Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc. Blog

Not Just in Green Bay...The Short Term Rental Debate Continues...Across the US.

AANW Admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 20:26:20 GMT

Click in the link below to be taken to STR activity that is going on out West.

Idaho state lawmakers moved to force local governments to loosen their regulatory grip on short-term rentals after years of debate...

We saw this issue come up in Green Bay late last year and earlier this year. This particular issue will not go away, anywhere, in any state. AANW FVAA meets at least once monthly, if not twice a month with a dedicated team of housing association professionals, and rental property related groups across the United States, to discuss and explore the challenges we all face, including our residents, as look ahead to 2026 and beyond.

If you are not currently a member, please consider becoming a member and begin to get engaged at a point in time when that stakes could not be more significant. If you are already a member, we thank you for your membership and your support, but you can also help by recruiting someone you know that is "in the business", but does not belong to AANW FVAA.

Thank you,

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.

Fox Valley Apartment Association, Inc.

New York Appellate Court Finds Law "Unconstitutional" that Protects Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers Users...

AANW Admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:34:03 GMT

The decision stems from a 2022 lawsuit brought by Attorney General Letitia James against Ithaca Renting Company for refusing to participate in the federal program. Source of Income discussions are very prevalent across nearly every state in the US.

Read a news article by clicking on the link below...

Appellate Court Finds Law Unconstitutional that Protects Section 8 Housing Voucher Users

Additional Source Related to the Specifics of this Case Can Be Found Here:

Matter of People of the State of N.Y. v Commons West, LLC

Kind regards,

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.

Fox Valley Apartment Association, Inc.

Badger Institute applauds Evers and Republican legislators for housing bill

AANW Admin — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 20:25:57 GMT

Feb. 27, 2026

MILWAUKEE — The Badger Institute applauded Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislators for passage of a crucial housing bill that will increase supply and bring down cost while still allowing municipalities to control whether they want to grow.

Please click on the link below to read the full article...

Badger Institute applauds Evers and Republican legislators for housing bill

Best Regards,

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.

Fox Valley Apartment Association, Inc.

Rep. Ryan Clancy Announces Tenant Protections Including Right to Counsel During Evictions

AANW Admin — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 19:41:51 GMT

Article from Urban Milwaukee:

Press Release, Feb. 13th

Rep. Ryan Clancy Announces Tenant Protections Including Right to Counsel During Evictions

...Bill package also creates new discrimination protections, other evictions reforms

Madison, WI – Today, Rep Ryan Clancy (D-19) released his 2025-26 Tenant Protection Package, bills written to provide new, critical protections for Wisconsin renters in an increasingly unstable economy. Several of the bills provide new powerful protections for people facing evictions, including establishing a statewide Right to Counsel (LRB-1214).

Other bills in the package authored by Rep. Clancy include:

LRB-4229 – Tenants’ right to organize, protecting tenants’ right to self-organization without retaliation
LRB-0358 – Automatic record cleanup, providing protections for tenants who defeat eviction actions
LRB-0362 – Extending the cure periods for termination with cause
LRB-0363 – Disposition of property in evictions, preventing landlords from seizing tenants’ personal property during evictions
LRB-0511 – Allowing small claims to hear illegal lockout cases
LRB-0438 – Repeal prohibition on certain waivers re private promises not to evict
LRB-0439 – Procedural safeguards before judgment is entered in a small claims eviction
LRB-0391 – Recognizing discrimination as defense to eviction

Please find a bill explainer here — it will be updated with assembly bill numbers as they are assigned!

Rep. Ryan Clancy released the following statement:

“Right now, landlords and developers have plenty of allies in Wisconsin’s legislature – unfortunately, that’s led to very few protections for renters while rents are spiraling out-of-control around Wisconsin.

That’s why we’re introducing this package of tenant protection bills, including a statewide right to counsel for people facing eviction in Wisconsin. Right to Counsel has been wildly successful in Milwaukee County. It’s kept hundreds of people in their homes since I authored and passed it in 2021– it should be in place statewide along with other critical protections in this package.

People who rent their homes in Wisconsin deserve fair treatment and dignity every bit as much as homeowners. Right now, though, they’re often subject to terrible living conditions, unfair eviction actions, discrimination, and other inexcusable treatment from landlords and their agents. In places like Minnesota, under siege by the federal government, many are facing evictions because they’re unable to leave their homes to work. We can and should act now to prevent similar tragedies in Wisconsin.

Our communities need quality, public and social housing, resources enjoyed in countries with far less wealth than the United States. As we pursue that, this tenant protection package is a necessary investment in housing justice and equity. I’m proud to continue leading on making these bills into law.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

We saw a similar Tenant Protection Package of Bills like this come out in October of 2023, leading up to the 2024 election year. And of course, 2026 is an election year once again.

Many proposed ideas would exacerbate the current supply vs. demand issues in housing. All of this will only serve to make housing affordability and availability worse. These concepts have been tried and failed in other states and even in foreign countries, often hurting residents, owners, and managers alike.

However, we pledge to work with our legislators, across both sides of the aisle, including as well the various housing advocacy groups, to see where we have common ground, and explore collectively where we can come up with proposals that address the root causes of some of what is causing bills such as these to be proposed in the first place.

In order for affordable housing to be available "and" sustainable...owners must be allowed to be successful, and our residents need to have a clean and stable housing environment. A sustainable rental housing marketplace needs both owners and residents to be successful...WE MUST work on these challenges together.

Best Regards,

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.

Fox Valley Apartment Association, Inc.

HUD & USDA: Revocation of the 30-Day Notification Requirement Prior To Termination of Lease for Nonpayment of Rent

AANW Admin — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 18:53:01 GMT

National Apartment Association Article:

HUD, USDA Revoke 30-Day Notice Rules

Learn more about what this means for industry operators.

By Ben Harrold | February 25, 2026 | Updated February 26, 2026

4 minute read

Update (2/26/2026): Shortly after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s release of their interim rule revoking their 30-day notice requirement, the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a similar rule under their jurisdiction. The following article has been updated to reflect the USDA’s rule.

HUD Announces Rule

On February 25, 2026, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its unpublished interim final rule ending the requirement to provide a 30-day notice before termination of lease in project-based rental assistance (PBRA) properties and for public housing agencies (PHAs). This rule will become effective 30 days after the date it is published in the Federal Register, currently slated for February 26, 2026.

In finalizing this rule, HUD is revoking its 2021 interim final rule and 2024 final rule that require PHAs and owners of PBRA housing to provide a 30-day notice before termination of lease for nonpayment of rent in covered housing. Notice requirements will return to pre-2021 rule notice requirements, which include timelines for certain HUD-assisted housing programs.

In the rule, HUD explains that the 30-day notice requirement laid out in its 2021 interim final rule was intended to allow time for eligible residents to access Emergency Rental Assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024 final rule expanded this requirement beyond national emergencies and specified that affected programs included Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, Section 202/162 Project Assistance Contract (PAC), Section 202 Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC), Section 811 PRAC, Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Program (811 PRA) and Senior Preservation Rental Assistance Contract Projects (SPRAC).

This rule removes provisions requiring PHAs and PBRA owners to include certain information in their notice to tenants of lease termination for nonpayment and language that prohibited PHAs and PBRA owners from providing tenants with a notice of termination prior to the day after the rent is due according to the lease. Importantly, this interim final rule eliminates the HUD Secretary’s discretion to prescribe information that must be included in notices to tenants in the event of a Presidentially declared national emergency.

In response to the announcement, NAA President & CEO Bob Pinnegar shared in a HUD press release that “for more than five years now, federal intrusion into the highly localized eviction process has only exacerbated myriad housing challenges in communities nationwide—particularly as affordability remains one of the defining issues of our time. Today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is an important step in restoring normalcy and balance to housing operations, replacing a misguided federal 30-day notice requirement for federally backed housing with streamlined, simplified, and consistent guidance. The National Apartment Association (NAA) applauds Secretary Turner for his steadfast leadership and looks forward to our continued work together on our shared goals of boosting housing supply, lowering costs, and easing affordability challenges long-term."

USDA RHS Follows Suit

Announced only a few hours after HUD’s rule, the Rural Housing Service (RHS) -- an agency of the Rural Development (RD) mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) -- issued a final rule rescinding its requirement to provide at minimum 30 days’ notice before the start of eviction proceedings due to nonpayment of rent in RHS Section 515 and 514 Multi-Family Housing (MFH) properties.

This rule also eliminates the requirement for multifamily borrowers to provide federal rental assistance information during a Presidentially declared national emergency. This rule’s revocation of prior rulemaking becomes effective immediately. In the rule, USDA RHS notes that “longstanding guidelines and regulations in Section 515 and Section 514 MFH tenant recertification process, which predate the 30-Day Notice Final Rule and the CARES Act, protect [tenants in covered housing] from being evicted less than 30 days from receiving notice of non-payment.”

Industry Impact

The National Apartment Association (NAA) is grateful to HUD and USDA for taking swift action to eliminate these outdated policies and for their unwavering commitment to reducing regulatory barriers to providing rental housing and increasing supply. These are decisive victories for the industry’s CARES Act advocacy. These announcements are an important step in the right direction to eliminate federal enforcement of the CARES Act notice; however it is important to note that enforcement of the CARES Act 30-day notice for covered housing is still a matter of legal controversy. NAA members should consult with their local counsel if they have operational questions regarding their internal practices as a result of the agencies’ actions.

NAA will continue its advocacy with Congress and the Trump Administration to ensure the rental housing industry’s voice is heard. The Respect State Housing Laws Act, the industry’s CARES Act fix, must pass to return rightful authority of the landlord-tenant relationship to the states and restore normalcy to rental housing operations. States’ (or localities’) established notice procedure should apply uniformly to all rent-related disputes.

Please stay tuned as AANW FVAA continue to gain even more clarity around this important Interim Rules Revocation. As always, please consult with your own attorney regarding specific legal questions you may have relative to your own circumstances/rental properties.

Here are the two documents referred to above:

Kind Regards,

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin

Fox Valley Apartment Association

FTC Submits Draft ANPRM Related to Rental Housing Fees to OMB for Review

AANW Admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:56:41 GMT

Dear Members,

When the Federal Trade Commission first raised concerns about “Unfair or Deceptive Fees” in 2024, AANW FVAA was the first, and perhaps the only housing association in the state of Wisconsin to take immediate and proactive action. We submitted a detailed position statement to ensure that policymakers understood the realities and complexities of fee structures within the rental housing industry. We did this because if we are not advocating for our members and the broader rental housing community—who will.

Our letter emphasized that transparency is essential, but so is accuracy. While housing providers should disclose all known fees associated with a rental, not all fees are “junk” or deceptive. Many relate to optional amenities—such as fitness centers, garages, or shared community spaces—that enhance residents’ quality of life. Our goal was to ensure that the FTC recognized these distinctions before shaping national policy.

This type of advocacy defines AANW FVAA. We don’t just react to proposed rules; we participate in shaping them. Our commitment extends to every level of government, working on behalf of our members, the industry, and the residents we all serve. When housing policies are crafted without considering real-world impacts, the unintended consequences often fall on the very residents, neighborhoods and communities they aim to help.

That’s why advocacy, community engagement, and education are at the heart of our mission. We encourage members who belong to any housing association to know where their dues go and to see the tangible results of that collective investment. AANW FVAA stand at the intersection of policymaking and practical/common-sense housing operation, ensuring both are grounded in fairness and informed understanding.

For more insight into this FTC discussion, we encourage you to read the FTC Press Release here...

FTC Submits Draft ANPRM Related to Rental Housing Fees...

We will continue to stay engaged with the FTC as they seek even more public comment regarding this key housing policy within our industry.

Stay informed,

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin

Fox Valley Apartment Association

Merger of Judicare Legal Aid and Legal Action of Wisconsin: Effective January 1, 2026

AANW Admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Public Service Announcement:

Please see the attachment PDF below regarding the merger of Legal Action of Wisconsin and Judicare Legal Aid, effective January 1, 2026. Also the article in the link below the PDF further discusses this merger:

Legal Action - Judicare Merger.pdf

Link to Article in Urban Milwaukee Below:

Legal Action & Judicare Merger

While some in our industry might not see this necessarily as a positive development, we perhaps have a different point of view.

We have long been working to promote a more collaborative approach, and at times "outside the box thinking" in solving our housing challenges across the State. This development may give us a chance to develop these relationships from within a more unified leadership and advocacy point of view.

We look forward to fostering even more collaborative discussions with all of our housing community partners, that embraces a common sense/root cause analysis approach to solving some of our most challenging housing issues.

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin

Fox Valley Apartment Association

Wisconsin Faces a Housing Affordability Crisis. Here’s How Lawmakers and Candidates for Governor Plan to Address it.

AANW Admin — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 10:42:59 GMT

"Republicans want lower property taxes and less regulation. Democrats emphasize funding affordable housing development programs and renter rights. Both want to incentivize developers to build cheaper options."

AANW and FVAA members were introduced in 2024 to the “State of the Industry” presentation series, which explored housing affordability challenges from the perspectives of rental property owners, managers, and residents. We also hosted a “Meet the Candidates” event last year in September to hear candidates’ positions on rental housing and the affordability challenges we all face.

Earlier this year, that body of work was re-branded and formed the foundation for much of the original content used in the Attendee and Legislator folders that were part of the Rental Housing Coalition (RHC) Capitol Day in March. As founding members of the RHC, we recognize the need to work collaboratively with the many rental housing associations across the state.

As we slowly turn our attention to the 2026 Mid-Term Elections, we have been discussing the many different policy debates that will be shaped over the months leading to these elections.

This article by Wisconsin Watch lays out some of this as we look towards navigating, in some cases familiar waters, but yet in many other cases uncharted territory. Click on the link below to be taken to this article:

Wisconsin Faces a Housing Affordability Crisis...

Please look for other blog posts and email communications about the advocacy work being done at the Federal level, and of course the State/Local levels as it relates to Koble and other housing related policy discussions.

Posted on behalf of:

Rick Van Der Leest

President
Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.
Fox Valley Apartment Association, Inc.

Rentometer Mid-Year Report 2025: National Trends in Single-Family Rental Markets July 15th, 2025

AANW Admin — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 21:00:00 GMT

July 15th, 2025

Rentometer has published its latest Single-Family Rentals Report, covering the first six months of the year and highlighting rent prices and trends across the U.S.

The report focuses on median rents for 3-bedroom single-family homes in over 1,100 cities nationwide. Single-family home rentals house 41% of the U.S. renter population, and three-bedroom single-family homes are a preferred option for many families and investors.

As of this release, Rentometer has updated its methodology to report median values rather than averages, offering a better snapshot of the market. Our data set includes over 10 million new rental records annually, based on advertised asking rents, which serve as the foundation for our market reports.

Key Takeaways

Rent Growth Picks Up Again But Remains Below the Inflation Rate and Average Wage Growth: Median single-family rents rose to $2,135, an increase of $36 or 1.7% compared to the same period last year.
Midwest and Northeast Rents Grew the Fastest: Rents in the Midwest increased the most (+6.1%), followed by the Northeast (+4.6%) and the Pacific region (+3.1%). Median rents in the Rocky Mountain region rose by 1.1%, while rents in the Southwest remained flat.
Vacancies Hit Record Highs: Vacancy rates for single-family homes continued their upward trend in 2025, reaching 6.3% in the first quarter, the highest level since 2016.
Boston, MA saw the highest annual rent growth among large cities, with 3-bedroom single-family rents averaging $4,500—up 12.5% year-over-year. The increase was partly due to larger homes listed and a low rental inventory, making the data more sensitive to fluctuations. Staten Island, NY (+9.4%) and Long Beach, CA (+9.0%) followed.
Several large U.S. cities saw rents decline. Fort Wayne, IN recorded the largest year-over-year drop among cities with populations of 250,000 or more, with rents down 6.4%, followed by Dallas, TX (-6.3%) and Santa Ana, CA (-5.0%).
Income Needed to Rent a 3-Bedroom Single-Family Home Tops $200,000 in Some Coastal Markets: Single-family rents have risen 39.5% over the past five years, compared to a 23% increase in median household income. As a result, the income needed to rent a typical SFR has surged—reaching nearly $200,000 in high-cost coastal markets like San Francisco.

Midwest Leads Rent Growth Rebound, But National Gains Still Trail Inflation

In the first half of 2025, median asking rents for single-family homes rose 1.7% year-over-year, reaching $2,135. While this marks a one percentage point increase over the 0.7% growth recorded in the first half of 2024, it still lags behind both the national inflation rate and average wage growth—indicating a slight decline in real rental income for investors and improved affordability for renters. Rent growth also remains well below the elevated levels observed during the first two post-pandemic years—and even below the typical 2–4% historical growth range—suggesting continued softness in the market and slower-than-usual gains for investors.

Regionally, the Midwest—the most affordable area for single-family renters—has seen a strong rebound. Median rent growth surged to 6.1% year-over-year, up from 3.4% last year, matching the pace seen two years ago and leading all U.S. regions...

Click on the PDF link below to read the full report...

Rentometer Mid-Year Report 2025 - National Trends in Single-Family Rental Markets - July 15th, 2025.pdf

Admin Support - AANW & FVAA

Mold vs. Mildew: What’s the Difference?

AANW Admin — Fri, 30 May 2025 16:06:28 GMT

Here is a great article from Grainger, on this topic of Mold vs Mildew, which comes up often in the rental housing industry. Also includes a brief video.

We hope you like this content!!

Click on the link below...

Mold vs. Mildew: What's the Difference?

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, and the Fox Valley Apartment Association

How Tariffs Will Change the Fix-and-Flip Market

AANW Admin — Mon, 19 May 2025 11:23:15 GMT

Interesting article by John Burns Consulting on the Fix-and-Flip Market. Clink on the link below to read it.

How tariffs will change the fix-and-flip market

Landlord Ordered to Pay $80,000 Over Threat to Call ICE On Tenants

AANW Admin — Sat, 12 Apr 2025 15:54:34 GMT

Rental Housing Journal -

An Illinois court has ordered a landlord to pay more than $80,000 for threatening to call immigration authorities (ICE) on a tenant couple who rented an apartment from him in 2020, according to reports...

Landlord Ordered to Pay $80,000 Over Threat to Call ICE On Tenants

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.

Fox Valley Apartment Association, Inc.

Landlords: What To Do When ICE Arrives At Your Rental...

AANW Admin — Sat, 12 Apr 2025 15:43:59 GMT

Rental Housing Journal -

Here are 4 things landlords should consider when ICE (Immigration and Customers Enforcement) comes to your rental property from an Arizona landlord-tenant attorney...

Landlords: What To Do When ICE Arrives At Your Rental

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.

Fox Valley Apartment Association, Inc.

Oregon Senate Passes Bill To Ban Landlords Asking About Immigration Status

AANW Admin — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 13:04:39 GMT

At the RHC Capitol Day on March 19th, we specifically discussed what happens to the 95% when screening standards become more and more restrictive/regulated.

In the bigger picture, these practices also increase rents and security deposits, decrease housing availability, put upward pressure on market migration, act as a catalyst to more and more deferred maintenance which leads to deteriorating neighborhoods, communities and a reduced tax base.

Follow this link to read about what is going on out west in Oregon related to Landlords asking about Immigration Status.

Oregon Senate Passes Bill To Ban Landlords Asking About Immigration Status

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, and the

Fox Valley Apartment Association

Rent Control: Lessons from Minnesota, Argentina, and Others for Wisconsin Rental Owners

AANW Admin — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 14:44:44 GMT

Dear Rental Property Owners, Managers and Investors:

We have talked extensively in the past about Rent Control as of the proposals that came out of the Tenant Protection Package of bills announced in October of 2023.

If you have come to our meetings, and or attended any of our zoom sessions you know that we have never had to look far in the US to find examples of just how poor an idea this concept is.

Closest to us here in Wisconsin are our neighbors to the West, in the State of Minnesota. A prime and nearby review of what has taken place in St. Paul, who enacted Rent Control, and how their twin city, Minneapolis has seen their rental property market boom as the beneficiary of such well-intended, yet ill-conceived ideas.

Beyond our logistically close example, we can look to what has happened to the rental property markets in New York and California and how draconian Rent Control laws have only worsened the landscape of those markets, for owners AND residents alike.

We offer today a view of what Rent Control has done in the past to Argentina's rental property marketplace, and how "deregulating" all of the bureaucracy that naturally comes along with the size of government needed to administer these programs has demonstrably improved the rental property marketplace for BOTH owners AND their residents.

Please click on the link below to be taken to this article...

https://reason.com/2025/02/08/the-end-of-rent-control-in-argentina/

Corporate Transparency Act Reporting Requirement is Back On...Sort of

AANW Admin — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:40:09 GMT

Once again, Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting obligations under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) have been revived. On February 17, a federal judge lifted the stay he had ordered on January 7 in Smith v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, 6:24-cv-00336 (E.D. Tex.), which had prevented the Government from enforcing the BOI Rule on a nationwide basis.

On February 18, the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) released a notice that announced the following key updates:...

Click here for the full article by the National Law Review.

The on-going saga of this reporting requirement does not appear to be over yet. If you've tired of this "Who's on first, What's on second, and we have no clue what is taking place on third, musical chairs with this, and filed as initially thought we would all have to do anyway...who could blame you.

But for those of you who may be waiting to see if you will be forced to comply with this, we will do our level best to keep you all apprised of this ever evolving situation.

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin

Volunteer Opportunity: Brown County January Point in Time Count Jan 22-23

AANW Admin — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 16:55:06 GMT

Volunteer Opportunity: Brown County January Point in Time Count

Help make a difference in our community by joining the Brown County January Point in Time Count on the night of January 22nd. This important effort identifies homelessness trends and ensures resources are effectively allocated.

Date: Overnight, January 22nd-23rd
Shifts: 2-hour volunteer slots from 11:15 PM - 5:30 AM

No experience needed—training materials will be provided.

Questions? Contact Meaghan Gleason at meaghangleason@newcap.org.

Together, we can help our neighbors in need.

FREE Fair Housing Presentation Jan 15 - Catholic Charities

AANW Admin — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 16:31:46 GMT

Fair Housing Presentation - Mark Your Calendar!

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay has shared an excellent opportunity to refresh your knowledge of Fair Housing laws at the federal, state, and local levels—essential for property owners, managers, tenants, and housing professionals alike. Let’s ensure we stay informed and mindful of these important regulations in our daily operations.

Wednesday, January 15th

1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

Diocese of Green Bay, Bona Hall

1825 Riverside Drive, Green Bay

Join the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council for a one-hour presentation covering:

Federal, state, and local protected classes

Common examples of discriminatory practices

How complaints are resolved

Guidance on recognizing and addressing housing discrimination

This event is FREE and open to the public, but RSVP is required to ensure enough seating. Light refreshments will be provided.

Don’t miss this chance to learn and grow while promoting Fair Housing for all!

Let’s work together for an inclusive and fair housing environment!

Green Bay Police Department Landlord/Manager Alert Program

AANW Admin — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 17:40:15 GMT

UPDATED LANDLORD ALERT PROGRAM FEATURES & BENEFITS

Out on our website you will also find a link to the city of Green Bay Police Departments various resources for landlords/managers and tenants. You can find this link, along with many other resources under our Resources tab, then Landlord links sub-tab below that.

Clicking on this link will take you to a page of many useful links that you can be, or should be using in managing your rental business.

Resources/Landlord Links

If you scroll down to the link called Green Bay Police Department - Landlord Tenant Resources, you can find many city resources at your finger tips. The one this blog is referring to in particular is called "Email Alerts Sign Up Form". Clicking on this form explains this program in detail.

We encourage all rental property owners and property managers who have property within the city limits to download this form, fill it out, follow the instructions on the form to register for both police call alerts and inspection complaints. Staying on top of things like this on a timely basis will allow everyone to be proactive, be mindful of what is taking place at their properties, address anything that is necessary to ensure that all residents can enjoy a quiet and peaceful place to live as well as making sure their property is viewed as a "good neighbor" within the neighborhoods they have properties.

The AANW was very instrumental in the early stages of developing this program initially back in the day, as they say. It has evolved since then, like everything does, and now also includes being alerted when a complaint is being filed with the city's Inspections Department at your property, if you are registered in this program as outlined in this form.

Consistent with our Community Engagement initiatives, the AANW over the past year has worked with the Green Bay Police Department to help those who are registered in this service to understand what some of these abbreviations mean that come to you via email whenever a police call takes place at your property. They are not always easy to understand, and we wanted to help take the workload off of both the owners/managers, and the police department to not have to field a ton of phone calls from recipients of this email alert, if some simple upfront explanations might prevent this.

We would like to thank Melanie Skalmoski, Crime Prevention Coordinator with the Green Bay Police Department for putting in the time and effort to create a pdf of these various abbreviated police call codes that can help you identify what took place at your property. Again, this might help you to not have to call or email to receive more information, but as the first link above explains in that form, this is always an option for anyone to make use of as well.

Click on the link below to open up this PDF of these abbreviations.

Landlord Alert Program - Calls for Service Additional Information.pdf

We hope everyone finds this information helpful in managing their properties.

Administrative Support

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.

UPDATED: Corporate Transparency Act Reporting Deadline

AANW Admin — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:30:00 GMT

IMPORTANT: UPDATE REGARDING THE CORPORATE TRANSPARENCY ACT (CTA) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINE.

In the spirit of "who's on first, what's on second", once again here is the latest on the on-going CTA litigation that has been taking place this month.

Below is an excerpt from the official FinCen.gov website that speaks specifically to what is currently going on...

On December 23, 2024, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a stay of the district court’s preliminary injunction entered in the case of Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. Garland, pending the outcome of the Department of the Treasury’s ongoing appeal of the district court’s order. FinCEN immediately issued an alert notifying the public of this ruling, and recognizing that reporting companies may have needed additional time to comply with beneficial ownership reporting requirements, FinCEN extended reporting deadlines. On December 26, 2024, however, a different panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an order vacating the Court’s December 23, 2024 order granting a stay of the preliminary injunction. Accordingly, as of December 26, 2024, the injunction issued by the district court in Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. Garland is in effect and reporting companies are not currently required to file beneficial ownership information with FinCEN.

You can read the entire update from FinCen.gov here...

FinCen-Beneficial Ownership Reporting/Filing Deadline Changes...Again

The bottom line is that this is likely to go on for some time and each person has to make their own decision with the advice of their attorney/accountant as to whether they should just sit and wait this litigation back and forth play out, or just volunteer to file now.

We will continue to monitor this as it unfolds in the court system...

Admin

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin

CTA UPDATE: Fifth Circuit Reinstates Corporate Transparency Act; FinCEN Grants Modest Grace Period for Filings

AANW Admin — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:11:04 GMT

Corporate Transparency Act Update:

Please be advised, as we reported to you on December 4th the Corporate Transparency Act has been challenged on several fronts since it's inception. Below is the latest news on this Act, with new "extended filing deadlines" that everyone should be aware of as we look to the new year.

This article was published in The National Law Review as indicated below.

==========================================================================================

The National Law Review

By: Kyle R. Freeny, Marina Olman-Pal, Tiffanie Monplaisir of Greenberg Traurig, LLP - Financial Regulatory & Compliance News

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

On Dec. 23, 2024, a Fifth Circuit panel issued an order staying the nationwide preliminary injunction a district court in Texas issued against the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), reinstating the effectiveness of the CTA and its implementing regulations in their entirety pending appeal, including, but not limited to the Jan. 1, 2025, deadline for filing of beneficial ownership information (BOI) reports by reporting companies formed prior to Jan. 1, 2024.

In response, FinCEN issued guidance which, among other things, extends a modest additional grace period for pre-2024 companies to file BOI reports. In particular, pursuant to this FinCEN guidance, entities formed prior to Jan. 1, 2024, will have until Jan. 13, 2025, to file BOI reports with FinCEN. Though short-term, this may be welcome relief for existing reporting companies worried about their ability to file over the holidays.

FinCEN also issued the following guidance for companies created prior to Jan. 1, 2025, but after Sept. 4. 2024:

Reporting companies created or registered in the United States on or after Sept. 4, 2024, that had a filing deadline between Dec. 3, 2024, and Dec. 23, 2024, will have until Jan. 13, 2025, to file their initial BOI reports with FinCEN.
Reporting companies created or registered in the United States on or after Dec. 3, 2024, and on or before Dec. 23, 2024, will have an additional 21 days from their original filing deadline to file their initial BOI reports with FinCEN.

The Fifth Circuit must still review the merits of the appeal. In the meantime, absent further relief by the courts or U.S. Congress, reporting companies should ensure their compliance by the dates indicated above.

====================================================================================

This link will take you directly to the article:

CTA UPDATE: Fifth Circuit Reinstates Corporate Transparency Act; FinCEN Grants Modest Grace Period for Filings

We always encourage you to consult with your own Attorney or CPA in matters such as these, but please do so knowing that at least for now the filing deadlines have been extended as highlighted above.

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin (AANW.org)

BREAKING NEWS: Federal Court Blocks Corporate Transparency Act Nationwide

AANW Admin — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 16:55:04 GMT

BREAKING NEWS !!

Please make sure you are speaking with your accountant and or attorney to understand what your reporting responsibility is regarding The Corporate Transparency Act.

For most eligible businesses, the filing deadline is January 1, 2025. Those who fail to file by this deadline — or fail to update this information if needed — could face up to two years imprisonment and fines up to $10,000, in addition to civil penalties of up to $591 per day.

However, yesterday a Federal Court blocked the implementation of this act across the United States. Here is a link to this article that is discussing this:

Federal Court Enjoins Enforcement of the CTA Nationwide; Reporting Companies “Need Not Comply” with January 1 Deadline

Here is another link to learn more about the Corporate Transparency Act from the United States Chamber of Commerce, and note that it now states at the beginning of the article that the implementation of this act has now been halted indefinitely.

What Every Small Business Needs to Know About the Corporate Transparency Act

As always, we encourage you to consult with your accountant/attorney to understand what you need to do under these circumstances.

We hope this helps to keep everyone informed about this CTA and the reporting responsibilities.

Rick Van Der Leest

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin | President

Fox Valley Apartment Association | Director of Government Affairs

Winnebago County Board of Supervisors Passes a Housing Related Resolution...

Rick Van Der Leest — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 21:27:11 GMT

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS NOTICE:

The Winnebago County Board of supervisors signs a resolution asking the state to prevent corporations from buying single-family homes... (Click on the link below to learn more.)

Winnebago County Board Passes Housing Related Resolution...

The above is just one of many examples we have discussed over the past few years now why creating and establishing an "Integrated Grass Roots Advocacy Foundation" now more than ever, is critical to making the work done in Madison, and frankly even Washington, that much more effective and efficient as we move forward into 2025 and beyond.

Those wishing to learn more about an integrated grass roots approach, and learn how to engage in this type of advocacy should email us at: Admin@aanw.org

As we look forward to 2025 we will be laser focused on an Educational Theme of "Back to the Basics". It is clear that we have more work to do with owners, managers, investors and the general public, given what we are seeing take place judicially across the state.

In addition to this, we have some new and exciting educational initiatives that we are working on for the new year. More on this at a later date...

Happy Holidays !!

Rick Van Der Leest

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin | President

Fox Valley Apartment Association | Director of Government Affairs

MUST READ! Why This Year’s Landlord Bootcamp Event Should Be Viewed as “Mandatory” The Collateral Damage of Koble Investments -v- Marquardt (Koble)

AANW Admin — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 17:30:00 GMT

MUST READ … Why This Year’s Landlord Bootcamp Event Should Be Viewed as “Mandatory” The Collateral Damage of Koble Investments -v- Marquardt (Koble)

Date: Friday, October 18, 2024

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

If you have been attending our monthly meetings, reading our blog posts, or reading our email communications about Koble Investments, and before that case, Henchey, you understand the concern we have had about the collateral damage these cases were going to have on the rental housing industry, especially Koble since it has now been published and is the law of the State of Wisconsin.

Recall these cases argued that leases which violate Wis. Stat. §704.44, the 10 Deadly Sins, were deemed Void and Unenforceable, and the legal remedy was to award the tenant with all the rent they paid the landlord during their entire tenancy, plus double damages and attorney fees (ATCP 134.08).

We have been following cases that are being argued based on Koble, and as you are aware, the AANW, FVAA, RPA, KLA and the Realtors have filed an amicus (friends of the court) brief asking the Wis Supreme Court to accept Koble’s Petition to hear this case, and ultimately overturn Koble, which was published at the Court of Appeals level. At this time, we have not seen any movement by the Wis Supreme Court on the petition filed by Koble, and our amicus.

Over the past couple of months now, we have seen a significant number of Plaintiff’s (tenants) attorneys seeking class certification, Wis. Stat. § 803.08, of a number of these cases across the State, including those against owners and managers who operate up and down the Fox Valley. We have already told you that the Koble case would have detrimental consequences to our industry, and further reduce an already inadequate rental housing inventory across the state. If these cases now receive class certification, the rental housing industry may not be recognizable in 2025 and beyond. Those who get dragged into these class action lawsuits may well find their only reasonable solution to be bankruptcy. This could include, but not be limited to the smaller mom and pop landlords/managers, but also some of the medium-sized operators, and perhaps some of the more vulnerable larger operators.

This is very likely the most consequential judicial action targeted at the rental housing industry of our lifetime. Now more than at any other time, everyone should sign up for the Landlord Boot Camp, presented by Attorney Tristan Pettit, hosted by the AANW on Friday, November 8^th. There has been enough change to how Landlord/Tenant Law is being interpreted by the courts, and DATCP, in part because of Koble but not solely, that every member or non-member who follows our association should get signed up before we are Sold Out like we were last year. You will not find a better value for this Landlord/Tenant Law education than this event, and if you’re not a member, now is the time to take advantage of the non-member special we are offering that combines both membership and the boot camp. This link will take you to the event on our website, where you can learn more, and get signed up as spots are filling up fast. AANW 2024 Landlord Boot Camp (Please note that once this fills up, there is no option to open more spots due to the facility seating limit.)

The Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin (AANW.org)

The Government’s War on Starter Homes

Rick Van Der Leest — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 03:21:36 GMT

AANW Members:

Those who have attended our monthly meetings this year have heard the reference on more than one occasion...of the following:

"We must move beyond the narrow, nearly insufficient, and unstainable task of “Making Affordable Housing,” and begin to work on the broader, more sustainable, and meaningful work of “Making Housing Affordable.” There is a difference, and this must not remain misunderstood by those who advocate for common sense policies that promote the sustainability of rental housing, and those responsible for legislating housing policies."

The above is just a small example of what we cover in our State of the Industry presentation/discussion session.

However, there is likely not a more representative article of the point being made above, than the one offered last week by the CATO Institute. Entitled:

"The Government’s War on Starter Homes"

Once you read this article, take a step back and ask yourself what will happen down the road when some of these current developments are no longer bound by some local and or state requirement for tax credits and other financial incentives?

At the risk of sounding redundant, until we stop simply throwing money at these housing challenges and instead focus on true Root Cause Analysis and address these challenges head on, rather than treating symptoms, this merry-go-round will never stop.

Please read the article by clicking on the link below, and stop to reflect on our State of the Industry presentations that most recently were made in Aug/Sep.

The Government’s War on Starter Homes

Please note, if you missed this presentation in Aug, email us at Admin@aanw.org to get your name on the list that we are building to host a Zoom session to repeat this for those who were unable to attend the event. We have had a lot of requests to find a way to repeat this PowerPoint presentation, and we are looking into hosting a Zoom session of this in October.

Thank you,

Rick Van Der Leest

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc. | President

September 25th Event - Brown County Homeless and Housing Coalition's Landlord Engagement Workgroup

AANW Admin — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 15:28:10 GMT

Fair Housing Training - Free - September 9, 2024 (See Below)

AANW Admin — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 11:22:37 GMT

Evictions for making too many 911 calls happen. The Justice Department wants it to stop...

Rick Van Der Leest — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 10:00:23 GMT

Those of you who were able to attend our last general meeting likely understand better, now more than ever, the ever-changing landscape of operating as a residential rental property owner, property manager and investor. One of the many topics we discussed had to do with evictions and their relationship with tenant screening standards.

These two issues are an excellent example of several related issues (many of which we discussed this month at our meeting) that are “nested” and complex in developing common-sense solutions within a broad coalition of Stakeholders, from all points of view.

Members who were not able to attend this months meeting, can email us at admin@AANW.org to let us know if you are interested in attending a Zoom session, where we plan to walk through that presentation again.

The more educated everyone is on all of this, from as many points of view as possible before we have our September meeting with the candidates running for the State Senate and Assembly races, the better the quality of the questions and discussions we can have that evening.

Now to the specifics of this Blog Post…

The introduction to this article is below, and the link beyond that will take you to the full article.

“Landlords and local governments across the country could soon face legal consequences for kicking out renters who for decades have faced housing discrimination: People who dial 911 or are the subject of calls to police.

In American cities big and small, experts say many renters have for decades faced possible housing discrimination stemming from so-called 'crime-free' and 'anti-nuisance' property ordinances − rules that rely heavily on 911 call records. If a renter − or someone in their household − violates an ordinance by racking up 911 calls, the rules say they must leave their apartment, or be evicted…”

Click on the link below for the full story, and the link below that one will give you the PDF of the letter the Justice Department sent out on Aug 15^th, to all of the local and state governments, referred to in the article.

Evictions for making too many 911 calls happen. The Justice Department wants it to stop...

DOJ Crime Free & Nuisance Letter (8-15-2024)

Please remember to email us and let us know of your interest in attending a Zoom session recap of our August meeting.

Thank you,

Rick Van Der Leest

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin | President

Market Prices and Price Controls: An Introduction

AANW Admin — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 12:06:59 GMT

The Cato Institute does a good job in this article to introduce the relationship between market prices and the various ways that governments have controlled them through different price control mechanisms in the past, present, and the related discussions for the future.

Additionally, highlighting what some of the historic unintended consequences have been when free market pricing mechanisms have been artificially managed and/or manipulated by well intended policy makers.

Currently, the consequences and failures of these proposals receives little debate and discussion, but this will and should change in order for the US to avoid making some extremely seriously flawed policy decisions that will do far more harm than good to the housing industry.

If we head down this path of price controls, the unintended consequences will not just negatively impact rental property owners and managers but will also act as a series of tipping dominos that will hurt our resident customers and their families as well.

Click on the link below to read the article, or you can also simply listen to it:

Market Prices and Price Controls: An Introduction

~ Admin Support ~

The Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin

Rent Control - A Political Pandora's Box

AANW Admin — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 11:38:44 GMT

Dear Rental Property Owners, Property Managers and Investors -

There has been a great deal of coverage this entire year about several, less friendly ideas for both our Resident Customers (Tenants) and Owner/Managers, as potential solutions to the affordable housing crisis we have across this entire country.

All too often we are hearing or reading of ideas being thrown out by advocacy groups and politicians on both sides of the aisle at times, to jockey for position (votes) as elections loom.

We plan to dive a little deeper into some of these ideas as they relate to the rental housing industry next week, August 14^th, at our monthly meeting. So please make sure you mark your calendars and sign up on our website so we can keep track of attendance. We anticipate both the August and September meetings to be well attended given the subject matter, and timeliness given the election cycle we are in. (Please note that the September meeting is planned to be a "Legislative Meet-and-Greet" event so please get signed up for this event as well.)

In our August meeting we will be discussing the State of the Rental Housing Industry with a brief recap of:

Advocacy Efforts at the Federal and State Levels
NAA Dollar of Rent Updates
Our own Dollar of Rent Analysis (Updated)

After this we will take a deeper dive into what’s getting all the attention related to concepts like those listed below (and more):

Rent Control
Eviction Records: Sealing, Retention & Removal
Just Cause Evictions
Non-Renewal Restrictions and Requirements
Screening Standards
Junk Fees

The link to the article listed below does a good job of summarizing one of the key points above, Rent Control, and what we know about how we got here. Note, there are several hyperlinks embedded in this article that we encourage you to click on and become familiar with.

Click below to go to this article…

https://www.vox.com/housing/365063/kamala-harris-housing-rent-control-landlords

We hope to see all our members at next week’s meeting, Wednesday, August 14th and next month's meeting, Wednesday, September 11th !!

The Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin

Short-Term Rental Cost Segregation + FREE Local Training on August 7!

AANW Admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:34:30 GMT

Looking to maximize your short-term rental investment?

Check out this informative blog post from AirDNA on cost segregation for short-term rentals. Learn how to save money and optimize your property’s financial performance!

Read it HERE.

Looking for a local, informative session to learn more about your short-term rental property in Green Bay?

Don't miss the FREE Short Term Rental Property Owner Training on August 7, 2024, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary! Learn about important processes, ordinances, and policies. Register now and ensure your property meets all local requirements.

Location: 1660 East Shore Dr, Dick Resch and Family Learning and Conservation Center

For more details, contact Melanie Skalmoski at Melanie.Skalmoski@greenbaywi.gov or (920) 448-3260.

#GreenBay #ShortTermRental #PropertyTraining #CommunityEvent

Wisconsin Supreme Court Rejects Legal Action of WI's Eviction Records Retention Petition (22-03) and Sides With Owners, Managers, and Our "Residents" ... Please Let Us Explain

Rick Van Der Leest — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 18:45:00 GMT

WARNING: This is a long blog post, but the subject matter of Eviction Records Retention, as well as Evictions in general, deserves nothing less than a comprehensive review. We owe this to ourselves, as rental property owners and managers, and we owe this to our Residents...our Customers.

In discussing the Courts final ruling, it is important to put some context in the reasoning behind the position that the AANW, the FVAA and others who are part of our coalition of rental property housing providers, took on this issue.

The Context:

More than 95% of our resident customers pay their rent on time, are good neighbors, maintain the property as expected, and do not violate the terms of their lease. Therefore, they are not involved in eviction actions in the first place.
Less than 5% of our residents, for a variety of reasons, most of which are outlined above, will find themselves in an eviction situation. Often, the predominant reason is due to non-payment of rent.
These two points above, is what some of us have come to call the “955 Principle”, for lack of any other way to articulate this.
This is not to suggest at all that those who are involved in an eviction action do not need some form of assistance. Indeed, they do, however, there are far better ways to get them this help, (including various eviction avoidance strategies and programs that need more development) that do not impact the majority of our residents (the 95%), than removing eviction records from the public’s view.
As we have shown in our monthly meetings, removing these eviction records would negatively impact the 95% group as screening standards would increase, along with security deposits and rents, to offset additional business risk, making it harder to be accepted as an applicant. Additionally, this same 95% group would now be competing for housing, “with” those who have evictions in their past rental history (the 5%) because no one can see them, as they would have been removed from public view.
Additionally, as some owners/managers already have, and likely more would follow, to mitigate this increased risk in their businesses, they will migrate to a different niche in the rental housing market, where the lack of visibility of eviction records might present less risk to their business.
Still others would just exit the rental housing market in its entirety, selling to new owners that would undoubtedly take on a higher cost of debt service, putting even more upward pressure on Rents.
Not an outcome any of us would like to see, but upward pressure on Rents and a reduction of Affordable Housing Stock would have indeed been an outcome of all of this.
In a rental housing market that is already strained with demand exceeding supply, this is not at all fair to those residents who always pay their rent on time, are good neighbors, maintain the property as expected, and do not violate the terms of their lease. In effect, the 95% become collateral damage and would suffer from the unintended consequences of, a well-intentioned proposal from Legal Action, but nevertheless flawed in its understanding of the impact to all the various stakeholders of this request.
In 2018 the Wis Legislative branch put forth Wis Stat §758.20, that outlines among other things, how long eviction records should be retained out in the public domain.
The Court already has a mechanism in place to review records access in CCAP through a steering committee that reviews these matters and considers the broader ramifications of changes in records retention to all the various stakeholders involved in proposed changes.
Legal Action of Wisconsin’s (LAW) petition to the Court with 22-03, attempted to circumvent both the Legislative branches intent with this matter through the enactment of Wis Stat §758.20 in 2018, and the Court’s own committee established to review CCAP records retention.

Now to the Final Ruling of the Court:

This has always been about how long eviction records would remain available in the public domain via the CCAP online access to court records.
The Bottomline here is that the Court rejected the petition of Legal Action of Wisconsin (LAW) that suggested a one-year retention period and accepted the proposal of the AANW/FVAA, and our housing coalition partners we work with, first made in 2022, again in 2023, and finally once more in 2024. 2-Year Retention Period if no money judgement has been docketed, and a 10-Year Retention Period if a Writ of Restitution has been granted by the Court.
During the Courts second open administrative conference, held on April 16, 2024, the Court ultimately came around to agreeing that they did not want to go against the Legislative branch’s establishment of law on this matter, through Wis Stat §758.20. If you listen to this event, out on WisEye.org you will learn that the clarifying position statement that was submitted on behalf of the AANW and FVAA, dated April 10^th, 2024, certainly played a role in this discussion on April 16^th, and their final decision.
The Courts decision to effectively “stay in their lane” as the Judicial Branch of government, is to be applauded and respected. Note that LAW was urging the Court to override this Statute, and in effect create their own law/rule. The Court ultimately refused to comply with this request, as it should have.
What did come out of this over 2 years of discussion, is that based on the comments from those who spoke before the Court, the application of Wis Stat §758.20 was not always being applied consistently across the court system, and that is not right to those who find themselves in an eviction action, so they will be taking the time necessary to make some changes to software, process definition and procedures to help make the application of the law and its own rules, consistent. This is a good thing for all stakeholders involved.
Thus the "effective date" of this ruling is July 1, 2025, but recall that Wis Stat §758.20 already requires nothing less than a 2-year retention period where no money judgement has been docketed, and 10 years when a Writ of Restitution has been issued. Again, this is effectively exactly what the Court has ordered.
Justice Hagedorn's dissent (joined by Chief Justice Annette Ziegler and Justice Rebecca Bradley) confirms what many of us suspected they were having trouble with all along…which was why the court became involved in this rules petition in the first place. As stated earlier, the court has its own process for handling rules review through its CCAP oversight and steering committee, and LAW circumvented that by filing this petition with the Court, as well as then seemingly ignoring the role the Legislative branch should have/could have played in this as well. Justice Hagedorn stopped short of suggesting that owners and managers would increase screening standards for their customers/residents and what that would do to our 95% base. But he does find a way to suggest that better solutions to matters such as this can more thoroughly be developed within a process that engages all the various stakeholders upfront, where a collaborative solution can be created and bought into by all concerned parties. We could not agree more, and in fact this is a point made several times to the Court, when we spoke before them, as well as the document submissions that we provided.

In closing, many of you have heard on more than one occasion that at least a part of why we have seen failed housing policies and or poorly thought through legislative housing bill proposals, while all of these are we are sure well-intended, is because too many times we have attempted to fix the symptoms, and not the disease. The AANW and the FVAA stand ready to engage in meaningful, collaborative, root cause analysis and discussion to tackle the multiple housing issues we are facing. In fact, some housing related associations, municipalities and legislative officials have already reached out to us to do just that, and we welcome more to do the same.

Rick Van Der Leest

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin | President

Fox Valley Apartment Association | Director of Government Affairs

Wisconsin Legal Blank - Current Rental Forms Effective Date List

AANW Admin — Fri, 03 May 2024 03:13:31 GMT

Attention Members:

A special thank you to Matt Norem, former Board Member and valued Business Partner.

Matt brought to our attention that it was not always easy to know if the form from Wisconsin Legal Blank (WLB) that you had on hand, was the most recent/current form.

We reached out to Attorney Tristen Pettit, who authors all of these forms and Rick Russell, owner of WLB to see what could be done to help our members with this.

Rick Russell, stepped up to create what we will call a Master List of the forms and their effective date, on their website. You will find it along the left side of their home page, called "Current Rental Forms List/Dates".

You can find it here by clicking on this link...

Current Rental Forms/List

Making sure we are all using the most current forms, benefits both our Residents and our Owners and Managers of rental properties.

Everyone should also take this opportunity to sign up to receive WLB's email updates, as that will also let you know of form changes, among other new products, etc. Look for the "Join Our Mailing List" area and sign up!!

Thank you again Matt for bringing this to our attention, and thank you Rick for helping us provide our members with tools to help them stay current with their forms!!

Also, members do not forget when ordering forms directly through Wisconsin Legal Blank, you can use the Discount Code that has previously been emailed out to you. Yet another "Membership Benefit" and our way to say we are grateful and value your membership.

We appreciate all of you, and hope to see you at our next members meeting,

Rick Van Der Leest

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin | President

Foreclosures Are Rising Quickly, and CRE Delinquencies Are Exploding—What’s Going On?

AANW Admin — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 17:44:41 GMT

Uncover the truth behind the rising wave of home foreclosures and commercial delinquencies in 2024. Click below to read this article revealing crucial insights and potential opportunities in the real estate market:

Foreclosures Are Rising Quickly, and CRE Delinquencies Are Exploding—What’s Going On?

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $173 Million to Make Homes More Energy Efficient and Climate Resilient for Low-Income Americans as Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda

AANW Admin — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 02:37:34 GMT

Click on the link below to read the full HUD Press Release Regarding ...

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $173 Million to Make Homes More Energy Efficient and Climate Resilient for Low-Income Americans as Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda

HUD Press Release

Federal Court Holds Corporate Transparency Act Unconstitutional

AANW Admin — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 22:30:00 GMT

Good Evening --

During our February meeting, this topic was discussed extensively when presented by Genaro Hjortness, our guest speaker regarding Taxes and tax law changes to be aware of.

Here are two articles that are a quick read to keep apprised of the latest status of this topic...

Plaintiffs: FinCEN Should Pause All CTA Enforcement

Federal Court Holds Corporate Transparency Act Unconstitutional

We were not real crazy about what appeared to be a "back door" way of creating "Lists"... be it of Rental Property Owners or Property Managers as well as many other businesses owners and their stakeholders.

It would appear the Supreme Court will remain in the Spotlight for the foreseeable future.

HUD Proposed Rule - 30-Day Notification Requirement Prior to Termination of Lease for Nonpayment of Rent

AANW Admin — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 04:30:00 GMT

HUD Proposed Rule - 30-Day Notification Requirement Prior to Termination of Lease for Nonpayment of Rent HUD Proposed Rule regarding a 30-day...

This proposal came out on December 1st by HUD. While the attachment has a lot of verbiage in it, focus your attention to the far right of page 1, under the Heading "DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT".

All should read from that point forward. Yes there is a lot to read, but remember this is "your business", which is coming under attack from all levels of government. This one just happens to be at the Federal level.

Those of you who attended the Landlord Bootcamp Training Event earlier this month, will recall the the CARES Act is already causing a great deal of confusion over what is considered "proper notice" and the definition of what is a "covered property" seems to be ever evolving.

While the status of just how long the CARES Act and it's related requirements for those who accepted housing assistance is getting more traction and dialog, there are similar proposals like the one you will read about here from HUD that have been brought forth by the State through the Tenant Protection Package Bills that came out on October 18th, and continue to roll out as we speak.

Grass Roots Advocacy, combined with a State level legislative team effort has to be one of your "Priority 1's" in laying out your 2024 Business Plan. We have been talking about this now in our monthly member meetings for the past few months, and we will continue to have this discussion for the months to come.

No one will fight for the freedom and rights you have as a Business Owner better than "you". We can layout a roadmap and a plan moving forward, but in the end we all need to have some level of involvement and engagement in this work.

Click on this link to read the article coming at us from the Federal level:

HUD Proposed Rule - 30-Day Notification Requirement Prior to Termination of Lease for Nonpayment of Rent

Rick Van Der Leest

Landlord Group Pitched a Mediation Program and Called for Tenant Advocates to Support It...

AANW Admin — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 15:08:52 GMT

Some of you who were involved in our discussions in front of the Green Bay Common Council may recall that one of several points made was the fact that we "all" need to work at the front end of the Housing Issues and Challenges, rather than work in isolation in coming up with proposed solutions where various Stakeholders are left out of the discussions.

This was one of the many points made to the Wis Supreme Court over the issue of Eviction Records Visibility in CCAP.

Below is yet another example of why working in isolation ends up generating poor solutions and also sets the tone for various parties getting frustrated and uncooperative when they are then confronted with a proposed solution they were not a part of.

Now in this particular case, there was an intent originally to work "across the isle" so to speak, but that appears to have backfired, which is why everyone separated and went back to their corners of the "ring" to come out swinging again...on their own.

Sadly, while we all fall victim to this inefficient and ineffective method of problem solving, the true "Victims" are our customers, who are our tenants, and those who are finding it difficult to find housing in the marketplace for a variety of reasons.

Please read the intro below and click on the link to read the full article...

As an alternative to the madness of housing court, a landlord group pitched a mediation program on Monday and called for tenant advocates to support it, rather than consult with them in advance.

That was no accident.

The Community Housing Improvement Program felt burned the last time it shared an idea with the Legal Aid Society of New York City and Housing Justice For All.

“We had conversations that we thought were going well,” CHIP’s Jay Martin said. But when state legislators introduced the resulting bill, which aimed to increase rents of dilapidated vacant apartments enough to fund repairs, tenant groups falsely claimed it would remove 500,000 units from rent regulation and put New Yorkers on the street.

Link to the full article:

Landlord group pitched a mediation program on Monday and called for tenant advocates to support it...

Rick Van Der Leest

Alderman Chris Wery, District 8 - City of Green Bay Wants Your Input...

AANW Admin — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 15:33:29 GMT

Proposed Legislation That Will Be Detrimental to Both Landlords "and" Tenants:

Rick Van Der Leest — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 17:00:00 GMT

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

Fair Housing Training - Free - October 26, 2023 (See Below)

AANW Admin — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 03:30:00 GMT

ATTENTION MEMBERS:

We received the notification below regarding a free Fair Housing Training Seminar:

The Fair Housing Center of Northeast Wisconsin is offering a FREE in-person fair housing training seminar for owners and managers of rental property in Green Bay:

Thursday, October 26, 2023 – 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Brown County Central Library – 515 Pine St, Combined Meeting Rooms 1 & 2, Green Bay

To register for this free online seminar, visit https://tinyurl.com/FHGreenBay or call 414-278-1240.

The seminar will include information about the protected classes and prohibited practices delineated by local, state and federal fair housing laws, as well as reasonable accommodations and modifications for tenants with disabilities.

If you need materials in alternate formats or other accommodations to access our services, please call 414-278-1240.

This material presented during this seminar is intended for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Recording of the seminars is not permitted.

National Rent Control Will Make the Housing Crisis Worse — Here’s Why

AANW Admin — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 00:50:07 GMT

Our nation has never been more focused on the issue of housing as it is today.

In my 30-year career advocating for affordable housing, this is the moment we have all been waiting for: Politicians, policymakers and the public are finally focused on the critical question of how we, as a nation, best meet the basic human need of providing shelter for our citizens. Housing is critical to the economic and social well-being of our country, but we are in danger of losing this opportunity to political pandering and partisan politics.

Click on the link below for the entire story...

National Rent Control Will Make the Housing Crisis Worse - Here's Why...

Waters, House Democrats Press for Rent Hike Limits at Fannie, Freddie Properties

AANW Admin — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 01:42:03 GMT

If your rents are below market, you may want to make a plan to get them closer to market rent, as most of these initiatives have a starting point of freezing rents where they are at, at the time of the enactment, regardless of where they may be relative to markets rents...

Click on the link below for this article.

Waters, House Democrats Press for Rent Hike Limits at Fannie, Freddie Properties

Wisconsin Real Estate Program to Add New Graduate Track in Affordable Housing and Sustainable Development.

AANW Admin — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:48:36 GMT

Wisconsin Real Estate Program to Add New Graduate Track in Affordable Housing and Sustainable Development.

Please click on the link below to read the full article...

Wisconsin Real Estate Program To Add New Graduate Track in Affordable Housing and Sustainable Development

"Renters Rights" Legislation is About Optics...Not Solutions

AANW Admin — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 17:07:14 GMT

"Renters Rights" Legislation is About Optics, Not Solutions...

State government could help renters by making it easier for developers to create new units and by refraining from imposing new laws that raise costs. When a soaring cost of doing business and the headaches of consistently losing income due to new laws become the norm, property owners will not be the only ones to suffer.

What good are “renters rights” laws if the number of rental units shrinks?

Click on the link below to read a refreshing article...

Renters Rights Legislation is About Optics...Not Solutions

Wis Supreme Court - Public Hearing Regarding Eviction Records

AANW Admin — Sat, 12 Aug 2023 21:34:19 GMT

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hold a public hearing on Thursday, September 7th, 2023 regarding Legal Action's Petition to remove Eviction Records after one year, if no money judgement was involved.

For more information on this petition, please click on the link below to read a related article...

Legal aid lawyers want most eviction court records removed after one year

Rick

Foreclosure Activity Dips in July While Lender Repossessions Continue to Climb

AANW Admin — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 19:24:05 GMT

Foreclosure Activity Dips in July While Lender Repossessions Continue to Climb

According to the ATTOM Data’s July 2023 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, there were 31,877 U.S. properties with a foreclosure filings in July – down 9% from June but up 5% from one year ago. In addition, ATTOM says nationwide one in every 4,380 housing units had a foreclosure filing in July, 2023. States with the highest foreclosure rates were Maryland (one in every 2,071 housing units with a foreclosure filing); New Jersey (one in every 2,335 housing units); Delaware (one in every 2,343 housing units); Illinois (one in every 2,430 housing units); and South Carolina (one in every 2,511 housing units).

“The slight decline in foreclosure filings we are seeing is yet another sign of a rebounding housing market…With home prices back up, several factors have combined to put more financial resources in the hands of homeowners, providing more options to avoid foreclosure. However, given with the U.S. housing market remains in flux, the various forces at play could keep the market improving or turn it back downward over the coming months.” Said Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM.

Lenders repossessed 3,332 U.S. properties through completed foreclosures (REOs) in July 2023, up 4% from last month and up 9% from last year. States that had the greatest number of REOs in July 2023, included: Illinois (355 REOs); Pennsylvania (230 REOs); California (217 REOs); Michigan (200 REOs); and Texas (200 REOs).

Article by Brad Beckett, Director of Education & Outreach, Real Estate Investing Today, National Real Estate Investors Association (NREIA).

More Federal Rent Control Chatter...

AANW Admin — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:27:59 GMT

There are many things I am sure we don't agree with, in the research/analysis (link below), but that doesn't change the fact that more and more of this rhetoric fuels the fire.

We are hearing more and more about this sentiment across many markets, from the local, state and federal levels.

While it may be much to do about nothing, from a legal, can they do it point of view, our concern is how many landlords get taken back to the woodshed, spend time and money over frivolous muck started because of this sentiment, and "Win". Only having to sell, close up shop...after winning.

'Renters Are Struggling': Economists Back Tenant-Led Push for Federal Rent Control

Rick

Biden Administration to Take on So-Called “Junk Fees” in Rental Housing

AANW Admin — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 15:00:00 GMT

The Biden Administration announced in Mid-July that it has enlisted the help of several real estate platforms in taking on so-called “junk fees” in rental housing in order to “lower costs for renters.” These partnerships include Zillow, Apartments.com, and Affordablehousing.com. The statement concludes by saying that in the coming months the Biden Administration will work with Congress, state leaders, and the private sector to address these so-called “rental junk fees” in an effort to build “a fairer rental housing market.”

Below is an except from the White House’s release:

July 19, 2023

FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Takes on Junk Fees in Rental Housing to Lower Costs for Renters

Major rental housing platforms and several states join the President’s effort to crack down on rental housing junk fees for consumers and increase transparency.

Today, President Biden is announcing a new front in his crackdown on junk fees: rental housing. From repeated rental application fees to surprise “convenience fees,” millions of families incur burdensome costs in the rental application process and throughout the duration of their lease. These fees are often more than the actual cost of providing the service, or are added onto rents to cover services that renters assume are included—or that they don’t even want.

Rental housing fees can be a serious burden on renters. Rental application fees can be up to $100 or more per application, and, importantly, they often exceed the actual cost of conducting the background and credit checks. Given that prospective renters often apply for multiple units over the course of their housing search, these application fees can add up to hundreds of dollars. Even after renters secure housing, they are often surprised to be charged mandatory fees on top of their rent, including “convenience fees” to pay rent online, fees for things like mail sorting and trash collection, and even so-called “January fees” charged for no clear reason at the beginning of a new calendar year. Hidden fees not only take money out of people’s pockets, they also make it more difficult to comparison shop. A prospective renter may choose one apartment over another thinking it is less expensive, only to learn that after fees and other add-ons the actual cost for their chosen apartment is much higher than they expected or can afford.

Today, the President will outline several new, concrete steps in the Administration’s effort to crack down on rental junk fees and lower costs for renters, including:

New commitments from major rental housing platforms—Zillow, Apartments.com, and AffordableHousing.com—who have answered the President’s call for transparency and will provide consumers with total, upfront cost information on rental properties, which can be hundreds of dollars on top of the advertised rent;
New research from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which provides a blueprint for a nationwide effort to address rental housing junk fees; and
Legislative action in states across the country—from Connecticut to California—who are joining the Administration in its effort to crack down on rental housing fees and protect consumers.

Article by Brad Beckett, Director of Education & Outreach, Real Estate Investing Today, National Real Estate Investors Association (NREIA).

How has COVID Affected the Housing Market (2023)

AANW Admin — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 12:07:49 GMT

To say that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the US real estate market would be an understatement. In fact, it’s hard to imagine any market in the world that wasn’t affected by the pandemic.

We watched the world face uncertainty, fear, and one of the most significant cultural shifts in recent history. How we live and work will never be the same, and it’s still unclear how and when the pandemic’s impact on the housing market will subside.

Click on this link below for the complete story...

How has COVID Affected the Housing Market (2023)