[media-credit name=’AJ Maclean’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]University of Wisconsin students living off campus may see improved tenant rights thanks to an ordinance that would increase various citations for landlords.

City Council members passed a motion Tuesday night that would increase citations aimed at landlords, including the removal of locks without tenant consent and the removal of doors or windows from property. The ordinance would also increase fines for failure to return security deposits and for entering apartments without at least 24-hours’ notice.

The motion passed Tuesday night was a preliminary approval for various fine increases. The City Council will resubmit portions of the ordinance at the Dec. 14 meeting for clarification.

The council increased other citations by as much as $850 for first offenses. This does not include court costs, which would tack on as much as another $200 for some offenses.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said there is a substantial need for increasing such penalties.

“The citations issued from building inspectors are intended to get standards up to expectations,” Verveer said about the intentions for the enhanced penalties.

“This is mostly geared towards deterrence. It’s intended to get citizens to adhere to ordinances.”

The ordinance also increased citations for confiscating tenants’ personal property in lieu of rent and for failing to provide rent credit.

Aside from landlord-tenant relation citations, the ordinance also targets alcohol-related issues.

The ordinance will increase citations for consuming alcohol during school-sponsored activities up to $200, plus court costs. The penalty for leaving licensed premises with open alcohol containers was increased from $50 to $200.

The new ordinance does not include increased fines for unlawful crossing of railroads, which will remain at $25, but was proposed to increase up to $200.

Ald. Steve Holtzman, District 19, said it is unnecessary to increase fines for unlawful railroad crossing.

“Two hundred dollars would be a real hardship to many citizens for such a ‘gotcha’ of a crime,” Holtzman said.

Though debate around unlawful railroad crossing focused around pedestrians walking to and from Camp Randall, Verveer pointed out not a single citation had been issued for such a violation throughout all of 2003. He said he expected the same for 2004 and succeeding years.

“We’re trying to be consistent with trespassing ordinances,” Verveer said regarding the proposed railroad-crossing penalties.