Feb 28

Yesterday I wrote about 2016 revision to the Wisconsin Landlord Tenant Law.  Over on FaceBook Brian Peters, whom I respect, responded.  I thought the discussion warranted bringing it over here for those who do not follow me on FaceBook.

Brian Peters Unfortunately, those changes, along with other changes in past, allow for abuses by bad landlords. Which is why I’ve been calling them the Slumlord Protection Acts.

For example, you mentioned drugs. I doubt people who do “white collar” crimes will find themselves tossed out. This will impact some people more than others.

This provision is also dangerous as it makes it easier for a landlord’s prejudices to come into play.  

Finally, do you really want landlords to be in that position? You once told me about how community prejudices would cause calls to building inspectors. Do you really want calls from neighbors claiming they saw suspicious activities and demanding you evict the person?

My response to Brian was as follows:

While you and I often agree on many issues, I think you have this one wrong.   

The notion that landlords enjoy or profit from evictions is a myth perpetrated by those with a bias against landlords or rental housing.  The typical eviction costs the owner at least two months rent, court fees and damage to the property. I have yet to meet an owner who enjoys the process or comes out ahead. Landlord’s prejudices, although rare today, most likely appear in the application selection process.   This law will not add to nor prevent this.
 
Owners already face demands by neighbors and city officials to evict for activity where there has been no arrest or even credible evidence that the tenant is engaged in wrong doing.  This provision will not add to nor prevent this as it is the result of the neighbors’ prejudices that elected officials willingly participate in hopes of getting reelected.  This is a nationwide issue. Google Minority Threat Theory to read many scholarly articles on this, or read the work of Matt Desmond that was based on his work in Milwaukee. Matt will be in Milwaukee for a book signing on Tuesday.  I will email you a copy of our HUD complaint.
 

The new law does not allow for eviction for use or simple possession, which actually makes it harder to evict by invalidating the Cobbs case, which permitted eviction for simple possession or use in Section 8 Housing 

The change in the law however allows owners to act when there is a major problem.  I would expect that you would want an owner to address rampant drug dealing or the violent person next door to your home.  This change allows that to happen easier, but contains protections for the tenant.

One change included that I wanted is the one that permits the use of 5 Day notices to address lease violation in month to month tenancies.  The law, as it was, only permitted the use of a 14 Day termination without the tenant having the right to cure when a month to month tenant violated the rental agreement.  Now we can give the tenant a 5 Day to address things like the pit bull they brought home.  If the tenant removes the dog, then they cannot be evicted and everyone wins.
Brian replies:

How does it benefit the tenant to not have the opportunity to cure the violation?

I was imprecise with my language earlier, BTW-good that you clarified it for anyone reading this.

Tim:

You have this backwards. The new law ADDS a right to cure notice for month to month breaches where none existed before.

We championed the addition of the right to cure notice because our industry wants to avoid evictions when possible, but we also want disruptive removed as soon as possible if they will not make the correction. Remember all evictions are costly to both landlord and tenant.

Brian:

I realize that. I guess you see the bad tenants while I see the bad landlords so we both have our perspectives.

Tim

Actually I see very few bad tenants. While some fail due to economic fragility, I would not call them bad. Out of approx a thousand tenants last year, it looks like we evicted 7 during the year that would be considered bad.

Tenants and landlords need each other just as Clownfish and anemones need each other. A quick view of this is at the post: The enemy of my customer is…. Of course it is more complex than that.

Both sides need to be careful not to be played by people who try to create strife between us only due to their dislike of tenants for reasons unrelated to housing.
Feb 27

Governor Walker is scheduled to sign AB568 into law on Monday 2/29/16.  Link to the text of the new 2016 Wisconsin Landlord Tenant  law, ACT 176   This is the third major revision to WI Landlord Tenant Law in three years.

It will take a while to digest all the implications of the new bill, even for those of us who watched it go through the legislative process over the last six months or so.

Some of the highlights:

  • The new law allows the termination of a tenancy for criminal activity. Drug dealing is one of the crimes you can evict for, but simple possession or use of drugs is not. Politically, allowing possession was necessary. But it is still disappointing that owners that wish to, still cannot expect drug free housing.  With this new tool to address problems  year leases are practical in more situations than they are today. An advantage of leases is less turn over and that should make neighborhoods more stable. Keep in mind that the Wisconsin protections for domestic abuse victims remain in place.
  • Another change affects month to month tenancies – The ability to use 5 Day notices for breaches.  Now when the tenant shows up with a pit bull you can respond with a 5 Day instead of a 14 Day.  An advantage to the tenant is they can correct their mistake and not lose their home.  This may also permit the including of late fees and other charges that the tenant owes on a 5 Day notice.  I will get clarification on this.

There are a bunch of changes that should help keep local governments a bit more in check.  This legislation:

  • Prohibits  rental property inspections except upon a complaint or as part of a program of regularly scheduled inspections conducted in compliance with state or federal law.  Think fire inspections.
  • Dramatically changes “Reinspection Fee” by limiting the the escalating fee scheme as well as allowing fees only when there was an actual, physical inspection of  the property.  Currently these fees double every 30 Days until they are six times the original fee, plus often there is no actual inspection associated with the fee. This is important as many of the abandoned and foreclosed homes in my neighborhoods appear to have ended up in that state in part due to fees imposed by Milwaukee.  The fees imposed these properties also make it harder for someone to come in, buy the property and put it back in service.
  • Prohibits rental property certification or licensing  schemes unless the requirement applies uniformly to all residential rental property owners, including owners of owner-occupied rental property.
  • The law still allows for programs such as Milwaukee’s Property Recording Ordinance, but most likely they will no longer be able to charge a fee.
  • Prohibits an occupancy or transfer of tenancy fee on a rental unit.

Time of Sale protections

  •  The bill prohibist local regulations with respect to taking title to or occupancy of property.

The new law also changes things with regards to sprinklers, historical buildings, trespass and towing.

Stay tuned as we get more information on what these changes mean to us and what lease language will be updated.

Feb 25

A reader writes:

I was in one of my units the other day working on a plumbing problem. I noticed a strong smell of Pot, as I was walking from the kitchen to the bathroom I could smell the pot even stronger. I noticed There was an extension cord going into the living room closet. I looked inside the closet and there was a heat lamp a grow light and aluminum foil around the walls with a nice big plant of pot.

I called the police, when they came they advised me that there was nothing they could do since I found it with an illegal search. I explained to them that I have the right to inspect my units for damage or illegal activity. They said there was nothing they could do except watch the place and tell inspectors about the activity.

The police were wise not to make an arrest based on your discovery. The search would be invalid for the police to make an arrest, but that does not mean you did anything illegal as long as you properly noticed the tenant that you would be entering the property. Although seeing that you were there for plumbing you may wish to say you thought you smelled a strong sewerage odor and instead pot. 😉

 

The reason is a published Wisconsin Supreme Court case on landlords allowing police to search their tenants unit without a warrant, State, v. KIEFFER

¶ 45 For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that Garlock [the landlord] lacked actual authority to consent to a search of the defendant’s living area.   In addition, we conclude that the police made insufficient inquiry and thus could not reasonably rely upon Garlock’s apparent authority to consent to a search of the loft area.   Our conclusions on the Fourth Amendment questions render the initial entry and search constitutionally invalid, and thus avoid a need to address the other issues raised by the defendant.

You, assuming of course that you gave proper notice prior to entering the property, can evict based on this accidental finding.

Feb 22

Bill Lauer writes on the Apartment Association email discussion group:

I was having breakfast with a friend familiar with landlord issues and we were agreeing that in this business, our tenants are our customers, low vacancy rates are cyclical, and things always change.
 
“The enemy of my customer is my enemy”.  The issues that conflict with my customer buying more product are issues that I need to be concerned about.
 
In the rental housing industry the issues that cause my tenant to not pay rent, are my issues too. We are joined at the hip.  To think otherwise is foolish.
 

I have thought about this often from a political perspective.

Why are the Democrats typically the political polar opposite to providers of lower cost housing and the Republicans often more supportive of our issues?  Every proposal that increases costs or decreases competition in that market adversely impacts the lower income residents, a constituency the the Dems purport to be theirs.  If you think about it the Dems should be the allies of rental housing.

A decade or so ago I hired former Governor Schreiber to  represent the Association at the statehouse.  More than a few people thought I lost my mind.  But it was a good choice as he understood the dynamics of the market and could explain to other Democrats how our bill was good for  the lower income families. We succeeded with a major piece of legislation at a time that even Green Bay Packer stadium financing was at a stalemate.


Tim Ballering
Feb 11

A reader asks:

I would like to know if all of you fill these out for tenants? I have had several to complete and return to them. They take time and the financial benefit is for the tenant. Does anyone know if we are required to complete them?

The short answer is yes,  you are required to complete the Homestead Credit Form.

Some guidance from the State of WI Dept of Revenue

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