A dispute between a landlord and tenant ended in an eviction of the tenant for failure to pay rent. The tenant countersued, arguing that the lease was void due to it not including Notice of Abuse Protection language. This language is required by law to be included in all leases. The local circuit court, and eventually the Wisconsin Court of Appeals set a dangerous precedent by voiding a lease and awarding tenants relief under both the Wisconsin Consumer Act and Fair Business Practices laws.

Wisconsin property taxes are the 8th highest in the nation. Housing affordability in Wisconsin is closely tied to property taxes, which can alleviate or exacerbate the financial burden on homeowners. High property taxes not only make it harder for families to afford their homes, but they also create barriers to homeownership and hinder job growth.

Wisconsin’s urgent need for all types of housing from single-family to multi-family units, has created affordability challenges including rising rents. As a result, some communities are considering rent control as a potential solution.

This bill increases the general recording and filing fees charged by county registers of deeds, increases the amount of the fees that counties must submit to the Department of Administration for the land information program, and increases the minimum grant amount DOA may award to counties for education and training grants under the program.

Cutting Wisconsin’s real estate transfer tax (Transfer Tax) by one-third would reduce the cost carried by Wisconsin property owners who pay the tax on the sale of real property.

Wisconsin employers are having difficulty recruiting workers to fill thousands of job openings due to a shortage of affordable housing options for workers.

A home is the single largest investment an individual or family can make. When many prospective homeowners begin their property search one of the largest portions of this investment that they do not take into consideration is the property tax associated with the purchase.