What does this mean?

Rights of the Elderly and Disabled: The right for equal protection and advocacy for seniors and disabled tenants under city, county, state, and federal law.

What might this look like?

• LL informs oversight board before eviction of disabled or elderly

• Improved reporting and enforcement standards for disability discrimination

• Limit electric disconnects for seniors, disabled people, or low income families

• Consideration for disabled persons when designing new buildings

• Accessibility modifications allowed; accommodations made in terms of lease

• Convert hotels into subsidized elderly housing

What does this mean?

Right to Fair Leases: The right to a lease that is clear, transparent, and does not include unfair or exploitative terms.

What might this look like?

• Simple, clear lease terms (no legalese)

• Consistent leases throughout building

• Limit security deposit to 1 month of rent (return to pre-Act 108 and pre-Act 143 law); limits on size of pet deposit

• Itemized security deposits

• Option for separate leases for roommates

• Multi-year leases

• Landlord pays utilities

• Landlord carries rental insurance for fire, water, or vermin damages

What does this mean?

Right to Stay in Place: The right to continue living in their current residence without being evicted, with some exceptions for severe non-payment of rent, significant property damage, or violations of lease agreements.

What might this look like?

• No winter evictions

• Rights of a 12-month tenant after living in residence 2 years; right to a (multi-)year lease

• Freedom from "no-cause evictions": only valid reasons for eviction are: nonpayment, landlord moving in, unit being removed from market (if unit removed from market, construction improvement permits denied for 1 year)

• Landlords must attempt to contact tenant about nonpayment before filing eviction notice

• Expand the notice a landlord must give to tenants before eviction; expand the right to cure; expand time to cure a notice to vacate (from 5 days to 14 days) (revision of Act 76)

• Repeal nuisance ordinances for police calls where there are no charges or arrests and for tenants who call the police for aid (i.e., domestic violence) (expansion of Act 76 law protections for domestic abuse victims and for those accused of a crime)

• Right to relocation assistance in event of forced move or temporary displacement; move due to price increase incurs relocation reimbursement/payout of rent difference

• Clear, verifiable explanation for lease non-renewal

• Expanded shutoff protection for all during extreme weather periods

• Tenant rights to property at eviction (return to pre-Act 108 and pre-Act 76 law)

What does this mean?

Rights to Repairs and Safe, Affordable Housing: The right for housing to be maintained in a safe, healthy, accessible condition, with necessary repairs made promptly.

What might this look like?

• Meet health and safety standards for utilities, facilities, and amenities (currently not protected by Wisconsin state law)

• Better code enforcement; penalties for delays in repairs; expanded program for rent abatement for hazardous living conditions

• Refrigerator and cooking appliances included with all residential rentals

• Minimum number of electrical outlets; electrical wiring capable of running window AC and several other appliances; more protections against electrical hazards

• Repairs responded to and completed within 48 hours of receiving written notice

• Tenant complaints can be made within 14 days of move in (without retaliation)

• On-site maintenance staff required for buildings with >10 units

• Repairs done by licensed, union contractors

• Landlords personally liable for issues on their properties

• Landlords with a record of repeated code (or other) violations cannot buy property

• Landlord notifies all tenants of bedbug or vermin infestations, pays costs, and takes preventative action (currently not protected by Wisconsin state law -- see Madison General ORginance 27.02(2)(d))

• Disconnection protections for electric, heat (if different fuel), water, sewer, and internet

• Landlords put rental earnings back into properties

• Triple the amount of public funding for affordable housing

• Minimum wage should be whatever is takes to afford a one-bedroom within city limits

• Enforce weatherization standards; re-roofing should include “cool roof” shingles or coatings

• Right to affordable heat + AC; tenant may move into hotel at LL expense if heat/AC requires repair

• Storm shelter in case of tornadoes

• Zero fare transit; fare free transit

What does this mean?

Right to Organize and Equal Protection Under Law: The right for tenants to advocate for their needs, address housing issues, and build stronger, more inclusive neighborhoods.

What might this look like?

• Right to organize in common spaces

• Property managers are required to come to the negotiating table (they cannot ignore tenants)

• No retaliation on code or criminal complaints on landlord or landlord's agents

• Parity between city and county tenant protections

• Tenant rights leaflet included with lease

• Tenant rights posted in common spaces of all rental properties

• No Section 8 voucher discrimination

• Right to free counsel in housing court; court-appointed attorneys for housing, custody, and deportation (Milwaukee precedent)

• More incentives for landlord-tenant mediation

• Landlords and property managers need license for habitation

• Restrictions on credit score and income requirements

• Landlord provides rent receipts within a week, or incur fee

• Mayor and council establish and fund division of housing and tenant oversight board 

• Political candidates pledge to refuse campaign support from the real estate industry

• Equal treatment by all state and municipal agencies, without discrimination on the basis of experiencing homelessness

• Vote, register to vote, and receive documentation necessary to prove identity for voting without discrimination due to experiencing homelessness

What does this mean?

Right to Privacy and Self-Determination: The right to live in their rental unit without interference, and the right to control how their personal information is used and disclosed

What might this look like?

• In any case, if the tenant pays the rent or vacates the property before an eviction filing, the record is sealed (Minnesota precedent)

• Right to notice for LL entry; expand notice to 24 hours for landlord entry; Tenants may refuse LL entry w/o proper notice; No entering residence by force, LL liable for double damages 

• End to water and power shut offs; must receive 48 hour notice

• No forbidding of window unit in AC

• A reasonable expectation of privacy of personal property

What does this mean?

Right to Rent History: The right to review a landlord’s past rental record to make informed decisions about renting.

What might this look like?

• Landlord registry

• Landlord publishes rent histories of buildings/units

• All civil records related to property code violations available online (not just in person at the county clerk's office)

• Disclosure of past issues in rental units (return to pre-Act 76 law)

• Disclosure of average utility costs

What does this mean?

Right to Rent Stabilization and Fair Fees: Rent stabilization laws, also known as "anti-rent gouging" laws, limit how much landlords can increase rent over a certain period of time.

What might this look like?

• Rent advisory board sets annual cap on rent increases based on factors including: inflation, cost of living, and maintenance costs

• Expand late fee window from 3 days to 10 days; limit late fees (especially the first time you are late)

• The landlord is prohibited from raising the rent under specific circumstances, such as when there are significant habitability issues.

• No transaction fees for online rent payment

• Cost transparency and profit caps

• Expand eviction process for non-payment from 5 days to 60 days

• Vacancy tax

• Airbnb tax

• Notice required for rent increases; tenant has 30 days to review offer; landlord cannot compel tenant to agree to a new leasing agreement until halfway through the tenant's lease term; tenant must receive renewal offer (or rejection for renewal) within 30 days of request

• Price cap on utilities

• Real estate transfer tax for housing not used as primary residence

• Public explanation for adjustments in changes in rent/fees/utility charges

• Landlord responsible for own attorney fees (return to pre-Act 143 law)

What does this mean?

Rights of Current Residents: The right of a current tenant to maintain their home without displacement.

What might this look like?

• Require detailed, evidence-based landlord explanations for not recommending tenants to other landlords; prevent landlord retaliation through poor recommendations

• Renewal notice sent <90 days before expiry, or 10+% of annual rent awarded to tenant (cash or rent reduction)

• Lease automatically transfers to named successor

• Tenants granted preference for in-building vacancies

• No out-of-state landlords

• No bump in rent for in-building transfers to similar size units