The city’s Safety Committee unanimously approved Thursday an addition to the chronic nuisance law requiring landlords whose properties to be deemed nuisances to register with the city.
Madison Police Department Capt. Vic Wahl said this law and the registration is just another “tool in the city’s toolbox” to address problem landlords.
The ordinance would require the landlords to register their names and contact information with the city clerk. The additional language in the ordinance also sets up a fee schedule for violations relating to poor property management.
Jennifer Zilavy, assistant city attorney, said the information collected from the landlords would be distributed to the proper authorities, such as the police and building inspectors division.
To date, the city has deemed nine properties to be under the jurisdiction of the chronic nuisance law, according to Zilavy.
Under the law, the property owner of the chronic nuisance property must post a notification that the property has been deemed a nuisance in a noticeable place in the property. The tenants of the building must also be supplied an explanation as to why the property is troublesome.
Zilavy said previous public comment about the ordinance centered on the concern this law would be affecting landlords not under the scope of the nuisance law.
Committee Chair Michael Scott asked if it was unreasonable for the city to require all landlords to register in a similar fashion, as the landlords use city resources.
“That would be such a huge controversy — at this point what they want to do is get at the bad landlords,” Zilavy said. “If they looped everyone in, the apartment association wouldn’t be on board.”
Zilavy also said at a meeting with the apartment industry, a concern was brought up that calling the ordinance a “licensing ordinance” opened the doors to a citywide registration of all landlords. The industry prefers it to be called a “registration ordinance.”
Regarding the fines associated with the ordinance, Wahl said the police are not looking to be heavily citing people. Rather, the idea is to have the fines on the books as a way to encourage good management.
