What's happening in other states may alarm you.

Here are 2 bills introduced in Massachusetts:

HB1901: Fining Landlords for Tenant Drug Use

House Bill 1901 would impose fines on landlords if tenants use or store illegal drugs on their properties, regardless of whether the landlord is aware of the activity. This measure seeks to curb drug-related issues in rental properties by holding property owners accountable. Critics argue that penalizing landlords without their knowledge is unjust and could discourage property investment or lead to overly intrusive tenant monitoring. Supporters claim it incentivizes landlords to maintain safer environments, though the bill’s lack of clarity on enforcement or landlord protections remains contentious.

HB2246: Landlord Liability for Police Responses

House Bill 2246 goes further, making landlords financially responsible for the costs of police responses to their properties, no matter who initiates the call or the reason behind it. This could include incidents ranging from domestic disputes to noise complaints, even if the landlord has no control over the situation. Proponents argue that this bill encourages landlords to screen tenants more carefully and address issues proactively. However, opponents warn that it could unfairly burden landlords with unpredictable costs, particularly in high-crime areas, and may deter property owners from renting to certain tenants or operating in vulnerable neighborhoods.

Here is a bill introduced in Illinois:

HB3564: Amends the Landlord and Tenant Act

Prohibits a landlord from imposing a move-in fee. Provides that a landlord may not demand any charge for the processing, reviewing, or accepting of an application, or demand any other payment, fee, or charge before or at the beginning of the tenancy. Limits late fees to $10 for the first $1000 in monthly rent, and then 5% for everything more than $1000.

Study by Legal Services Corporation, Office of Data Governance and Analysis

Read 10-Page Paper Here

Summary:

• More than one-third of all occupied residences in the United States are rentals, home to over 45 million households.

• Landlords, as the owners of these rental properties, provide a critical resource: affordable rental housing for individuals and families with limited incomes.

• About 70% of all landlords are small, “mom-and-pop” landlords who own four or fewer rental properties and often rely on timely rent to cover mortgage costs and property expenses.

MYTH 1: Eviction filings are a quick way to recover unpaid rent.

REALITY: Eviction filings take weeks or months and landlords rarely recover all unpaid rent.

MYTH 2: Landlords file evictions on a whim.

REALITY: Landlords typically explore other options with their tenants before filing for eviction.

MYTH 3: Eviction is a cost-effective way to manage risk.

REALITY: Far from being a cost-effective strategy for managing the risk of rent disruptions, evictions increase risk for landlords.

MYTH 4: Eviction only hurts the tenant.

REALITY: Both tenant and landlord lose.

Matt Desmond, author of book “Evicted,” will be speaking at UWM on Wednesday 4/30. The event is free and open to the public (not just students and faculty).

When:

April 30, 2025 | 6:30PM

• 5:30 – Doors Open
• 6:30 – Presentation with book signing to follow

Where:

UWM Student Union, Wisconsin Room

2200 E Kenwood Blvd

Milwaukee, WI 53211

REGISTER HERE

Milwaukee County Housing Services April Town Hall is featuring a Fair Housing presentation from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Fair Housing Council (MMFHC).

• Date: Tuesday, April 15th
• Time: 10AM

Agenda:

• Fair housing protections that apply to all rental providers
• How to create inclusive and equitable housing opportunities
• Resources MMFHC offers for both tenants and landlords

This is an online event.

Register Here

If you have general questions or concerns regarding HCV Program operations and are looking for answers, please join the next online update for housing providers:

• Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
• Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
• Location: Microsoft Teams 

Click here to join the meeting

• Meeting ID: 291 278 921 882
• Passcode: WUuwKK

Prefer to call-in only (no video)?

• 414-251-0392
• Phone Conference ID: 252 725 593#

Reminder: May 31 Deadline to Set Up Direct Deposit

As of July 2025, HACM will only issue Housing Assistance Payments electronically (no more paper checks). Therefore, all property owners/managers must set up direct deposit through the Landlord Portal no later than May 31, 2025.

Link to Landlord Portal

Recertifications

HACM is making good progress on the backlog of recertifications and remain confident they will meet the previously stated goal to rectify this issue by the end of May 2025. As a reminder, those accounts with late recertifications pending will continue to receive Housing Assistance Payments during this period.

Here is the latest news regarding FinCEN reporting. In the last few months this has been back and forth regarding needing to file or the deadline for reporting being pushed off. 

The latest update can be found on FinCEN's website.

All entities created in the United States — including those previously known as “domestic reporting companies” — and their beneficial owners are now exempt from the requirement to report beneficial ownership information to FinCEN. Existing foreign companies that must report their beneficial ownership information have at least an additional 30 days from March 26, 2025—until April 25, 2025, for most companies—to do so.

This presentation was moderated by Alexi Millard. The main presenter was Pablo Santiago.

Pablo discussed some of the items that the inspectors are looking for. (This is not an exhaustive list.)

Outside items:

• Checking handrails for 3+ steps
• No loose or missing siding
• No missing shingles
• No chipping paint
• Address plate must be present
• Every tenant must have their own mailbox
• If there is a storm door, it must latch and close properly
• If the main door has a single pane window, a storm door must be present
• Every entry door must have a single-key deadbolt (no double sided deadbolts allowed)
• Tenants cannot be parking on the grass
• The garage doors must be operable and the service doors must be lockable
• The garage cannot have any raw wood, it must be painted or stained

Interior items:

• Every room must have a heat source
• Every window must have operable screen 
• Every window must have a sash lock
• Every window on the first floor has to have a ventilation lock (vent lock or pin lock)
• No chipping paint in the windowsills
• To be considered a bedroom it has to be at least 70 sqft, it must have a closet or a wardrobe, if there is an overhead light there must be an outlet present
• If there is a walk-through room it cannot be counted as a bedroom
• There needs to be a 10-year sealed smoke detector within 6' of the bedroom
• There needs to be a carbon monoxide detector on every level
• Every bathroom has to have a window or an exhaust fan
• All remodeled areas need to have a GFCI within 6' of a water source
• All garbage disposals must be properly connected, no loose wires
• In the basement, 10-year sealed smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector within 15' of the mechanicals
• The unit must not have any open breaker slots in the breaker panels
• Attics must have 2 means of egress (windows or stairwells) and smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector
• Bedrooms are not allowed in basements unless there is proper egress
• Hot water heaters must have pressure relief valves
• Dryers must be vented to the exterior with rigid aluminum, no plastic

NSPRE is the new standard from HUD for inspections, this is going to replace the current inspection standards. 

Download the NSPIRE HCV/PBV INSPECTION CHECKLIST here.

Every change to the program is planned a year in advance so there will be plenty of advance notice when there are changes.

Q&A section:

• Q: Can multiple inspections be done at the same time for the same building (different tenants)? A: If renewal dates with multiple tenants in the same building are within 90 days, MCHS can do one inspection for both units on the same day if they are scheduled.
• Q: How can someone see if an inspection is every year or every other year? A: Inspections get scheduled about 4 months before the renewal so you would find out at that time. Take a look at your tenant code from the contract. There are 4-5 numbers and the letter after it is "v" then its a Section 8 program with a biannual inspection schedule. All other tenants have an annual inspection.
• Q: Is there something that the program offers to inform tenants that they cannot remove the smoke detectors? A: Yes, inform the case manager that the tenant keeps taking the smoke detector down. The case manager can educate them on the safety requirements of this device and if they keep failing the inspection because of it, they will be removed from the program.
• Q: If HQS and City of Milwaukee DNS have differing codes for exterior items, which code is enforced? A: Whichever is stricter.
• Q: Any tips for passing inspections on the first time? A: Walk through the unit the a day or two before the inspection and review everything the inspector will be looking for.

By:  Kirsten Fagerland Pezewski, Pezewski Law Offices, S.C.

March 5, 2025

Did you know that the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council offers FREE training seminars for FAIR HOUSING issues?

The MMFHC currently has scheduled a Milwaukee seminar on Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and a Wauwatosa seminar on Friday, June 6, 2025 from 2:00 p.m. through 4:30 p.m.  Attendees must register in advance.  You can register online: 

          Milwaukee: https://tinyurl.com/MKEFairHousingSpring2025

  Wauwatosa: https://tinyurl.com/TosaFHTrainingJune2025

Why attend?  The MMFHC website says that the seminars cover a wide range of fair housing topics, including:

• Local, state, and federal fair housing laws
• Advertising units in compliance with fair housing law
• Non-discriminatory negotiation with prospective tenants
• Interacting with current tenants in a fair and legal manner
• Reasonable accommodations and modifications for tenants with disabilities

Over the years, I’ve had many clients with many questions about Emotional Support Animals and other fair housing topics.  This is a great opportunity to bring your questions and hear directly from the Fair Housing Council.

The MMFHC link for 2025 training is: Free Fair Housing Training for Housing Providers - 2025  Check the site for future additional training opportunities.

NOTICE THAT THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE:  The information in this blog post is provided for general informational purposes only.  The information contained in this post should not be construed as legal advice from Rental Property Association of WI, Inc. or its individual author.  Please seek appropriate legal or professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances that you may have at issue from a lawyer licensed to practice law in your state or jurisdiction if you wish to obtain legal advice about any matter. 

March 3, 2025

By:  Kirsten Fagerland Pezewski, Pezewski Law Offices, S.C.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on March 2, 2025 that it will not enforce any penalties or fines associated with the beneficial ownership information reporting rule under the Corporate Transparency Act and its existing regulatory deadlines.  The Department also stated that it will also not enforce any penalties or fines against U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies or their beneficial owners after the forthcoming rule changes take effect. 

The Treasury Department states that it will issue a proposed rulemaking that will narrow the scope of the rule to foreign reporting companies only. 

You can follow this link to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s notice here: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0038. 

Please be sure that you are working with your accountant and/or attorney to monitor the status of the BOI reporting requirements for your own organizations, and that you understand the requirements and penalties for failure to comply with the CTA.

NOTICE THAT THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE:  The information in this blog post is provided for general informational purposes only.  The information contained in this post should not be construed as legal advice from Rental Property Association of WI, Inc. or its individual author.  Please seek appropriate legal or professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances that you may have at issue from a lawyer licensed to practice law in your state or jurisdiction if you wish to obtain legal advice about any matter.