Goodbye Local Control, Republicans want to ban Rental Permits and Inspections; Kick People out in 5 Days for Suspected Criminal Activity!!!

I think I’ve figured it out. There's a reason why Republicans are wiping out the idea of local control with sweeping one size fits all statewide regulations. Heck, they even justify it by saying it makes government less confusing and fair. After all, who wants a patchwork of locally controlled regulations?

Sneaky too, because when Republicans are kicked out of office again, they’ll fire up the base by demanding a return to local control. And around and around we go.

The Republican Authority Targets Peoples Homes: Since Republicans have already bypassed local law enforcement officials with recently passed gun laws, you can now add tenant rights to that list. They’re giving landlords the power to throw people out of their rental housing within five days...on just a whim that there's is illegal activity, bypassing law enforcement again:

Landlords could evict tenants in five days if they suspect criminal activity under a Republican-backed plan to rewrite Wisconsin's landlord-tenant laws. Backers of the plan said that if police don't investigate criminal behavior, it can leave landlords with few options. 

"This is used for criminal activity," said Attorney Tristan Pettit, who represents landlords in tenant disputes. "The drug dealing. The beating somebody up. The threatening. The shooting off of guns. That is what we need this for, because right now, landlords cannot do anything about that."

So what about the unintended consequences...:

Tony Gibard, with Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said "I just want the committee to think about what that means in the life of a domestic violence victim who may have just been beaten, bloodied and brutalized and has five days to figure out what to do."  

WISC had this coverage with one of the cosponsors, Sen. Frank Lasee:

”I feel like if you have bad-acting tenants, often the other tenants living nearby are paying a greater price than the landlord,”

The Republican Authority to Let Rental Housing deteriorate: I know, that sounds crazy right, but I swear it’s true. Killing local control statewide over the quality of rental housing is beyond anything I could have imagine.

According to the WPR report (audio below) Republicans want to ban local communities from requiring rental permits that make sure housing is up to code and provide for routine inspections over a 3 to 5-year period. 

We are after all talking about a businesses that are supposed to provide a safe and healthy place where people live, eat and bathe. No quality control? Just imagine Republicans catering to the food service lobby by banning unfair restaurant inspections…hmm, maybe I shouldn’t have brought that up. 

Another Republican troubled by a Conflict of Interest? Not anymore. Rep. Stroebel tells a whopper...

Well, we have the most amazing excuse that finally obliterates “conflict of interest” issues. It’s absolute genius, and that’s saying a lot when you consider its coming from a Republican. It’s true these guys are the biggest victims on earth, and always find a way to blame someone else, but still this one comment destroys any appearance of conflict of interest with ease:

jsonline: “There is no conflict of interest in a legislator participating in and guiding legislation that may affect his or her private sector business … It is a good thing to have citizen legislators who have real world knowledge and experience on the issues … making policy decisions."

See?  Stroebel makes the case it's a good thing a politician is personally affected by their own favorable legislation. 

Lord Voldemort with a nose?

The lead sponsor of a sweeping landlord-tenant bill in the Legislature would himself benefit from a provision that would eliminate Milwaukee's landlord registration program. The legislator is Rep. Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville) … one provision would have an impact on a building he owns on Milwaukee's east side … effectively eliminate the landlord registration program, which requires all commercial property owners to record ownership information with the city … having that information allows police and firefighters, as well as Department of Neighborhood Services officials, a way to reach landlords faster.

And that would be bad? There’s more:

Stroebel's building is located just outside the boundaries of another program operated by the city. That pilot program is called the Residential Rental Inspection program and, under Stroebel's bill, also stands to be eliminated. In that program, rental property owners register their property with the city and submit to an initial inspection. Owners are then issued four-year certificates or one-year certificates noting the properties are in compliance with city codes and regulations.

Here it comes…conflict of interest is good:

Stroebel issued a statement saying his sponsorship of the bill did not amount to a conflict of interest.

"There is no conflict of interest in a legislator participating in and guiding legislation that may affect his or her private sector business when the policy is a statewide policy that affects everyone in the field equally. It is a good thing to have citizen legislators who have real world knowledge and experience on the issues, rather than career politicians relying on lobbyists for information, making policy decisions."

Goodbye Wisconsin...Landlords Unchained. Tenants must Bow Down to their Whims say Republicans.

Republicans continue to tear down decade’s worth of consumer protection laws just because they can. This isn't governing, this is chaos.

Being a landlord myself, even I can’t believe what Republicans want to let landlords get away with. It's even a one-size-fits-all change that does away with all the uniquely justified local regulations that elected officials passed at the request of constituents. 

If you’re thinking about moving to Wisconsin and renting, “RENTER BEWARE,” your safety and health are at risk. 

Another insane law pushed by the lobbyists at the Wisconsin Realtor's Associations. You know, all those confusing local regulations. Think that's bad, have you seen the listing, offer and buyer's agent contracts lately?

WKOW: Tenant-rights advocates are upset over a fast-tracked State Assembly bill that would loosen a number of regulations on landlords. Opponents say AB 183 strips tenants of crucial rights, but its supporters say it contains needed reforms.  

Allows landlords to hold tenants liable for pest or insect infestations if it can be proved they caused them. 

And landlords could also evict a person if a crime is committed in their rental unit, even if they had no ability to stop it.

The following two provisions blow my mind:

1. One provision says landlords no longer have to disclose building code violations unless a local housing authority has filed a written notice on them. "Even though the landlord does know, they don't have to tell the tenant.  They're allowed to keep it secret," said David Sparer, a Madison-based tenant attorney.

2. Another major provision of the bill says a property owner can have illegally parked vehicles towed away without consulting the owner of the vehicle or police. Right now, a property owner must first call police, who have to write a citation before authorizing a tow.

Several tenant advocates believe landlords were the only ones consulted on the bill prior to its introduction, because legislators knew it would cause outrage among renters. "I first heard about this bill on Monday.  On Tuesday it was added to the agenda for this committee.  Today is Thursday.  That is not very much time," complained Colin Gillis of the Wisconsin Alliance For Tenant Rights. You can read AB 183 in its entirety by clicking here.

Renters lose their freedoms and liberty!! LandLORD taking on whole new meaning.

Just who are the Republicans state legislators representing?

If you’re a renter, and more people are after the housing market collapsed, you may be wondering why your fellow conservatives are taking your rights away. Oh, I’m sorry, according to Scott Walker we don’t really have rights unless they’re enshrined in the Constitution. Everything else is a freeloading “entitlement.”

WSJ: Tenant rights would be curtailed in a variety of ways under a new state bill moving quickly through the Legislature, under the chief sponsorship of an Assembly Republican, State Rep. Duey Stroebel, who also is a landlord.

The first attack on renters, Senate Bill 107, went into effect in late December : Supporters note the new law serves to standardize renting rules throughout the state … critics note many of the stricter local rules were put in place historically to protect the large student population … Landlords could require tenants to make three times the amount of their rent in income, or apply other minimum income standards … Landlords may deny people housing based on an arrest or conviction record, no matter how old and even if it has nothing to do with housing … Landlords can require tenants to provide their social security number, requiring tenants to risk identity theft and making it difficult for international students, visiting staff and professors and others to find housing … Security deposits will no longer be limited to one month's rent, as they were in Madison and Fitchburg. Landlords are already asking some tenants to provide 4 months rent in advance to be accepted.

Among the newer changes from Assembly Bill 561: Renters would have to notify their landlords, in writing, of any repair or maintenance need, and give the landlord "adequate time" to fix the problem, the bill doesn't define what "adequate time" is … Landlords would no longer have to provide any notice to former tenants who leave behind personal property, before the landlords can  sell the items and keep the money or throw the items away, at the former tenants' cost … Local governments wouldn't be able to prohibit landlords from evicting anyone over Christmas, or impose any other special circumstances … Double damages, court costs and attorney fees could no longer be awarded to tenants who successfully sue over failure to return a security deposit or disclose repair issues.