MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Earlier this week, David Crowley announced his Fair Deal for Wisconsin Renters policy plan which included a Student Renters Bill of Rights that would implement new guardrails for college town housing to protect students from greedy and demanding landlords. Right now, student renters are pressured to sign leases and put down deposits of hundreds of dollars a year in advance for units that are outdated and uninspected.

David’s Fair Deal for Wisconsin Renters:

  1. Let cities protect their residents again by restoring local authority to inspect rentals and crack down on repeat violators.
  2. Stop runaway rent increases with a reasonable annual cap that exempts new construction.
  3. Make repairs happen by giving tenants real remedies when landlords ignore problems.
  4. Bring fairness to evictions with longer notice, a right to fix problems, and access to a lawyer.
  5. End junk fees and rent-fixing software that drive up costs behind the scenes.
  6. Protect student renters from high-pressure early leasing, deposit skimming, and unfair roommate liability.

What they’re saying:

CapTimes: Crowley proposes cap on rent hikes, protections for student renters

  • Crowley’s plan to cap yearly rent increases would exempt new construction. A statement from his campaign describes the limits he’d seek as “reasonable,” but provides no specific numbers. State laws currently don’t limit how much landlords can raise rent, and local governments are barred by state law from enacting rent control ordinances.
  • For students, Crowley’s plan takes aim at a housing cycle that often requires students to sign or renew leases and place deposits months in advance. Crowley said he wants to protect students from the pressure of that cycle, but it’s not yet clear exactly what shape those protections would take.
  • “Seeing this plan is very exciting because a lot of the things that can really make it better or make it easier for students to do what they need to do is preempted by state law,” said Zhang, adding she hopes a package like Crowley’s can be adopted by the state Legislature quickly — maybe before the next leasing cycle begins.

Badger Herald: David Crowley announces student renter protections in new renters plan

  • This will be a revolutionary policy for University of Wisconsin students, College Democrats of UW-Madison Communications Director Mia Valliquette said.
  • “Especially in the city of Madison, students really struggle with not only finding housing, but also dealing with a lot of predatory landlords and managing businesses,” Valliquette said. “This Bill of Rights is very fundamental in making sure students have equal access to affordable housing.”
  • Crowley’s Fair Deal includes incentives for protecting all Wisconsin renters including college students from deposit skimming, according to the press release. “I also know many people that have gotten [shortchanged] by their landlords or their managing company, [like] taking random things out of their deposit that they can’t prove,” Valliquette said.

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