Wausau, Wisconsin, is putting negligent landlords on notice. A proposed city ordinance would allow renters to get money back from landlords if the landlord does not properly maintain the property.

In addition to the proposed city sanctions, negligent landlords are also putting themselves at risk of premises liability lawsuits.

If the city's ordinance passes, tenants with negligent landlords can request a hearing with the city's Public Health and Safety Committee. If the city agrees that a landlord has not fixed an interior code violation, the city can offer the tenant rent abatement.

For example, a sewage backup could cost a landlord up to 90 percent of a tenant's rent payment. If a landlord does not fix a broken shower, the tenant may be able to save 25 to 50 percent of his or her rent.

A housing code task force developed the ordinance. The tenant advocate on the task force says the ordinance could make a monumental difference because it gives landlords a financial incentive to fix problems in a timely manner.

A Madison, Wisconsin, ordinance was the model for the proposed Wausau law. The Madison director of building inspections said the city generally only gets about two complaints per week. However, he says most landlords make repairs promptly because they do not want to pay tenants.

The chairwoman of Wausau's Public Health and Safety Committee says the new law gives the city an additional way to put pressure on slumlords. If the violation is serious enough, the abatement could cost more than the repair.

At least one Wausau landlord thinks the proposed ordinance is "a fair way to protect tenants from slumlords." The man owns roughly 200 rental properties in the city and is a member of the housing code task force.

Source: Wausau Daily Herald, "Wausau seeks crackdown on rental violations," Chad Daily, Jan. 27, 2012.