My next Landlord Boot Camp for the Rental Property Association of Wisconsin, Inc. (formerly known as the AASEW) will be held on Saturday November 4, 2023. This Boot Camp will be in-person and streamed virtually. You choose the format that best serves you.
There have been so many changes in how evictions and other Landlord-Tenant law matters are handled post COVID that I strongly recommend that you attend this Boot Camp to get caught up on all the changes.
Continue Reading Next LANDLORD BOOT CAMP will be November 4, 2023
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Governor Evers Signs Bipartisan Package of Affordable Housing Legislation

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 06/22/2023 09:46 AM CDT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2023Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov Gov. Evers Signs Bipartisan Package of Affordable Housing Legislation MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today signed five bipartisan bills to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for working families, a critical effort to help support the state’s workforce and maintain the state’s economic momentum. “Access to safe, reliable, and affordable housing statewide is an absolutely critical part of addressing Wisconsin’s…
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Attempt to Add Source of Income and Veteran Status As New Federal Protected Classes
Two U.S. Senators recently introduced a new federal bill that is being referred to as the “Fair Housing Improvement Act” (FHIA). The FHIA introduces two additional protected classes to the seven protected classes under the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
The first proposal would make veterans of wars a new federal protected class.
The second, would make “source of income” a new federal protected class. If “source of income” becomes a federal protected class then landlords would be unable…
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Beware of Clauses Requiring More than 28-Days’ Notice to Terminate Month-to-Month Tenancies
By Atty. Gary D. Koch
Clauses requiring tenants to provide 60-Day Notice to terminate a month-to-month tenancy are popular – we see them a lot in rental agreements. Recently, though, we have seen the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection take issue with such clauses in rental agreements in month-to-month tenancies that require the tenant to give anything more than a 28-Day Notice to terminate the tenancy.
These DATCP challenges can end one of two ways: the…
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Updated Nonstandard Rental Provision Form Available Now at Wisconsin Legal Blank
A new and updated version of the Nonstandard Rental Provisions (NSRP) form that I draft is available for purchase at Wisconsin Legal Blank. The need for the revisions were due to conversations that I had with the State (namely the Attorney General’s Office) while defending a client of mine during a Civil Investigative Demand (CID). During our conversations, the AG’s office informed me that it was their opinion that a NSRP cannot state that a landlord can deduct from a tenant’s…
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HUD Announces $3 Million Dollar Settlement with California Landlords for Discriminating Against Families With Children By Requiring Supervision and Prohibiting Outside Play
Earlier today, April 10, 2023, HUD announced that two of its housing partners reached a $3 Million settlement with a California property management company and more than 30 owners who were discriminating against families with children by prohibiting any outdoor play activities and requiring adult supervision of all children under the age of 14 years in all common areas. Its was alleged that tenants who violated those rules faced the threat of eviction. This discrimination allegedly occurred at more than 48 apartment…
Continue Reading HUD Announces $3 Million Dollar Settlement with California Landlords for Discriminating Against Families With Children By Requiring Supervision and Prohibiting Outside Play
The Next Landlord Boot Camp Will Be Held on March 18, 2023
My next Landlord Boot Camp for the AASEW will be held on Saturday March 18, 2023. This Boot Camp will be in-person and streamed virtually. You choose the format that best serves you.
- Attendees will receive a searchable 100 page + PDF Boot Camp manual, making it easier to search and reference items in the future.
- A recording will be available to attendees for 14 days after the event to re-watch portions that you want a deeper understanding of.
…
Continue Reading The Next Landlord Boot Camp Will Be Held on March 18, 2023
Landlord Boot Camp ON DEMAND: Newly Updated Video and Information Available
Hello. I am excited to announce that my latest Landlord Boot Camp — recorded November 2022 — is now available as an On Demand video series. The benefits of this On Demand format are many.
…
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I Think That My Tenant Has Surrendered the Rental Unit, What Do I Do Now? PART 2: Abandoned Personal Property
If you are asking yourself this question, there are generally two main issues that you need to be concerned with: (1) Has the tenant surrendered the rental unit (i.e. vacated and has no need to come back to clean, pick up personal property, or for any other reason); and (2) Has the tenant abandoned any remaining personal property. In this post we will discuss the second issue: Has the tenant abandoned their personal property?
If you have not yet read…
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My Tenant Has Vacated the Rental Unit, What Do I Do Now?
In an ideal world, the tenant would return their keys, remove all personal property (including trash), and leave the rental unit spotless. Then it would be clear that the tenant has surrendered the rental unit and, as there wouldn’t be any personal property remaining, there would be nothing to debate its abandonment. Unfortunately, that rarely happens.
In this situation, there are generally two main issues: (1) Has the tenant surrendered the rental unit (i.e. vacated and has no need…
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The Next Landlord Boot Camp Will Be Held On Saturday, November 12, 2022
My next Landlord Boot Camp for the AASEW will be held on Saturday November 12, 2021. This Boot Camp will be in-person and streamed virtually. You choose the format that best serves you.
- Attendees will receive a searchable 100 page + PDF Boot Camp manual, making it easier to search and reference items in the future.
- A recording will be available to attendees for 14 days after the event to re-watch portions that you want a deeper understanding of.
…
Continue Reading The Next Landlord Boot Camp Will Be Held On Saturday, November 12, 2022
Back To Basics – Notices Terminating Tenancy
By Atty. Gary D. Koch
A previous post discussed methods of service of notices terminating tenancy, leaving a discussion on the various notices that can be utilized for a later post. Welcome to that post!
When a landlord is in a situation where a tenancy needs to be terminated, the landlord must provide the tenant with a notice terminating the tenancy. This termination can be for a variety of reasons, or no reason at all (so long as…
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Back to Basics – Service of the Notice Terminating Tenancy

Unfortunately, landlords sometimes find themselves in the situation where they have to terminate the tenancy of a residential tenant. There are a variety of notices that can be used to do so, and that is a topic for another day. This post is on how to serve a notice terminating tenancy.
Wisconsin Statue §704.21 delineates the methods by which a landlord can serve a notice on a tenant. Among the options are personal service, substitute service, posting and mailing…
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Who CARES? – Status on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was signed into law on March 27, 2020, bringing many new wrinkles to the residential real estate rental practice. While several of its provisions have expired, specifically those regarding eviction moratoria, one particular provision lingers without an apparent sunset. Section 4024(c)(1) of the CARES Act requires that “[t]he lessor of a covered dwelling unit may not require the tenant to vacate the covered dwelling unit before the date that…
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ALL NEW Landlord Boot Camp On Demand Available
Hello. I am excited to announce that my latest Landlord Boot Camp — recorded November 13, 2021 — is now available as an On Demand video series. The benefits of this On Demand format are many.
…
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