The Wisconsin Landlord Tenant Law Omnibus bill was signed into law by Governor Scott Walker around 4 PM March 21st, 2012. You must be in compliance with the provisions for tenancies entered into beginning April 1st.
One thing the bill does is add a new prohibited lease provision:
The enrolled version of the bill (a copy with all the amendments incorporated and as signed by the Governor) was released late yesterday.
As you look at the part of your lease that addresses criminal activity I am thinking that adding “… unless the tenant could not reasonably have prevented the crime” should keep your lease valid, but have not reviewed this in depth with our attorneys.
Now go modify your leases to take advantage of the benefits and to avoid running afoul of the other changes. That is what we will be working on for the next ten days before a new lease is required.
The Landlord Omnibus bill was fast tracked, being introduced on 2/13/12, passed by the Senate on March 14th, adopted by the Assembly on March 15th and will be signed into law on Mar 21st (tomorrow). While the bill addresses many issues in a positive manner for landlords, it also is going to require revisions to your future rental agreements.
The changes required that I see so far are: