Madison, WI – Today, Representative Lee Snodgrass (D-Appleton) and Senator Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee) introduced two bills that would expand financial opportunity and strengthen tenant protections for renters across Wisconsin. The two bills aim to promote credit score growth and create a fairer housing market for hardworking renting families.
LRB-0503 requires most residential landlords to annually offer tenants the option to have their positive rental payment history reported to a consumer reporting agency, helping renters build credit. Participation is voluntary, fees are capped, and small landlords and tenants on government assistance are exempt.
LRB-0547 prohibits landlords from requiring prospective tenants to authorize access to their credit reports or scores and instead offer alternative methods such as proof of income or rental history to assess the ability to pay.
Following the introduction of the two bills, Rep. Snodgrass made the following statement:
“For far too long, Wisconsin renters have been asked to do everything right. Work hard, budget carefully, and pay their rent on time. But yet, our hardworking renting families receive none of the financial recognition that homeowners do. These bills are about fairness. If you’re responsibly paying your rent every month, that should build your credit, just how paying a mortgage does.
At the same time, we must ensure that applying for housing does not require giving up control of your personal financial information. Everyone deserves a fair shot at stable housing, including those who are in the process of rebuilding their credit. This legislation moves us toward a housing market that works for working families, not against them.”
