The Associated Students of Madison Student Council agreed Wednesday to fund and oversee the creation of a tenant-rating website.

Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, the co-creator of the tenant website, said the website hopes to be an objective source of information for students looking to lease in the Madison campus area.

“It’s important to address the numerous concerns and issues that students have with landlords on campus,” Judge said. “By creating an impartial process where civil debate and accurate information can be released for students and property owners alike, this website will become a permanent, separate entity to serve both parties’ best interests and make the leasing process more transparent.”

Judge went on to say students and landlords alike are excited about the website.

UW seniors Scott Resnick and David Lapidus also contributed to the site’s production, and they said as an indirect benefit, they anticipate promoting small landlords who have great relationships with their tenants and don’t have the money to advertise in the way more prominent property owners do.

“Good property owners are excited, and bad property owners are terrified,” Judge said.

Resnick, Lapidus and Judge said the site should be up and running by next fall, just in time for students looking to lease for the beginning of the following year.

ASM representative Chynna Haas agreed with ASM’s decision to fund the site, stating it would not only give students access to their rights as tenants but also protect their rights.

“Students are stressed in the classroom. When they get home, to the place where one hopes to relax, the last thing they want to do is deal with a bad landlord and even more stress,” said ASM representative Johnny Tacket.

ASM Chair Brittany Wiegand said ASM will institute and oversee the website by appointing members to a board of directors. Wiegand also approved funding for the initial development and design for the initiative.

Debate was initiated over the restructuring of ASM’s bylaws within the current constitution after the recent failed proposal for a new document altogether. The proposal for a Bylaws Committee was not passed.

“The Bylaws Committee would be an ad hoc committee, not a standing committee and would be created to ensure reform of ASM is representative of the views and interest of the student body,” Haas said.

Haas, a proponent of the creation of the committee, said the student body would have the right to run for committee seats.

Haas added they would be responsible for proposing specific recommendations and revisions for the bylaws to ASM Student Council to review.

“When an organization is struggling with their mission, you need to go back to the students and back to the original mission and vision,” said Dakota Kaiser, ASM Letters and Science representative in opposition to the committee. “We have strayed from what students want us to do, and the creation of a Bylaws Committee is not the answer, it doesn’t fix the problem.”