Madison's Housing Committee approved two measures bolstering tenant protections against landlords with potentially questionable practices Wednesday night.
One of the amendments narrows the rules landlords must follow for apartment showings.
Wisconsin statutes currently require landlords to notify tenants ""a reasonable amount of time"" before showings.
The update requires landlords to provide notice at least 24 hours in advance and specify no more than a three-hour window for touring tenants.
""It's just common sense that you'd want to tell your tenant when you're going to be there so they can get the place cleaned up,"" Phillip Ejercito, a member of the Housing Committee, said.
Nancy Jensen, executive director for the Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin, said landlords and tenants would be allowed to renegotiate these terms to shorten the days their apartment is shown or if, for example, tenants wanted an immediate sublet.
The committee also amended an ordinance requiring landlords to inform all tenants of their right to request photographic evidence of any security deposit deductions for cleaning or repairs. The change targets landlords that printed the disclosures in fine print by setting a 10-point minimum font.
Both amendments now head to the Common Council while a third proposal, which would force landlords to wait six months instead of three before sending renewal requests, will be debated further in a subcommittee.
