2. Under current law, if an employee or a prospective employer of an employee
requests an employer to provide a reference about the employee's job performance

or qualifications, the employer is exempt from civil liability for providing the
reference. The bill provides a landlord with an exemption from civil liability for
providing a reference about the rental performance of an applicant for tenancy if the
applicant or a prospective landlord of the applicant requests the landlord to provide
the reference. As under current law for employers, there is a presumption that the
landlord is acting in good faith. The presumption may be overcome only by clear and
convincing evidence that the landlord knowingly provided false information in the
reference or made the reference maliciously.
3. Current law provides that, if a tenant damages the premises through
negligence or improper use of the premises, the tenant must repair the damage.
However, the landlord may elect to do the repair, in which case the tenant must
reimburse the landlord. The bill specifically provides that an infestation of insects
or other pests may constitute damage to the premises and that, if the premises are
damaged by the acts or inaction of the tenant, the landlord may elect to allow the
tenant to remediate or repair the damage or may elect to remediate or repair the
damage himself or herself, in which case the tenant must reimburse the landlord.
4. Under current law, a landlord must disclose to a prospective tenant any
building or housing code violation to which certain specified criteria apply, including
that the landlord has actual knowledge of the violation. The bill changes that
criterion from the landlord having actual knowledge to the landlord having received
written notice of the violation from a local housing code enforcement agency.
5. Under current law, a city, village, town, or county (municipality) is prohibited
from enacting or enforcing certain ordinances relating to landlords and tenants, such
as an ordinance imposing a moratorium on eviction actions or an ordinance that
places certain limitations on what information a landlord may obtain and use
concerning a prospective tenant. The bill additionally prohibits a municipality from
enacting or enforcing an ordinance that limits a tenant's responsibility, or a
landlord's right to recover, for any damage to, or neglect of, the premises; that
requires a landlord to communicate to tenants any information that is not required
to be communicated to tenants under federal or state law; or that requires a landlord
to communicate to the municipality any information concerning the landlord unless
the information is required under federal or state law or is required of all residential
real property owners.
6. Current law specifies what costs may be withheld from a security deposit and
the timing for the return of a security deposit after a tenant removes from the
premises. The bill limits these provisions to residential tenancies. In addition, the
bill provides that if a tenant is evicted from the premises, his or her security deposit
must be returned within 21 days after either the date on which the tenant's rental
agreement terminates or the date on which a new tenant's tenancy begins if the
landlord rerents the premises before the tenant's rental agreement terminates.
Under current law, an evicted tenant's security deposit must be returned within 21
days after the earlier of the date on which a writ of restitution is executed or the date
on which the landlord learns that the tenant has vacated the premises.
7. Current law provides that a residential rental agreement is void and
unenforceable if it contains a provision that does any of a number of certain specified

things, including allowing the landlord to terminate the tenancy of a tenant if a crime
is committed in or on the rental property, even if the tenant could not have prevented
the crime. The bill removes that item from the list of provisions that, if contained
in a residential rental agreement, make it void and unenforceable.
8. Current law provides that any violation of the chapter of the statutes that
contains the landlord-tenant provisions may constitute unfair methods of
competition or unfair trade practices under the provisions of the statutes under
which the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection regulates
marketing and trade practices. The bill limits the landlord-tenant provisions that,
if violated, may constitute unfair methods of competition or unfair trade practices to
the provisions relating to withholding from and returning security deposits and the
provisions that, if contained in a residential rental agreement, make it void and
unenforceable.
9. Current law provides that a person who is entitled to possession of real
property may commence an eviction action. The bill adds that an agent of such a
person, authorized in writing, may also commence the eviction action. Under current
law, a person who commences an eviction action may appear in his, her, or its own
proper person or by an attorney. A person is considered to be appearing in its own
proper person if it appears by a full-time authorized employee. The bill adds that
a person may appear in its own proper person by a member, or an agent of a member
or authorized employee, of the person. Current law provides that an eviction action
based on failure to pay rent may not be dismissed solely because the landlord accepts
past due rent from the tenant after the termination of the tenant's tenancy. The bill
provides that an eviction action based on failure to pay rent or for any other reason
may not be dismissed because the landlord accepts past due rent or any other
payment from the tenant after serving notice of default or commencing the eviction
action.
10. Under current law, a landlord must provide to a tenant when the tenant
commences his or her occupancy of the premises a standardized information
check-in sheet that contains an itemized description of the condition of the premises.
The bill changes this requirement so that the landlord must provide to the tenant a
check-in sheet that the tenant may use to make comments about the condition of the
premises.
Towing vehicles illegally parked on private property
Current law prohibits the removal (towing) of a vehicle involved in trespass
parking on a private parking lot or facility without the permission of the vehicle
owner, unless a parking citation is issued by a traffic officer or a repossession
judgment is issued.
Under this bill, if a vehicle is parked without authorization on private property,
the vehicle may be towed immediately, at the vehicle owner's expense and without
the owner's permission, as follows: 1) from private property that is properly posted,
whether or not a parking citation is issued; or 2) from private property that is not
properly posted, only if a parking citation is issued or a repossession judgment is
issued. "Properly posted" means there is clearly visible notice that an area is private
property and that vehicles that are not authorized to park in this area may be

immediately towed. A vehicle may be towed under the bill only by a towing service
at the request of the property owner or property owner's agent or of a traffic officer
or parking enforcer. The vehicle owner must pay the reasonable charges for towing
and, if applicable, storage of the vehicle and the towing service may impound the
vehicle until these charges are paid. If these charges are not paid within 30 days or
arrangements for installment payments are not made, the vehicle is considered
abandoned and may be disposed of as are other abandoned vehicles. The
Department of Transportation must promulgate rules establishing reasonable
charges for towing and storage of vehicles under the provisions of the bill.
Eviction actions
The bill also makes changes to certain court procedures for eviction actions.
Under current law, a civil action is generally commenced when the plaintiff in the
action serves the defendant with a copy of the summons and complaint (summons)
against him or her.
Generally, personal service of the summons must be made on the defendant or
on another person who lives at the defendant's place of residence (substituted
service), although current law allows a court, by rule, to authorize the service of the
summons in mail in actions that are not eviction actions.
Under current law, a defendant in an eviction action must appear in court not
less than five days nor more than 30 days after the summons is issued. The court
generally sets the matter for a hearing when the defendant makes this initial
appearance.
If the plaintiff prevails in an eviction action and the court determines that the
defendant must leave the rented premises, the current law requires the court to
order that a writ of restitution be issued to the sheriff in the county where the
property is located. The writ of restitution requires the sheriff's department to
remove the defendant and his or her personal property from the premises.
The bill allows a court, by rule, to authorize that the summons in an eviction
may be served by mail. The bill also shortens the time during which a defendant in
an eviction must appear from 30 days to 20 days and requires the court to set the
matter for a hearing within 20 days of the date of the initial appearance. The bill
requires a writ of restitution to be issued within five days after the court enters
judgment in the eviction action.
For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB183,1 1Section 1. 66.0104 (2) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
AB183,6,42 66.0104 (2) (c) No city, village, town, or county may enact an ordinance that
3limits a residential tenant's responsibility, or a residential landlord's right to recover,

1for any damage or waste to, or neglect of, the premises that occurs during the tenant's
2occupancy of the premises, or for any other costs, expenses, fees, payments, or
3damages for which the tenant is responsible under the rental agreement or
4applicable law.
AB183,2 5Section 2. 66.0104 (2) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
AB183,6,86 66.0104 (2) (d) 1. No city, village, town, or county may enact an ordinance that
7requires a landlord to communicate to tenants any information that is not required
8to be communicated to tenants under federal or state law.
AB183,6,119 2. No city, village, town, or county may enact an ordinance that requires a
10landlord to communicate to the city, village, town, or county any information
11concerning the landlord, unless any of the following applies:
AB183,6,1212 a. The information is required under federal or state law.
AB183,6,1313 b. The information is required of all residential real property owners.
AB183,3 14Section 3. 66.0104 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 66.0104 (3) (a) and
15amended to read:
AB183,6,1816 66.0104 (3) (a) If a city, village, town, or county has in effect on December 21,
172011, an ordinance that is inconsistent with sub. (2) (a) or (b), the ordinance does not
18apply and may not be enforced.
AB183,4 19Section 4. 66.0104 (3) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB183,6,2220 66.0104 (3) (b) If a city, village, town, or county has in effect on the effective date
21of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], an ordinance that is inconsistent with sub.
22(2) (c) or (d), the ordinance does not apply and may not be enforced.
AB183,5 23Section 5. 349.13 (3m) of the statutes is renumbered 349.13 (3m) (b) and
24amended to read:
AB183,7,7
1349.13 (3m) (b) No If private property is not properly posted and a vehicle
2involved in trespass parking on a is parked on the private parking lot or facility shall
3be removed
property and is not authorized to be parked there, the vehicle may be
4removed immediately, at the vehicle owner's expense,
without the permission of the
5vehicle owner, except upon the issuance of a repossession judgment or upon formal
6complaint and
the issuance of a citation for illegal parking issued by a traffic or police
7officer
.
AB183,6 8Section 6. 349.13 (3m) (a), (c), (d) and (e) of the statutes are created to read:
AB183,7,99 349.13 (3m) (a) In this subsection:
AB183,7,1010 1. "Parking enforcer" has the meaning given in s. 341.65 (1) (ar).
AB183,7,1311 2. "Properly posted" means there is clearly visible notice that an area is private
12property and that vehicles that are not authorized to park in this area may be
13immediately removed.
AB183,7,1714 (c) If private property is properly posted and a vehicle is parked on the private
15property and is not authorized to be parked there, the vehicle may be removed
16immediately, at the vehicle owner's expense, without the permission of the vehicle
17owner, regardless of whether a citation is issued for illegal parking.
AB183,8,318 (d) A vehicle may be removed from private property under par. (b) or (c) only
19by a towing service at the request of the property owner or property owner's agent,
20a traffic officer, or a parking enforcer. The vehicle owner shall pay the reasonable
21charges for removal and, if applicable, storage of the vehicle. If the vehicle was
22removed at the request of the property owner or property owner's agent, these
23reasonable charges shall be paid directly to the towing service, and the towing service
24may impound the vehicle until these charges are paid. If these charges have not been
25paid in full within 30 days of the vehicle's removal and the vehicle owner has not

1entered into a written agreement with the towing service to pay these reasonable
2charges in installment payments, the vehicle shall be deemed abandoned and may
3be disposed of as are other abandoned vehicles.
AB183,8,54 (e) The department shall promulgate rules establishing reasonable charges for
5removal and storage of vehicles under this subsection.
AB183,7 6Section 7. 349.13 (5) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,8,117 349.13 (5) (b) 2. A person who has custody of a vehicle removed or stored under
8subs. (3) to (4) or otherwise at the request of a law enforcement officer, traffic officer,
9parking enforcer, property owner, or property owner's agent
shall release the
10personal property within the vehicle to the owner of the vehicle during regular office
11hours upon presentation by the owner of proper identification.
AB183,8 12Section 8. 349.13 (5) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,8,2113 349.13 (5) (c) A traffic or police officer or parking enforcer who requests removal
14of a vehicle under subs. (3) to (4) by a towing service shall, within 24 hours of
15requesting the removal, notify the towing service of the name and last-known
16address of the registered owner and all lienholders of record of the vehicle if the
17vehicle is to be removed to any location other than a public highway within one mile
18from the location from which the vehicle is to be removed and if the officer or parking
19enforcer
is not employed by a municipality or county that has entered into a towing
20services agreement which requires the municipality or county to provide notice to
21such owner and lienholders of the towing.
AB183,9 22Section 9. 704.05 (5) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,9,323 704.05 (5) (a) 1. If a tenant removes from or is evicted from the premises and
24leaves personal property, the landlord may presume, in the absence of a written
25agreement between the landlord and the tenant to the contrary, that the tenant has

1abandoned the personal property and may, subject to par. (am) and s. 799.45 (3m),
2dispose of the abandoned personal property in any manner that the landlord, in its
3sole discretion, determines is appropriate.
AB183,10 4Section 10. 704.05 (5) (bf) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,9,175 704.05 (5) (bf) Notice that landlord will not store property. If the landlord does
6not intend to store personal property left behind by a tenant, except as provided in
7par. (am), the landlord shall provide written notice to a tenant, when the tenant
8enters into, and when the tenant or renews, a rental agreement or at any other time
9before the tenant removes from or is evicted from the premises,
that the landlord will
10not store any items of personal property that the tenant leaves behind when the
11tenant removes from, or if the tenant is evicted from, the premises, except as
12provided in par. (am). Notwithstanding pars. (a), (am), and (b), if the landlord does
13not provide
has not provided to a tenant the notice required under this paragraph,
14the landlord shall comply with s. 704.05, 2009 stats., with respect to any personal
15property left behind by the tenant when the tenant removes from the premises, or
16if the tenant is evicted from the premises and the landlord notifies the sheriff under
17s. 799.45 (3m)
.
AB183,11 18Section 11. 704.07 (2) (bm) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,9,2019 704.07 (2) (bm) 1. The landlord has actual knowledge received written notice
20of the violation from a local housing code enforcement agency.
AB183,12 21Section 12. 704.07 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,9,2522 704.07 (3) (a) If the premises are damaged by the negligence or improper use
23of the premises by
, including by an infestation of insects or other pests, due to the acts
24or inaction of
the tenant, the landlord may elect to allow the tenant must to
25remediate or
repair the damage and restore the appearance of the premises by

1redecorating. However, the landlord may elect to undertake the remediation, repair,
2or redecoration, and in such case the tenant must reimburse the landlord for the
3reasonable cost thereof; the cost to the landlord is presumed reasonable unless
4proved otherwise by the tenant.
AB183,13 5Section 13. 704.08 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,10,16 6704.08 Information check-in Check-in sheet. A landlord shall provide to
7a new residential tenant when the tenant commences his or her occupancy of the
8premises a standardized information check-in sheet that contains an itemized
9description of
the tenant may use to make comments, if any, about the condition of
10the premises at the time of check-in. The tenant shall be given 7 days from the date
11the tenant commences his or her occupancy to complete the check-in sheet and
12return it to the landlord. The landlord is not required to provide the information
13check-in sheet to a tenant upon renewal of a rental agreement. This section does not
14apply to the rental of a plot of ground on which a manufactured home, as defined in
15s. 704.05 (5) (b) 1. a., or a mobile home, as defined in s. 704.05 (5) (b) 1. b., may be
16located.
AB183,14 17Section 14. 704.28 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,11,318 704.28 (2) Nonstandard rental provisions. Except as provided in sub. (3), a
19rental agreement may include one or more nonstandard rental provisions that
20authorize the landlord to withhold amounts from the tenant's security deposit for
21reasons not specified in sub. (1) (a) to (e). Any such nonstandard rental provisions
22shall be provided to the tenant in a separate written document entitled
23"NONSTANDARD RENTAL PROVISIONS." The landlord shall specifically identify
24and discuss each nonstandard rental provision with the tenant before the tenant
25enters into a rental agreement with the landlord. If the tenant signs his or her name,

1or writes his or her initials, by
a nonstandard rental provision, it is rebuttably
2presumed that the landlord has specifically identified and discussed the
3nonstandard rental provision with the tenant and that the tenant has agreed to it.
AB183,15 4Section 15. 704.28 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,11,95 704.28 (4) (b) If the tenant vacates the premises before the termination date
6of the rental agreement or if the tenant is evicted, the date on which the tenant's
7rental agreement terminates or, if the landlord rerents the premises before the
8tenant's rental agreement terminates, the date on which the new tenant's tenancy
9begins.
AB183,16 10Section 16. 704.28 (4) (d) of the statutes is repealed.
AB183,17 11Section 17. 704.28 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
AB183,11,1312 704.28 (5) Application to residential tenancies. This section applies to
13residential tenancies only.
AB183,18 14Section 18. 704.44 (9) of the statutes is repealed.
AB183,19 15Section 19. 704.95 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,11,21 16704.95 Practices regulated by the department of agriculture, trade
17and consumer protection.
Practices in violation of this chapter s. 704.28 or 704.44
18may also constitute unfair methods of competition or unfair trade practices under s.
19100.20. However, the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection may
20not issue an order or promulgate a rule under s. 100.20 that changes any right or duty
21arising under this chapter.
AB183,20 22Section 20. 799.05 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,12,323 799.05 (3) (b) Except in eviction actions, the return date for a summons served
24upon a resident of this state shall be not less than 8 days nor more than 30 days from
25the issue date, and service shall be made not less than 8 days prior to the return date.

1In eviction actions, the return date for a summons served upon a resident of this state
2shall be not less than 5 days nor more than 30 14 days from the issue date, and service
3shall be made not less than 5 days prior to the return date.
AB183,21 4Section 21. 799.06 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,12,135 799.06 (2) A person may commence and prosecute or defend an action or
6proceeding under this chapter and may appear in his, her, or its own proper person
7or by an attorney regularly authorized to practice in the courts of this state. Under
8this subsection, a person is considered to be acting in his, her, or its own proper
9person if the appearance is by a full-time member or authorized employee of the
10person, or by an agent of the member or an authorized employee of the agent. An
11assignee of any cause of action under this chapter shall not appear by a full-time
12authorized employee, unless the employee is an attorney regularly authorized to
13practice in the courts of this state.
AB183,22 14Section 22. 799.12 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,12,1715 799.12 (2) Any circuit court may by rule authorize the service of summons in
16some or all actions under this chapter, except eviction actions, by mail under sub. (3)
17in lieu of personal or substituted service under s. 801.11.
AB183,23 18Section 23. 799.20 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,13,419 799.20 (4) Inquiry of defendant who appears on return date. If the defendant
20appears on the return date of the summons or any adjourned date thereof, the court
21or circuit court commissioner shall make sufficient inquiry of the defendant to
22determine whether the defendant claims a defense to the action. If it appears to the
23court or circuit court commissioner that the defendant claims a defense to the action,
24the court or circuit court commissioner shall schedule a trial of all the issues involved
25in the action, unless the parties stipulate otherwise or the action is subject to

1immediate dismissal. In an eviction action, the court or circuit court commissioner
2shall schedule a trial of all the issues involved in the action within 20 days of the
3return date of the summons or any adjourned date thereof, unless the parties
4stipulate otherwise or the action is subject to immediate dismissal.
AB183,24 5Section 24. 799.206 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,13,106 799.206 (3) When all parties appear in person or by their attorneys on the
7return date in an eviction, garnishment, or replevin action and any party claims that
8a contest exists, the matter shall be forthwith scheduled for a hearing, to be held as
9soon as possible before a judge and in the case of an eviction action, not more than
1020 days after the return date
.
AB183,25 11Section 25. 799.40 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,13,1512 799.40 (1) When commenced. A civil action of eviction may be commenced by
13a person entitled to the possession of real property, or by that person's agent
14authorized in writing,
to remove therefrom any person who is not entitled to either
15the possession or occupancy of such real property.
AB183,26 16Section 26. 799.40 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,13,2217 799.40 (1m) Acceptance of rent or other payment. If a landlord commences
18an action under this section against a tenant whose tenancy has been terminated for
19failure to pay rent or for any other reason, the action under this section may not be
20dismissed solely because the landlord accepts past due rent or any other payment
21from the tenant after the termination of the tenant's tenancy serving notice of default
22or after commencing the action
.
AB183,27 23Section 27. 799.42 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,14,3
1799.42 Service and filing in eviction actions. The complaint shall be
2served with the summons when personal or substituted service is had under s. 799.12
3(1).
AB183,28 4Section 28. 799.44 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,14,95 799.44 (2) Writ of restitution. At the time of ordering judgment for the
6restitution of premises, the court shall order that a writ of restitution be issued, and
7the writ may be
within 5 days and delivered to the sheriff for execution in accordance
8with s. 799.45. No writ shall be executed if received by the sheriff more than 30 days
9after its issuance.
AB183,29 10Section 29. 799.45 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,14,12 11799.45 (title) Execution of writ of restitution; disposal of personal
12property
.
AB183,30 13Section 30. 799.45 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB183,14,2314 799.45 (1) When executed. Upon delivery of a writ of restitution to the sheriff,
15and after payment to the sheriff of the fee required by s. 814.70 (8), the sheriff shall
16execute the writ. If the plaintiff, or the plaintiff's attorney or agent, does not notify
17the sheriff under sub. (3) (am) (3m) that the plaintiff or his or her agent will remove
18and store or dispose of the property, the sheriff may require that prior to the
19execution of any writ of restitution the plaintiff deposit a reasonable sum
20representing the probable cost of removing the defendant's property chargeable to
21the plaintiff under s. 814.70 (8) and (10) and of the services of deputies under s.
22814.70 (8). In case of dispute as to the amount of the required deposit, the amount
23of that deposit shall be determined by the court under s. 814.70 (10).
AB183,31 24Section 31. 799.45 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
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