Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, if leased premises become untenantable because of damage
by fire, water, or other casualty, because of a condition that is hazardous to the
tenant's health, or because the tenant's health or safety is materially affected by lack
of repairs to the premises, the tenant may remove from the premises and is not
responsible for rent for the period after the premises became untenantable. This
substitute amendment provides that a tenant may terminate his or her tenancy and
remove from the premises if the tenant or a child of the tenant faces an imminent
threat of serious physical harm from another person if the tenant remains on the
premises. The tenant must provide notice to the landlord and a certified copy of: 1)
an injunction order protecting the tenant or the child from the person; 2) a condition

of release ordering the person not to contact the tenant; 3) a criminal complaint
alleging that the person sexually assaulted or stalked the tenant or the child; or 4)
a criminal complaint filed against the person as a result of an arrest for committing
a domestic abuse offense against the tenant. If the tenant provides the required
certified copy and proper notice of the termination of the tenancy to the landlord and
removes from the premises, the tenant is not responsible for any rent after the end
of the month following the month in which he or she provides the notice or removes
from the premises, whichever is later.
The substitute amendment also provides that a landlord may terminate the
tenancy of a tenant (offending tenant) who commits one or more acts that cause
another tenant, or a child of another tenant, who lives in the same single-family
rental unit or multiunit rental dwelling or complex as the offending tenant to face
an imminent threat of serious physical harm from the offending tenant if the
offending tenant remains on the premises. However, the landlord has the right to
terminate the tenancy only if the offending tenant is the subject of: 1) an injunction
order protecting the other tenant or tenant's child from the offending tenant; 2) a
condition of release ordering the offending tenant not to contact the other tenant; 3)
a criminal complaint alleging that the offending tenant sexually assaulted or stalked
the other tenant or tenant's child; or 4) a criminal complaint filed against the
offending tenant as a result of an arrest for committing a domestic abuse offense
against the other tenant. The landlord must provide the offending tenant with
written notice to vacate the premises on a date that is at least five days after the
giving of the notice, and the offending tenant may contest the termination of tenancy
in an eviction action.
Under current law, a landlord may not increase rent, decrease services, bring
an action for possession of the premises, refuse to renew a rental agreement, or
threaten to do any of those things, if there is a preponderance of evidence that the
landlord's action or inaction is in retaliation against the tenant for making a good
faith complaint about a defect in the premises to a public official or housing code
enforcement agency, for complaining about a violation of a local housing code, or for
exercising a legal right related to residential tenancies. This substitute amendment
provides that a rental agreement is void and unenforceable if it allows a landlord to
increase rent, decrease services, bring an action for possession of the premises,
refuse to renew a rental agreement, or threaten to do any of those things, because
the tenant has contacted an entity for law enforcement services, health services, or
safety services.
Under current law, a municipality (a city, village, or town) may impose a special
charge against real property for current services rendered, including services such
as snow and ice removal, weed elimination, and sidewalk repair. This substitute
amendment prohibits a municipality or a county from imposing a fee on the owner
or occupant of property for a call for assistance that is made by the owner or occupant

requesting law enforcement services from the municipality or county that relate to
domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB520-ASA2, s. 1 1Section 1. 66.0627 (7) of the statutes is created to read:
AB520-ASA2,3,52 66.0627 (7) Notwithstanding sub. (2), no city, village, town, or county may
3enact an ordinance, or enforce an existing ordinance, that imposes a fee on the owner
4or occupant of property for a call for assistance that is made by the owner or occupant
5requesting law enforcement services that relate to any of the following:
AB520-ASA2,3,66 (a) Domestic abuse, as defined in s. 813.12 (1) (am).
AB520-ASA2,3,77 (b) Sexual assault, as described under ss. 940.225, 948.02, and 948.025.
AB520-ASA2,3,88 (c) Stalking, as described in s. 940.32.
AB520-ASA2, s. 2 9Section 2. 704.01 (3m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB520-ASA2,3,1410 704.01 (3m) "Rental agreement" means an oral or written agreement between
11a landlord and tenant, for the rental or lease of a specific dwelling unit or premises,
12in which the landlord and tenant agree on the essential terms of the tenancy, such
13as rent. "Rental agreement" includes a lease. "Rental agreement" does not include
14an agreement to enter into a rental agreement in the future.
AB520-ASA2, s. 3 15Section 3. 704.16 of the statutes is created to read:
AB520-ASA2,3,18 16704.16 Termination of tenancy for imminent threat of serious physical
17harm.
(1) Terminating tenancy by tenant. A residential tenant may terminate his
18or her tenancy and remove from the premises if both of the following apply:
AB520-ASA2,3,2019 (a) The tenant or a child of the tenant faces an imminent threat of serious
20physical harm from another person if the tenant remains on the premises.
AB520-ASA2,4,2
1(b) The tenant provides the landlord with notice in the manner provided under
2s. 704.21 and with a certified copy of any of the following:
AB520-ASA2,4,33 1. An injunction order under s. 813.12 (4) protecting the tenant from the person.
AB520-ASA2,4,54 2. An injunction order under s. 813.122 protecting a child of the tenant from
5the person.
AB520-ASA2,4,96 3. An injunction order under s. 813.125 (4) protecting the tenant or a child of
7the tenant from the person, based on the person's engaging in an act that would
8constitute sexual assault under s. 940.225, 948.02, or 948.025, or stalking under s.
9940.32, or attempting or threatening to do the same.
AB520-ASA2,4,1110 4. A condition of release under ch. 969 ordering the person not to contact the
11tenant.
AB520-ASA2,4,1312 5. A criminal complaint alleging that the person sexually assaulted the tenant
13or a child of the tenant under s. 940.225, 948.02, or 948.025.
AB520-ASA2,4,1514 6. A criminal complaint alleging that the person stalked the tenant or a child
15of the tenant under s. 940.32.
AB520-ASA2,4,1816 7. A criminal complaint that was filed against the person as a result of the
17person being arrested for committing a domestic abuse offense against the tenant
18under s. 968.075.
AB520-ASA2,5,2 19(2) Not liable for rent. If a residential tenant removes from the premises
20because of a threat of serious physical harm to the tenant or to a child of the tenant
21from another person and provides the landlord with a certified copy specified under
22sub. (1) and with notice that complies with s. 704.21, the tenant shall not be liable
23for any rent after the end of the month following the month in which he or she
24provides the notice or removes from the premises, whichever is later. The tenant's

1liability for rent under this subsection is subject to the landlord's duty to mitigate
2damages as provided in s. 704.29 (2).
AB520-ASA2,5,4 3(3) Termination of tenancy by landlord. (a) In this subsection, "offending
4tenant" is a tenant whose tenancy is being terminated under this subsection.
AB520-ASA2,5,65 (b) A landlord may terminate the tenancy of an offending tenant if all of the
6following apply:
AB520-ASA2,5,117 1. The offending tenant commits one or more acts, including verbal threats,
8that cause another tenant, or a child of that other tenant, who occupies a dwelling
9unit in the same single-family rental unit, multiunit dwelling, or apartment
10complex as the offending tenant to face an imminent threat of serious physical harm
11from the offending tenant if the offending tenant remains on the premises.
AB520-ASA2,5,1212 2. The offending tenant is the named offender in any of the following:
AB520-ASA2,5,1413 a. An injunction order under s. 813.12 (4) protecting the other tenant from the
14offending tenant.
AB520-ASA2,5,1615 b. An injunction order under s. 813.122 protecting the child of the other tenant
16from the offending tenant.
AB520-ASA2,5,2017 c. An injunction order under s. 813.125 (4) protecting the other tenant or the
18child of the other tenant from the offending tenant, based on the offending tenant's
19engaging in an act that would constitute sexual assault under s. 940.225, 948.02, or
20948.025, or stalking under s. 940.32, or attempting or threatening to do the same.
AB520-ASA2,5,2221 d. A condition of release under ch. 969 ordering the offending tenant not to
22contact the other tenant.
AB520-ASA2,5,2423 e. A criminal complaint alleging that the offending tenant sexually assaulted
24the other tenant or the child of the other tenant under s. 940.225, 948.02, or 948.025.
AB520-ASA2,6,2
1f. A criminal complaint alleging that the offending tenant stalked the other
2tenant or the child of the other tenant under s. 940.32.
AB520-ASA2,6,53 g. A criminal complaint that was filed against the offending tenant as a result
4of the offending tenant being arrested for committing a domestic abuse offense
5against the other tenant under s. 968.075.
AB520-ASA2,6,136 3. The landlord gives the offending tenant written notice that complies with s.
7704.21 requiring the offending tenant to vacate on or before a date that is at least 5
8days after the giving of the notice. The notice shall state the basis for its issuance
9and the right of the offending tenant to contest the termination of tenancy in an
10eviction action under ch. 799. If the offending tenant contests the termination of
11tenancy, the tenancy may not be terminated without proof by the landlord by the
12greater preponderance of the credible evidence of the allegations against the
13offending tenant.
AB520-ASA2, s. 4 14Section 4. 704.19 (2) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 704.19 (2) (b) 1. and
15amended to read:
AB520-ASA2,6,1916 704.19 (2) (b) 1. A periodic tenancy can be terminated by notice under this
17section only at the end of a rental period. In the case of a tenancy from year-to-year
18the end of the rental period is the end of the rental year even though rent is payable
19on a more frequent basis. Nothing
AB520-ASA2,6,23 202. Notwithstanding subd. 1., nothing in this section prevents termination of a
21tenancy before the end of a rental period because of an imminent threat of serious
22physical harm, as provided in s. 704.16, or
for nonpayment of rent or breach of any
23other condition of the tenancy, as provided in s. 704.17.
AB520-ASA2, s. 5 24Section 5. 704.44 of the statutes is created to read:
AB520-ASA2,7,4
1704.44 Rental agreement that restricts access to certain services is
2void.
A rental agreement is void and unenforceable if it allows a landlord in a
3residential tenancy to do any of the following because a tenant has contacted an
4entity for law enforcement services, health services, or safety services:
AB520-ASA2,7,5 5(1) Increase rent.
AB520-ASA2,7,6 6(2) Decrease services.
AB520-ASA2,7,7 7(3) Bring an action for possession of the premises.
AB520-ASA2,7,8 8(4) Refuse to renew a rental agreement.
AB520-ASA2,7,9 9(5) Threaten to take any action under subs. (1) to (4).
AB520-ASA2, s. 6 10Section 6. Initial applicability.
AB520-ASA2,7,1311 (1) Tenants and landlords. The treatment of sections 704.16, 704.19 (2) (b),
12and 704.44 of the statutes first applies to rental agreements entered into, modified,
13or renewed on the effective date of this subsection.
AB520-ASA2,7,1614 (2) Local government law enforcement services. The treatment of section
1566.0627 (7) of the statutes first applies to a call that is made for law enforcement
16services on the effective date of this subsection.
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