Can a Landlord......?

[cgeorge]

Can a landlord let themselves into a common area of a house without first notifying the tenant of their presense?

Please explain what you mean by "common area" of a rented house. If this is an apartment building or an entry that serves more than one area, you can enter at willl. Any area that serves more than one tenant, whether it be an entry, porch, laundry, basement, yard, etc., is a common area and can be freely entered. But if this is a single family residence, there is no common area, and entry cannnot be made wihtout notice.

[cgeorge]

According to what I read for Wisconsin Statues they are required to announce their presence before entering the building. It is a Upper and Lower rental house with a basement for storage and laundry for both units.

[Labarlow1]

so is it the basement you are talking about the landlord entering? It must have an outside entrance right?

[cgeorge]

The house has a side door that can be used by either tenant. From there you can go to the basement or go into either unit.

The side door leads to an entry hallway. That hallway has doors to either unit or the basement, correct? The hallway and the basement are common areas and do not require any notice for the LL to enter. You rent the area behind your door, not the common hallway. He does not have to announce his presence when he enters this area or the basement. He does not have to give prior notice to enter this area.

[cgeorge]

So even though this is an area that I am paying for and have belongings in, they can come and go in this area as they please?

This is not your area exclusively. The hallway is shared with the other tenant. The basement is not connected to the unit you rent. Unless you signed a lease that says the basement is yours, it is a common area and does not belong to you. The laundry is shared space and isn't your exclusively either. The LL can enter these areas without notice. If you want to protect your belongings, don't put them in a common space.