Requiring ACH Payments

[Hannah Kingslien]

Hello fellow property managers/landlords!

I have a quick question - can landlords require rent payments to be paid in the form of an ACH payment in Wisconsin?

I've browsed the internet and can't seem to find a definitive answer, and I've also tried looking through the landlord-tenant laws for Wisconsin and again cannot find a definitive answer. 

I am looking to place a new tenant, and I want to see if I can customize a lease to have ACH payments for rent as a requirement instead of a check or money order, but I need to make sure that this is actually legal and fair.

Please let me know if this is something that is acceptable!

Thanks,

Hannah

[Corina Eufinger]

As of right now there is nothing in Wis Statutes that would prevent you from requiring online rent payment as long as 1) it was disclosed prior to accepting their application 2) it was included as a provision in their lease.  If they are existing tenants you have to wait until they sign off on it in a lease renewal with the added clause. You can ask them to be fore then but not able to fully enforce it until it is signed off on.  

I am not far off from requiring ACH payments, especially with how slow and unreliable the USPS has become with general mail lately.