in Wisconsin. Taylor County and Medford have not enacted mandatory landlord licensing. Code enforcement is complaint-driven and minimal. Pre-1978 properties in Medford require lead paint disclosure under ATCP 134.04.
Rent Control
Banned statewide under Wis. Stat. §66.1015. No Taylor County municipality may enact rent stabilization. Taylor 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.
Medford, Dairy Agriculture & Timber Transition
Taylor County straddles the same agricultural-to-Northwoods transition as neighboring Clark, Price, and Rusk Counties. Medford serves as a regional market center for dairy farmers, timber workers, and county government employees, with Aspirus Medford Hospital and the school district providing the most stable year-round professional employment. Rib Lake, in the county’s northeastern portion on Rib Lake, provides a modest recreation economy supplementing the timber and agricultural base. The county’s terrain of rolling farmland transitioning to mixed forest makes it well-suited to both dairy operations and managed timber production. Snowmobiling in winter and fishing and hunting in other seasons provide modest recreation economy activity. The county’s Hispanic and Latino agricultural workforce, particularly on dairy farms, represents a growing community whose housing needs are often underserved by the formal rental market; Fair Housing Act protections apply fully to all rental transactions.
Just-Cause Eviction
No just-cause requirement in Taylor 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 Taylor 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.
Medford county seat (Aspirus Hospital, county govt, school district), Rib Lake recreation area, dairy-to-Northwoods transition landscape, Chequamegon-Nicolet NF access, timber industry. Very thin rental market. Among lowest rents in north-central WI. Fair Housing applies to all rental transactions.
Taylor County
Screen Before You Sign
Aspirus Medford Hospital healthcare workers, county government and school district employees, dairy farm workers, timber industry employees, and Chequamegon-Nicolet NF service employees are your core profiles. Apply Fair Housing Act standards consistently. Verify income at 3x rent, run Wisconsin circuit court records.
A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Taylor County, Wisconsin
Taylor County is one of Wisconsin’s smaller and more rural rental markets — a north-central county where the economy is organized around dairy farming, timber, and the governmental and healthcare functions of the county seat Medford. For landlords, the market is very thin, rents are very low, and the investment rationale is primarily a local connection rather than a pure return on investment calculation. Medford provides modest but stable year-round demand from the county’s permanent workforce.
Medford and the County Economy
Medford’s economy is anchored by Aspirus Medford Hospital, county government, the Medford School District, and the retail and service economy that serves the surrounding agricultural communities. These institutions provide the most stable year-round professional employment in the county. The surrounding dairy farming economy generates agricultural employment that supports rural housing demand across the county’s townships, though much of this demand is for rural housing on or near farms rather than urban apartment-style rental units.
Dairy Agriculture and Fair Housing
Taylor County’s dairy farming economy has increasingly relied on Hispanic and Latino agricultural workers who fill essential roles in milking, animal husbandry, and farm operations — a demographic shift common across Wisconsin’s dairy belt. These workers and their families require housing in Medford and the surrounding communities, and the Fair Housing Act and Wisconsin open housing law (Wis. Stat. Ch. 106) apply in full to all rental transactions regardless of the tenant’s national origin, language, or immigration status. Landlords must apply consistent screening standards to all applicants and may not discriminate based on protected characteristics.
Wisconsin Legal Framework in Taylor County
All residential tenancies in Taylor 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 Taylor County Circuit Court in Medford. No rent control (Wis. Stat. §66.1015). No just-cause eviction requirement.
Taylor 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 Taylor County Circuit Court, Medford. Milwaukee just-cause ordinance (MCO §200-51.5) does not apply. Fair Housing Act applies to all rental transactions. Last updated: April 2026.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information about landlord-tenant law in Taylor County, Wisconsin and is not legal advice. The Fair Housing Act and Wisconsin open housing law apply to all rental transactions. Laws change frequently. Always verify current requirements with a licensed Wisconsin attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
