Attention All Rental Property Owners, Property Managers and Real Estate Investors:

On Wednesday, Oct 18th, 2023, a series of proposed legislative bills were announced in Madison.  These bills are being positioned as a "Tenant Protection Package".  

While it certainly appears that these legislators are not necessarily fans of rental property owners, property managers and real estate investors alike, I would point out that the people they are representing are our Tenants.

Those of us who are involved in rental property ownership and management would, I hope, recognize that the only way Landlords can achieve long-term, sustainable success is if their Tenants are also successful.  After all, our Tenants are our customers/clients, and we need to understand that while we can have differences of opinion, the framework of discussions moving forward needs to center around why pieces of legislation such as these being proposed below, will be detrimental to the very group of people that the legislators hope they will help.  All of this will make it harder for Tenants to find quality, safe, sustainable housing. 

While I have no doubt that those involved in creating these pieces of proposed legislation genuinely have good intentions, the end result, if these come to fruition is that if we think we have an affordable housing crisis at the moment, it will come in spades if legislation such as this moves forward.

We have recently seen a movement to reduce the retention of Eviction Records, which brought me before the Wis Supreme Court twice now.  I can tell you from first-hand experience that we all need to do a better job of explaining why some of these well intentioned housing solutions will have severe unintended consequences and collateral damage to our Tenants, not to mention the harm it will cause to the rental property industry overall.

We all need to get ENGAGED NOW and reach out to our local and state representatives to explain why these are bad policies. Not simply because Landlords and the industry will suffer from this, but equally important... what this will do to the very Tenants they hoped this would help.  Again, I encourage you to contact both your local and state representatives about what is being proposed below.  Please do it today, tomorrow, or at the very least this week.

Grass Roots Advocacy by its very definition starts at the local level, and establishes the foundation that is necessary to make our State and Federal level legislative/lobbying efforts more efficient and effective.  In the coming months, we will be discussing more about what is meant by this as we lay out a vision for how we can take the body of work that has been done in the past, and make it even more sustainable, efficient, and effective.

Finally, I hope this sort of activity encourages you to become a member (if you are not already) of the Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, as well as attend our upcoming Landlord Boot Camp Event on November 11th.  Signing up to become a member, as well as attending the boot camp is very easy on our new website:

Click on this link to sign up to become a member:

Join AANW Here

Click on this link to sign up for the Upcoming Landlord Bootcamp Nov 11th

Sign Up for the Landlord Boot Camp

Please see below these proposed legislative bills that are seeking co-sponsors and overall support from the very legislative representatives we can and should all be reaching out to.  Clicking on each Bold Text area will take you to the Bill details.

Rick Van Der Leest

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin | President (2024)

LRB-3892 Memo CCAP Information (Clancy, Ryan) Information contained in the Consolidated Court Automation Programs Internet site related to dismissed eviction actions. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-3893 Memo Rent Abatement (Madison, Darrin) Rent abatement and retaliatory conduct and granting rule-making authority. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-4677 Memo Rental Inspections (Madison, Darrin) Local inspections of rental properties. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-4544 Memo Eviction Moratoriums (Madison, Darrin) Repealing the prohibition against local governments enacting or enforcing an eviction moratorium on a landlord. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-2077 Memo Tenant Right to Counsel (Clancy, Ryan) A residential tenant's right to counsel in an eviction action and making an appropriation. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-3918 Memo Housing Discrimination (Ratcliff, Melissa) Discrimination in housing based on prior eviction and providing a penalty. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-0431 Memo Legal Services Grants (Anderson, Jimmy) Grants to provide legal services to tenants in eviction actions, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, Noon

LRB-2760 Memo Tenant Organizing Rights (Anderson, Jimmy) Rights of tenants to organize and engage in certain activities and providing a penalty. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, Noon

LRB-0427 Memo Housing Discrimination (Anderson, Jimmy) Discrimination in housing based on citizenship or immigration status. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-0430 Memo Rent Abatement (Anderson, Jimmy) Rent abatement for tenants and granting rule-making authority. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-3894 Memo Tenant Property Disposition (Clancy, Ryan) Disposition of property left behind by a tenant and granting rule-making authority. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-3895 Memo Tenant Evictions (Clancy, Ryan) Evicting tenants for failure to pay rent. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-3896 Memo Evictions (Clancy, Ryan) Actions for relief from extrajudicial eviction in small claims court. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-3899 Memo Evictions (Clancy, Ryan) The defense of waiver in eviction actions. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-3898 Memo Evictions (Clancy, Ryan) Procedures in eviction actions for noncompliance with stipulated judgments of dismissal. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-3901 Memo Eviction Stay (Clancy, Ryan) The mandatory stay of eviction proceedings against a tenant who has applied for emergency assistance. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-3902 Memo Eviction Notices (Jacobson, Jenna) Eviction notices. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-4143 Memo Rental Assistance (Hong, Francesca) Requiring landlords or tenants to apply for emergency rental assistance and participate in mediation prior to eviction and prohibiting certain rent increases. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm

LRB-3889 Memo Residential Leases (Palmeri, Lori) Certain requirements for residential leases. Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 5 pm