Lawmakers Pass Landlord Bill of Rights

A new landlord bill of rights that has been under discussion in Wisconsin was passed this week by lawmakers. The bill now awaits Governor Scott Walker’s signature.

Opponents complain that the law is too landlord-friendly.

The bill rolls back a number of existing tenant protections, including the requirement that a landlord store a tenants abandoned personal property for at least 30 days.

The bill eliminates many of the procedures under current law for disposing of personal property that a tenant leaves behind and provides that the landlord may presume that the personal property has been abandoned and may dispose of it in any manner that the landlord determines is appropriate. The tenant is responsible for any costs that the landlord incurs with respect to the propertys disposal.

Another highlight of the bill is a provision which requires the tenant to contact the landlord in writing regarding any building maintenance issues and allow the landlord a reasonable time to respond before the tenant can complain to local authorities.

A landlord will be allowed to recover damages for a tenants failure to vacate at the end of a lease. A landlord can collect twice the rental value of the premises for the time that the tenant remained in possession, or greater damages if proven. The bill also clarifies that the landlord may seek and recover any other damages to which the landlord may be entitled.

The law would also cities from placing a moratorium on evictions, ending the practice of stalling evictions near holidays.

With AAOA, landlords have resources at their fingertips. Check out our Landlord Forms page.

American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services for landlords related to your rental housing investment, including rental forms, tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, insurance and financing. Find out more at www.joinaaoa.org.With AAOA, landlords have resources at their fingertips.