OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – There are indications from the city of Oshkosh that it plans to change how it inspects apartments, to comply with a new state law. The new policy was adopted earlier this year.
Donn Lord tells FOX 11, as a landlord, Wisconsin Act 317, brings hope.
“Everybody wants a nice neighborhood. It’s the way you approach it and I’m hoping this is a much better approach than the last time.”
The new bill requires local government to only inspect rental properties that the city deems unsafe or unsightly.
Before, the inspections were city-wide.
And if there is no violation, or the violation is corrected, the law says city inspectors can’t return to the property for 5 years.
“The second inspection, if there were violations and were corrected within 30 days, it’s zero dollars. If there are still violations after 30 days, the city can charge the fees,” explained Allen Davis, the City’s community development director.
The fees would be $240 per unit. If the unit is vacant, the fee is $150.
Davis tells FOX 11 under the city’s initial ordinance, landlords were charged an inspection fee for every unit, even if there were no violations.
“The City of Oshkosh will design a program that will meet state law because we have a program that, the way I read it, it doesn’t apply with state law so we have to adjust that.”
The city’s initial ordinance divided the city into 5 sections.
Davis says it first focused on the rental properties around UW-Oshkosh.
“We did 307 total inspections and that’s a combination of internal and external inspections.”
The city mailed 742 letters to tenants in the general university area, but only 47 tenants requested an interior inspection.
Davis said changes to the program will go into effect next year.
Lord is optimistic the hard feelings will be smoothed over between landlords and the city.
“There’s been a lot of broken trust, a lot of anger, and I’m hoping this is a new beginning.”
If a landlord cannot afford to correct violations, the City says it will offer loan programs to help.
