Community members debated a controversial housing bill that could change housing policies and regulate interactions between tenants and landlords at a public meeting Thursday.
The bill, if passed by the state Assembly and Senate, would limit landlords’ obligation to communicate information about billing and housing violations. In addition, the bill would change vehicle towing policies and eviction proceedings.
Legislators have received criticism from Madison city officials and University of Wisconsin-Madison students since introducing the bill Monday.
Landlords are currently required to indicate why they might withhold or deduct from a tenant’s security deposit, but the bill would eliminate the requirement.
Associated Students of Madison member Ryan Prestil said the bill “encourages landlords to be authoritative and discourages discourse between the landlord and the tenant.”
The proposed bill does not require landlords to provide certain information to tenants unless state law requires it. Also, landlords would be able to charge tenants for housing code violations without notifying them.
The bill would change a current housing provision, which requires landlords to provide tenants with a checklist including a description of the property’s condition, and would require tenants to evaluate the property themselves.
Under the bill, tenants would also incur costs for all damages, including damage due to insect infestation.
Private property owners, attorneys and Kenosha police supported the bill’s other components, which include changes to towing policies and the eviction process that they say would be more time and cost efficient.
Under the bill, landlords would have authority to tow a vehicle from private property without notifying its owner. Also, the bill would shorten the days in which an evicted tenant must appear in court from 30 days after the initial notice of eviction to 20 days.
Other community members said they are unhappy with the fast rate at which the bill is moving through the system, expressing concerns it would take away tenant rights.
Prestil agreed the bill has gained momentum quickly and said he was concerned the bill would create a “buyer-beware atmosphere” where a tenant would not know what he or she getting into. Instead, he said he wants to advocate for “cooperation and communication between landlords and tenants.”
