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AB1143: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-4593/1
ARG&KP:skw
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 1143
March 13, 2026 - Introduced by Representative
Palmeri
. Referred to Committee on Energy and Utilities.
AB1143,1,2
1
An Act
to create
134.83, 196.637, 704.065 and 704.145 of the statutes;
2
relating to:
utility charges related to residential rental agreements.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires a landlord to disclose to a prospective tenant whether a residential rental agreement includes utility service charges and explain the structure by which the prospective tenant would be expected to pay for any utility service charged to the tenant, before entering into the rental agreement or accepting any money from the prospective tenant. A “utility service” is defined as the furnishing of electricity, water, gas, or sewer service. The bill also requires that if a residential rental agreement is for premises that are not separately metered from common areas or other premises in a building and the rental agreement does not include all utility services charges in the rent, the landlord must disclose in the rental agreement how charges for utilities will be allocated. A landlord may allocate a utility service charge among tenants by the number of individuals residing in a building, but may not allocate a charge among tenants by the number of dwelling units or premises in a building. A landlord that violates these provisions may not charge a tenant for any utility service during the period of the residential rental agreement.
Additionally, the bill requires that if a landlord charges a residential tenant for a utility service in an amount that is subject to variation during different periods of the rental agreement a tenant may, at any time during the tenancy, request a landlord to provide a written and detailed accounting of how the landlord calculated the amount charged. The landlord must respond to the tenant’s request within 14 calendar days and, if the landlord fails to do so, the tenant may withhold future utility service payments until the landlord complies. The bill also requires all residential rental agreements to provide notice that a tenant may request such information.
The bill also requires that, if a residential rental agreement does not include all utility services charges in the rent and the landlord allocates a charge for a utility service among the tenants, the landlord must ensure that the tenant has the opportunity to pay the charge for the utility service in the same transaction in which the tenant makes the tenant’s rent payment. The bill also prohibits the landlord and any of its affiliates from charging a separate fee for the processing of the utility service payment.
Under the bill, a cooperative or public utility that furnishes electricity, water, gas, or sewer service at retail to a multiple-unit residential property must provide to a tenant of that property, upon request, a copy of the charges for the property. The bill allows a cooperative or public utility to require proof of an active rental agreement in order for a tenant to receive this information.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB1143,1
1
Section
1
.
134.83 of the statutes is created to read:
AB1143,2,4
2
134.83
Service charges by cooperatives for multiple-unit residential
3
property.
(1)
In this section, “cooperative” means a cooperative association
4
organized under ch. 185.
AB1143,2,9
5
(2)
A cooperative that furnishes electricity, water, gas, or sewer service at
6
retail to a multiple-unit residential property shall provide to a residential tenant of
7
that property, upon request, a copy of the charges for the property. The cooperative
8
may require that the tenant produce evidence of an active rental agreement in
9
order to receive the copy of the charges.
AB1143,2
10
Section
2
.
196.637 of the statutes is created to read:
AB1143,3,4
11
196.637
Utility charges for multiple-unit residential property.
A
12
public utility that furnishes electricity, water, gas, or sewer service at retail to a
1
multiple-unit residential property shall provide to a residential tenant of that
2
property, upon request, a copy of the charges for the property. The public utility
3
may require that the tenant produce evidence of an active rental agreement in
4
order to receive the copy of the charges.
AB1143,3
5
Section
3
.
704.065 of the statutes is created to read:
AB1143,3,7
6
704.065
Utility service charges.
(1)
In this section, “utility service” means
7
the furnishing of electricity, water, gas, or sewer service.
AB1143,3,15
8
(2)
If a residential rental agreement does not include all utility service
9
charges in the rent, a landlord shall disclose that fact to a prospective tenant before
10
entering into a rental agreement or accepting any earnest money or security
11
deposit from the prospective tenant. A landlord’s disclosure under this subsection
12
shall be in writing, shall identify each utility service for which a charge is not
13
included in the rent, and shall clearly explain the structure by which the
14
prospective tenant would be expected to pay for any utility service charged to the
15
tenant.
AB1143,3,20
16
(3)
(a) If a residential rental agreement is for a dwelling unit that is not
17
separately metered from common areas or other premises in a building and the
18
rental agreement does not include all utility service charges in the rent, the
19
landlord shall clearly disclose in the rental agreement the method by which charges
20
for each utility service not included in the rent will be allocated.
AB1143,4,2
21
(b) A landlord’s method of allocation of utility service charges under par. (a)
22
may divide a utility service charge on the basis of the number of individuals
23
residing in a dwelling unit in the building for which the landlord is charged for the
24
utility service. A landlord may not allocate a charge for a utility service by dividing
1
the charge on the basis of the number of dwelling units or premises in the building
2
for which the landlord is charged for the utility service.
AB1143,4,12
3
(4)
If a landlord charges a tenant for a utility service in an amount that is
4
subject to variation during different periods of the residential rental agreement and
5
the charges do not violate rules promulgated by the public service commission, the
6
tenant may request that the landlord provide to the tenant a written and detailed
7
accounting of how the landlord calculated the amount charged to the tenant for the
8
utility service in any period governed by the rental agreement. A request made
9
under this subsection may be made by a tenant at any time during the tenant’s
10
tenancy. A landlord shall respond to a tenant’s request for information under this
11
subsection by providing a written and detailed accounting of the charge identified
12
by the tenant within 14 calendar days of the tenant’s request.
AB1143,4,20
13
(5)
If a residential rental agreement does not include all utility service
14
charges in the rent and the landlord allocates a charge for a utility service among
15
the tenants in a building, the landlord shall ensure that a tenant has the
16
opportunity to pay the charge for the utility service in the same individual
17
transaction in which the tenant makes the tenant’s rent payment, and neither the
18
landlord nor any of its affiliates may charge a separate fee for the processing of the
19
utility service payment. Nothing in this section requires a landlord to act when a
20
tenant directly pays a utility for the provision of a utility service.
AB1143,4,23
21
(6)
A landlord may not charge a tenant for a utility service unless the
22
landlord’s charge reflects the cost incurred by the landlord resulting from the
23
landlord’s obligation to the utility furnishing the utility service.
AB1143,5,2
24
(7)
(a) A landlord that violates sub. (2) or (3) may not charge a tenant to whom
1
the violation applies for any utility service during the period of the residential
2
rental agreement.
AB1143,5,6
3
(b) If a landlord fails to respond to a tenant’s request in violation of sub. (4),
4
the tenant may withhold, and is not obligated to make, future utility service
5
payments to the landlord until the landlord provides a written and detailed
6
accounting of the charge identified by the tenant in the tenant’s request.
AB1143,4
7
Section
4
.
704.145 of the statutes is created to read:
AB1143,5,9
8
704.145
Notice of utility charges.
A residential rental agreement shall
9
include the following notice in the agreement or in an addendum to the agreement:
AB1143,5,10
10
NOTICE OF UTILITY CHARGES
AB1143,5,19
11
As provided under s. 704.065 of the Wisconsin Statutes, if a landlord charges
12
a residential tenant for a utility service in an amount that is subject to variation
13
during different periods of the rental agreement, a tenant may request that the
14
landlord provide to the tenant a written and detailed accounting of how the
15
landlord calculated the amount charged for a utility service. A landlord is required
16
to respond to the request by providing a written and detailed accounting of the
17
charge identified by the tenant within 14 calendar days of the tenant’s request. A
18
tenant is advised that this notice is only a summary of the tenant’s rights and the
19
specific language of the statutes and administrative code governs in all instances.
AB1143,5,20
20
(end)
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