Does Your Landlord Have To Fix Your AC Unit In Wisconsin?

Sep 27, 2023

During the month of August, we can really start to notice the summer winding down. Other than the occasional spike in temperatures for a few days, we usually start to notice the sun going down a little bit earlier and it starts to feel a bit more comfortable outside. Can it still get insanely hot in the month of August? Of course, it can. It can still get uncomfortably hot in September in the Midwest.

By now your AC has likely been running on a pretty regular basis for about 4 months. Whether you have a window unit, multiple window units, or a condenser unit outside of your home, does your landlord need to fix/replace these if they stop working? About a week ago, we learned what the law was in Iowa. Today, we're taking a look at Wisconsin. Is it the law the same?

There are obviously some positives that come with buying a house as opposed to renting. If you purchase a house, it's yours. You can change the look of the house and paint any room you'd like. You can knock down walls, you can add or remove rooms at any point, and as long as you're making your mortgage payment, you never have to worry about losing it.

One of the downfalls of owning a home...when something goes wrong, it's 100% on you to fix it. If your water heater goes out, your air conditioning starts to malfunction, or your roof is damaged, you'll have to bust out the checkbook and get ready to have a pretty big repair bill.

The good news for people in Wisconsin is that if your AC unit does break or goes out, you don't have to worry about replacing it.

According to Legis Wisconsin, your landlord is responsible for

Keeping in a reasonable state of repair all equipment under the landlord's control necessary to supply services that the landlord has expressly or impliedly agreed to furnish to the tenant, such as heat, water, elevator, or air conditioning.

If your landlord has agreed to provide you with air conditioning, it is their responsibility to repair or replace the unit, if it ever breaks. You may be the one paying for the electricity, water, garbage, etc., but if it's been agreed upon and in writing, your landlord is responsible for maintaining the agreement.

This should go without saying but if your landlord has not agreed, in writing, to provide you with AC, they obviously aren't responsible for the unit. If you go out and purchase multiple window units for your house/apartment, you're on the hook to replace those.

September is almost here and ever so slowly, we're going to be shutting our AC off and opening the windows to enjoy the fall temperatures. Hopefully, you won't have to worry about any AC repairs for the rest of the summer.