STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) - Many of you might be renting an apartment or house, or maybe you're a landlord. Either way, both sides have rights and responsibilities under state law.
Some of those laws were outlined in a presentation Monday night at the Portage County Public Library by the Wisconsin Division of Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP).
Before a landlord rents to someone, they'll need to disclose any violation that the building might have. That could be checking to make sure all the lights and outlets work.
Many renting options in Wisconsin are year-long or month-to-month. Year-long leases are contracted. Meaning, nothing can change with it unless the tenant and landlord agree to it.
There could be some risk factors that come with renting month to month.
"It's much more volatile if you will. Not necessarily better or worse, just different," Jeff Kersten from DATCP said. "Changes can be made with as little as a 28-day notice. So, a landlord can give notice that rent is going to go up."
If the landlord ends up terminating your lease, there are requirements. One of them is giving the tenant that 28-day notice to vacate their place.
"If it's a nuisance crime or unsafe housing condition, in certain situations, landlords can bypass some of that and go right to a five-day notice to vacate," Kersten said.
If you're a landlord selling to a new owner, the new owner must follow all the rules of the existing lease.
"If the new landlord chooses to make changes, the 28-day notice with the month to months, they would have to wait until those year-long leases expire before they can make those changes," Kersten explained.
If a tenant has the proper documentation from a medical professional, landlords cannot say no to emotional support animals.
"[They] cannot charge more and cannot charge more security deposit. They can limit access to common areas," Kersten added.
If you're a tenant and you're having an issue with your landlord, such as something within your contract, you can file a complaint to consumer protection.
"We're impartial. We don't take the side of the consumer. We just, we mediate that between both parties involved," Kersten said.
In this situation, the tenant would be the consumer filing the complaint to the Wisconsin Bureau of Consumer Protection. If you do file a complaint, make sure to include your lease agreement and any other important documents.
To contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection, call (608) 224-5012, or visit their website here.