Cal. Civ. Code § 704.50
Disclosure duty; immunity for providing notice about the sex offender registry.
Operative Text
704.50 Disclosure duty; immunity for providing notice about the sex offender registry. (1) Except as provided in sub. (2), a landlord or his or her agent has no duty to disclose to any person in connection with the rental of real property any information related to the fact that a particular person is required to register as a sex offender under s. 301.45 or any information about the sex offender registry under s. 301.45. (2) If, in connection with the rental of real property, a person requests of a landlord or his or her agent information related to whether a particular person is required to register as a sex offender under s. 301.45 or any other information about the sex offender registry under s. 301.45, the landlord or agent has a duty to disclose such information, if the landlord or agent has actual knowledge of the information. (3) Notwithstanding sub. (2), the landlord or agent is immune from liability for any act or omission related to the disclosure of information under sub. (2) if the landlord or agent in a timely manner provides to the person requesting the information written notice that the person may obtain information about the sex offender registry and persons registered with the registry by contacting the department of corrections. The notice shall include the appropriate telephone number and Internet site of the department of corrections.
Wisconsin Statute § 704.50 establishes a conditional disclosure framework regarding sex offender registry information in rental housing. By default, landlords have no obligation to volunteer information about whether someone is registered as a sex offender. However, once a prospective or current tenant directly asks, a landlord who actually knows the answer must share it — unless the landlord instead provides a timely written notice directing the person to contact the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, including its phone number and website, which grants the landlord immunity from liability related to that disclosure.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Wis. Stat. § 704.50, operators are not required to proactively disclose sex offender registry information to applicants or tenants. When someone does ask, a compliant operator either shares what they actually know or — to take advantage of the immunity provision — promptly provides a written notice directing the inquirer to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections' phone number and official website for registry lookups. Maintaining a standardized written notice ready for such requests is a common practice among operators who want to ensure they can demonstrate timely compliance with § 704.50(3).
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Wis. Stat. § 704.50 gives tenants and prospective tenants the right to ask a landlord or their agent directly about sex offender registry information, triggering the landlord's duty to respond if they have actual knowledge. A landlord may satisfy that duty by providing written notice directing you to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections — including its phone number and website — rather than answering directly, which is a legally recognized response under § 704.50(3). Tenants who believe a landlord failed to respond appropriately to a direct inquiry may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid service to understand what options may be available.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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