Beginning today, landlords can legally show apartments to prospective tenants and ask current tenants to sign renewal agreements, forcing UW-Madison students and city residents to deal with the stress of organizing their housing plans one month earlier than in years past.
The City Council passed an ordinance this year, which changed the landlords' original starting date of Dec. 15.
\There's no doubt that Nov. 15 is too early,"" Ald. Austin King, District 8, said. ""Dec. 15 is too early, probably Jan. 15 is too early.""
According to King, the Council was forced to allow landlords to start asking about renewal agreements and showing apartments one month earlier because alders received many complaints from students about the stress of finals during December.
""There were some compelling cases made by students that it was a too hectic time of the year ... around finals week and the time papers and projects are due, that there's just too much going on,"" Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said.
King said the Dec. 15 start date also exacerbated the rush of students signing leases early.
""It was also late enough so that the really eager members would go out to try to rent an apartment in November, and there was no stopping them,"" he said.
Although King and Verveer contended the ""great race"" to sign leases for the following year increases rent prices, City Council President and President of the Tenant Resource Center Brenda Konkel said, on average, rent prices are decreasing in Madison.
Despite the change in date, Verveer said tenants will have more leverage with landlords this year because of a provision in the Council's latest ordinance. According to the provision, tenants signing leases for August 2005 through August 2006 will be able to negotiate with landlords and decide upon a date when landlords can begin showing apartments and asking for renewals.
Both King and Verveer encouraged students to wait until the spring to sign a lease, stressing the rent will be much lower.
