Section 134.02. Definitions.

 

(1)  " Building and housing codes" means laws, ordinances, or governmental regulations concerning the construction, maintenance, habitability, operation, occupancy, use or appearance of any premises or dwelling unit.

(1m)  "Consumer credit report" has the meaning given for "consumer report" in 15 USC 1681a (d).

(1r)  "Consumer reporting agency that compiles and maintains files on consumers on a nationwide basis" has the meaning given in 15 USC 1681a (p), and includes the agency's contract affiliates.

(2)  "Dwelling unit" means a structure or that part of a structure that is primarily used as a home, residence, or place of abode. The term includes a manufactured home as defined in s. ATCP 125.01 (1s) or site as defined in s. ATCP 125.01 (7) .

(3)  "Earnest money deposit" means the total of any payments or deposits, however denominated or described, given by a prospective tenant to a landlord in return for the option of entering into a rental agreement in the future, or for having a rental agreement considered by a landlord. "Earnest money deposit" does not include a fee which a landlord charges for a credit check in compliance with s. ATCP 134.05 (3) .

(5)  "Landlord" means the owner or lessor of a dwelling unit under any rental agreement, and any agent acting on the owner's or lessor's behalf. The term includes sublessors, other than persons subleasing individual units occupied by them.

(6)  "Lease" means a lease as defined in s. 704.01 (1) , Stats.

(7)  "Owner" means one or more persons, jointly or severally, vested with all or part of the legal title to the premises or all or part of the beneficial ownership and right to present use and enjoyment of the premises. The term includes a mortgagee in possession.

(8)  "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, estate, trust, and any other legal or business entity.

(9)  "Premises" means the property covered by the lease, including not only the realty and fixtures, but also any personal property furnished with the realty.

(10)  "Rental agreement" means an oral or written agreement between a landlord and tenant, for the rental or lease of a specific dwelling unit or premises, in which the landlord and tenant agree on the essential terms of the tenancy, such as rent. "Rental agreement" includes a lease. "Rental agreement" does not include an agreement to enter into a rental agreement in the future.

(11)  "Security deposit" means the total of all payments and deposits given by a tenant to the landlord as security for the performance of the tenant's obligations, and includes all rent payments in excess of 1 month's prepaid rent.

(12)  "Tenant" means a person occupying, or entitled to present or future occupancy of a dwelling unit under a rental agreement, and includes persons occupying dwelling units under periodic tenancies and tenancies at will. The term applies to persons holding over after termination of tenancy until removed from the dwelling unit by sheriff's execution of a judicial writ of restitution issued under s. 799.44 , Stats. It also applies to persons entitled to the return of a security deposit, or an accounting for the security deposit.

(13)  "Tenancy" means occupancy, or a right to present occupancy under a rental agreement, and includes periodic tenancies and tenancies at will. The term does not include the occupancy of a dwelling unit without consent of the landlord after expiration of a lease or termination of tenancy under ch. 704 , Stats.

(14)  "Tourist or transient occupants" means tourists or other persons who occupy a dwelling unit for less than 60 days while traveling away from their permanent place of residence.

History: Cr. Register, February, 1980, No. 290 , eff. 5-1-80; am. (2), Register, February, 1987, No. 374 , eff. 3-1-87; correction in (12) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7, Stats., Register, April, 1993, No. 448 ; cr. (1m), (1r) and (14), am. (3) and (10), r. (4), Register, December, 1998, No. 516 , eff. 1-1-99; CR 13-027 : am. (2) Register December 2013 No. 696 , eff. 1-1-14; CR 14-038 : am. (2), (9), (10) Register August 2015 No. 716 , eff. 11-1-15.

Note

By approving an individual as a prospective tenant, a landlord does not necessarily enter into a "rental agreement" with that individual, or vice-versa. A "rental agreement: (creating a tenancy interest in real estate) arises only after the parties agree on the essential terms of tenancy, including the specific dwelling unit which the tenant will occupy and the amount of rent which the tenant will pay for that dwelling unit. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1