Landlord's Omnibus Bill Signed Into Law - Read It Now

Governor Walker did sign the Landlord's Omnibus Bill into law.

I appreciate the effort of everyone that called the Governor's office asking him to veto the bill due to its deficiencies.

Here is a link to the new law. Much easier to read than having to go back and forth between the orginal bill, the Substitute bill and the two amendments.

The two main concerns that I have with the law and which caused me to ask that the bill be vetoed. They are section 35M and section 36.

The AASEW has already spoken with Sen. Lassee's office regarding these two major problems and I will keep you informed if and when anything is done about them.

And yes, I will be reviewing all of Wisconsin Legal Blank's forms in the near future and making the necessary revisions - if needed - and will let you know when they will be available : )

HUD Issues New Rule On "Discriminatory Effect" a.k.a Disparate Impact

HUD has issued a new Fair Housing “disparate impact” rule that may cause problems for landlords during the screening process. The new rule creates a new provision entitled “Prohibiting Discriminatory Effects” which defines “discriminatory effect” as situations in which a facially neutral (i.e. not discriminatory) housing practice can become discriminatory if it actually or predictably has an effect on a group of persons that are members of a protected class.

The concern is whether or not this new rule will restrict landlord’s use of criminal background checks on prospective tenants. Recently Pepsi Co. agreed to pay $3.13 Million to resolve allegations of hiring discrimination against African-Americans based on Pepsi’s use of the African-American’s arrest records.

This recent settlement when read in conjunction with HUD’s new rule causes concern regarding whether it will be considered discriminatory to use a person’s criminal arrest or conviction as a basis for rejecting a rental applicant when such use would result in members of a protected class being rejected as tenants. For more on this issue and

please read Tim Ballering’s blog post entitled ‘Will Criminal Background Checks For Screening Be Restricted By Proposed Federal Rule?”

In light of this concern, the AASEW’s Executive Committee submitted the following comments to HUD:

The Apartment Association of Southeastern WI, Inc. is a trade association representing approximately 575 owners and managers of rental housing in the Metro Milwaukee area.

Our organization supports Fair Housing as well as community efforts to reduce the effects of crime within the neighborhoods that our members own and manage rental housing.

We are concerned that this proposed rule will restrict the legitimate and necessary use of criminal arrest and conviction records in screening tenants to exclude those who will cause disruption and harm to other occupants, the neighborhoods those properties are located in, and to our properties.

Many communities in southeastern Wisconsin have "Nuisance Property Ordinances" that hold owners accountable for the misdeeds of their tenants. For example Milwaukee's Nuisance Ordinance does not require the conviction, nor the arrest of the tenant or their invitees, rather simply repeat law enforcement activity will trigger the enforcement provisions of that ordinance.

As part of your proposed rule property owners need "bright line" guidance, establishing what background screening criteria and methods will remain acceptable under this proposed rule as well as protections from potentially conflicting local requirements.

It would be inequitable, causing unnecessary costs and harm to property owners if such guidance is not provided in advance of the implementation and enforcement of this proposed rule.

Hopefully additional guidance will be provided. If and when it is I will be sure to provide everyone an update.

Last Chance To Sign Up For AASEW's Landlord Boot Camp 2012

Hi Everyone:

We have had a very good response to our ads for the AASEW’s 4^th Annual Landlord Boot Camp. So much so that seats are quickly running out . . . or we may need to consider adding a second seminar shortly after the first.

If you are interested in attending this year’s Boot Camp on Saturday, Feb, 25^th, I would strongly suggest that you register here.

I will be presenting this all-day seminar (8:30 am – 5:30 pm) at the Clarion Hotel located at 5311 S. Howell Avenue.

I will be teaching you everything you need to know legally to be a residential landlord or property manager.

Here are what past attendees said about Landlord Boot Camp.

We will cover topics such as:

- How to screen applicants

- How to avoid discrimination issues and better understand fair housing laws

- How to draft legal screening criteria

- How to legally reject an applicant

- How to spot an applicant that is “fronting” for another applicant that won’t qualify to rent from you

- What rental documents you should be using and why

- The Residential Rental Practices (Wisconsin Administrative Code ATCP 134) and what can happen to you if you violate any of these 21 regulations.

- What are the “7 Deadly Sins” and why you cannot include them in your rental agreement

- What is the best way to evict a tenant and how to accomplish this

- What are the different choices a landlord has when deciding what type of notice to serve a tenant

- How to serve a tenant a notice so that service cannot be attacked in court

- How to navigate your way through the judicial eviction process

- What evidence you must present at an eviction trial to prevail

- What to do with a tenant’s abandoned property

- How to draft a legal security deposit transmittal letter

- How to collect for past due rent and damage from an ex-tenant (or should you even bother pursuing this)

. . . and much more.

All attendees will also receive a 100 page + manual (with lots of sample forms) to refer to in your business when the seminar has faded from your memory : )

Attendees will also receive a free lunch on the day of the seminar.

Cost is $159 for members of the AASEW, $249 for non-AASEW members (you can join the AASEW for an additional $1), $199 for members of any landlord or apartment association. Past attendees will receive a discount for attending again.

Register online or by calling the AASEW at 414-276-7378.

I hope to see all of you there!!!!

T

Don't Miss AASEW's January "Town Hall" Membership Meeting on January 16, 2012 at 7 PM

January's Apartment Association Meeting will be held this coming Monday, January 16, 2012 at 7 pm at the Best Western Hotel located at 1005 S. Moorland Road in Brookfield.

We will be hosting a "Town Hall" style meeting at which you can pose any and all of your property management or landlord-tenant law questions. Both Stacy Hegg of Wellston Properties and Atty. Tristan Pettit will be panel members.

Please bring yourself, a friend, and your questions to our meeting.

We have many new and exciting things in store for the AASEW in 2012. If you haven’t been to a meeting in awhile please come and join us!!!!

See the Association page for the more details

http://apartmentassoc.org

You Will Not Want To Miss AASEW's Fourth Annual Landlord Boot Camp on Saturday Feb. 25th

Landlording can be pretty complex, with a seemingly never ending myriad of paperwork, rules, landlord-tenant laws and simple mistakes that can cost you thousands of dollars.

The Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin's Fourth Annual “Landlord Boot Camp” can help you navigate these treacherous waters and teach you how to run your properties with greater profit and less hassles.

I have given similar landlord-tenant law seminars to fellow attorneys, landlords, and property manager organizations throughout the state for other state-wide semianr companies that charge attendees $300-$400. This is your opportunity to learn all of the same information at a huge discount through the Apartment Association.

Who: Taught by Attorney Tristan R. Pettit (who drafts the landlord tenant forms for Wisconsin Legal Blank)

When: Saturday, February 25th, 2012. 8:30 am – 5 pm

Where: Clarion Hotel 5311 S. Howell Avenue, Milwaukee [Map]

Included: 100 plus page manual/outline to help you put what you learn into practice plus helpful forms.

Cost: $159 for AASEW members and $249 for non-members. If you are not a member of AASEW but are a member of another landlord/apartment association the cost to attend will be $199.

Specials: Not a member? Pay just a dollar more and enjoy a 2012 AASEW membership.

Wisconsin landlord-tenant laws are constantly changing. To help keep you up to date we offer prior attendees a $50 discount.

Sign up by going to the AASEW's Landlord Boot Camp landing page where you can sign up online and pay via PayPal.

What you will learn at the Apartment Association's 2012 Landlord Boot Camp

Landlord Boot Camp covers everything that you need to know about residential Landlord Tenant law in Wisconsin, including:

1. How to properly screen prospective tenants.
2. How to draft written screening criteria to assist you in the selection process and protect you from discrimination complaints.
3. How to comply with both federal and state Fair Housing laws including how to handle with “reasonable modifications” and “reasonable accommodations” requests.
4. How to legally reject an applicant.
5. What rental documents you should be using and why.
6. When you should be using a 5-day notice versus a 14-day notice, 28-day notice, or 30-day notice and how to properly serve the notice on your tenant.
7. Everything you wanted to know (and probably even more than you wanted to know) about the Residential Rental Practices (ATCP 134) and how to avoid having to pay double damages to your tenant for breaching ATCP 134.
8. When you are legally allowed to enter your tenant’s apartment.
9. How to properly draft an eviction summons and complaint.
10. What to do to keep the commissioner from dismissing your eviction suit.
11. What you can legally deduct from a security deposit.
12. How to properly draft a security deposit transmittal / 21 day letter.
13. How to handle pet damage.
14. What to do with a tenant’s abandoned property and how this may affect whether or not you file an eviction suit.
15. How to pursue your ex-tenant for damages to your rental property and past due rent (and whether it is even worth it to do so).

. . . and much more. There will also be time for questions and answers.

You get all this for less than you would pay for an hour of an attorney's time.

Last year’s AASEW Landlord Boot Camp was filled to capacity and we even had to turn a few people away. So call early to reserve your spot.

Call the Association at (414) 276-7378, email membership@apartmentassoc.org or go to our Landlord Boot Camp landing page to sign up online and reserve your spot.

Remember that “landlording” is a business — so take the time to educate yourself on how to better manage your business and avoid costly errors!

Crime-Free Lease Bill On The Horizon

On September 12, 2011, on behalf of the AASEW, I traveled to Madison to meet with the Wisconsin Rental Housing Coalition, several legislators’ aides, and an attorney from the Legislative Reference Bureau to assist in the review of and drafting of a new piece of legislation that will greatly affect residential landlords.

Not yet a bill, this proposed legislation is referred to as LRB-2098/1 or informally as the “Crime-Free Lease bill.” Initiated by fellow landlord and South Milwaukee Police Officer Brian Fleming, this legislation if passed, will change current Wisconsin law to allow a landlord to terminate the tenancy of any tenant (even those under a lease for term) that engages in criminal activity in their rental unit or on the rental property. A new type of 5 day notice would be created under this legislation which would not allow the tenant the opportunity to cure the breach and stay. It would basically be a “1 strike” law similar to what is in place in federal Section 8 site-based housing.

Criminal activity under the proposed legislation would be defined as any act or behavior that is punishable in Wisconsin by a fine or period of imprisonment or that is a violation of a municipal ordinance.

If the tenant fails to vacate the unit after being served with this new 5 day notice, the landlord would still be required to prove the criminal activity in eviction court.

The impetus for this legislation was the National Crime Free Lease Addendum that has been adopted and used in many counties outside of Wisconsin. Under this initiative, a tenant agrees not to engage in criminal activity on the rental property -- or allow any of their guests to do the same -- and signs a contract with the landlord to that effect. If the tenant or the tenant's guests engage in the prohibited criminal activity, they agree to vacate the property upon notice by the landlord.

Current law in Wisconsin conflicts with the Crime Free Lease Addendum as tenants under a lease for a specific term, must be afforded the opportunity to correct the breach and remain a tenant the first time that they violate their lease -- even if that violation is a crime.

Sec 704.17(2)(b) of the Wisconsin Statutes, allows a tenant under a lease who engages in criminal activity, to remain a tenant as long as s/he ceases the criminal activity within 5 days of being served the notice of breach. Thus, a landlord can be stuck with a tenant that he knows engages in criminal behavior until that tenant commits a second crime and can be served with a 14 day notice (which does not afford the tenant the opportunity to "cure" the breach and remain a tenant).

This puts Wisconsin landlords in a very difficult position and opens them up to liability. It also prevents a landlord from protecting his/her other tenants from the tenant that is engaging in criminal activity.

Once the bill is officially introduced and has obtained co-sponsors I will let you know so that you can begin calling and writing your state representatives to encourage them to vote in favor of this very important legislation.

Milwaukee County Eviction Court Commissioner To Speak At Next AASEW Meeting on Oct. 17th

On Monday, October 17, 2011, Milwaukee County Eviction Court Commissioner Rosa Barillas will speak at the Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin's general membership meeting.

The meeting will start at 7 pm and be held at the Best Western Midway Hotel located at 1005 S. Moorland Road in Brookfield, WI.

Commissioner Barillas will speak to the group about mistakes that she sees landlords make in eviction court and how they can avoid them. She will also be taking questions.

If you have never been to an AASEW meeting (or haven't been to one in awhile) please join me at our next meeting on October 17, 2011. You will not be sorry.

T

AASEW's 2011 Landlord Tradeshow To Be Held September 28th at Serb Hall

The Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin’s (AASEW) Annual Rental Property/Real Estate Professionals Tradeshow on September 28th,

at Serb Hall in Milwaukee! Our exhibit hall will be open from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. check out the latest in products and services

for the rental property industry!

Our seminars will run from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Seminars include:

- Bedbug Litigation for Landlords, presented by Attorney Tristan R. Pettit

- Organize your Year End Financials, presented by Tim Nolan, CPA, Nolan Accounting

- Project Impact, presented by Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan

- Quickbooks Introduction for Landlords, presented by Kelli Belt, CPA, Maynard and Belt

- Buying and Selling Rental Property for Investors, presented by Brian Meidam, Co-Founder LocalREI Coach/Plan B Homebuyers and Andrew Kaplan, Principal of Kapital Real Estate

- Top Ten Mistakes Landlord Make and How to Avoid Them, presented by John Fischer, AKA Dr. Rent

And many more seminars and workshops this year, you don't want to miss it!

Admission is FREE, Seminars are FREE, Exhibit Hall is FREE, Appetizers are FREE.

Great opportunity to network with others in the rental property FREE, all with a donation of 4 non-perishable food items or a donation to Second Harvest/Feeding America!!! Last year we raised over 600 pounds of food, this year our goal is 1000 pounds to help our community!

Click here for the registration form!

AASEW Offers Realtors & Brokers The Perfect Closing Gift for Their Clients - A Reduced Rate AASEW Membership

For those Realtors and Brokers out there, the AASEW has a perfect closing gift for you to give your clients who just purchased a rental property.

Realtors and/or Brokers can purchase an AASEW membership for only $29 through the end of the 2011 membership year for their clients. Your client will appreciate receiving such a gift as it will put them in touch with other landlords and educational opportunities.

The AASEW offers its members educational seminars, legislative activity, fun filled-events, mentoring, vendor discounts, and much more. Membership also includes a monthly newsletter and monthly meetings. Being a member is the perfect way to stay in touch with what is going on in the world of rental property.

Click here to see a copy of the promotional PDF.

Please contact Paulette at 414-276-7378 or paulette@apartmentassoc.org for any questions.

AASEW's Next Meeting Focuses On The Topic of Credit Reports - Monday, July 18th

Would you like to know if your prospective tenant is a good credit risk?

Then join the Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin (AASEW) at our General Membership meeting on Monday, July 18th, 7:00 p.m, at the Best Western, 1005 South Moorland Road in Brookfield. Kathy Haines, of Landlord Services, LLC will present "Credit Reports 101: How To Determine If Your Prospective Tenant is a Good Credit Risk"

At 6:30 p.m. right before our meeting, come to network with others in the industry and enjoy free appetizers!

Also at 6:30 p.m. come to our Traders Corner if you are interested in buying or selling rental property and bring your listings with you!!

Have a question for a seasoned landlord? Stop by for Meet your Mentor, at 6:30 p.m. as well!

We hope to see you there!

D.N.S.' Update on Milwaukee's R.R.I. Program In U.W.-Milwaukee Area

The City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) recently spoke at a meeting on the east side of Milwaukee and provided an update of the Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) program which was instituted around UW-Milwaukee area and in the Lindsey Heights neighborhood. If you would like a refresher of what the RRI program is all about you should read my earlier blog posts on the issue.

Much of the information set forth below was taken from the notes of Pam Frautschi, President of the Eastside Milwaukee Community Council -- Thank You Pam.

David Krey, Enforcement Manager of DNS explained that the the RRI program applies to single-family, duplexes, triplexes and other rental unit properties in the UWM area between Hackett and the river and from Edgewood to Locust. Applicable rental properties were inspected inside and out in order to qualify for a rental certificate. If a rental proerty does not pass muster and obtain a rental certificate then the owner would not be allowed to rent the property to a tenant.

Inspections commenced on March 2010. A total of 622 properties have been inspected to date in the UWM area. Nearly 60% of the inspected properties received the 4 year rental certificate. The properties that were disqualified intially, but which later made the necessary repairs, received a 1 year rental certificate which commences this month.

Per DNS, the inspection fees covered the project program's espense. Since the majority of the inspections have been completed, DNS has reduced its RRI inspectors from 4 people down to 2 people.

Comparative numbers provided by Mr. Krey were as follows:

- 72 Orders to Correct were issued for 376 violations in the UWM RRI area in 2009

- 748 Orders to Correct were issued for 4654 code violation for the same area in 2010

So far in 2011, there are 95 "open" Orders to Correct, 56 of which are in litigation. 653 have been abated.

Since the RRI project started exterior complaints dropped 50% from 98 down to 41. Interior complaints dropped by 1/3 from 27 down to 19.

The primary zoning issue in the RRI area is "overcrowding" - which DNS feels is from too many occupants living in illegal rental units. Vacant properties in the area increased significantly. Graffitti complaints decreased. Garbage complaints increased from 129 to 193. Anonymous complaints or other complaints made through the alderman's office decreased by 50%.

DNS says that the RRI program increased property values and increased the quality of units rented.

During the Question and Answer portion of the meeting, Alderman Kovac, who represents the east side, stated that representatives from the Apartment Association that initially held strong opposition to RRI (that would be the Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin or AASEW) gave it many compliments at last week's meeting of UWM landlords.

Blogger's comment: I am not going to comment on any of the above statements or data presented by Mr. Grey as I do not have access to any statistics to either agree or disagree with the alleged success of the RRI program in the UWM area.

However, with regard to Alderman Kovac's comments that representatives of the AASEW complimented the RRI program, I do have some thoughts. Being a member of the Board of Directors for the AASEW for the last 3 years and its current President, no board member of the AASEW has spoken to Alderman Kovac about the RRI program since before it was instituted. I received numerous telephone calls from Members of the AASEW that own property in the UWM RRI area and not one of the comments were in favor of the RRI program. In fact, most of the property owners that I spoke to indicated that -- just as was suspected from the outset -- DNS wrote up Orders to Correct for minor "ticky tack" violations rather then the major safety issues which DNS argued was the impetus for starting up the program.

I would be curious to know how many of the Orders to Correct that were issued pertained to major safety issues such as illegal attic bedrooms, faulty electrical wiring, dilapidated second-story porches etc etc.

I am also curious to learn which "representative of the Apartment Association" Alderman Kovac spoke to?

AASEW Cancels "Meet Your Legislators" Day Due To Protests In Madison

The Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin (AASEW) Board of Directors decided today to cancel its very popular "Meet Your Legislators" Day in Madison which was planned for Wednesday, March 16, 2011.

The goal of "Meet Your Legislators" Day was to meet with several state politicians to voice the concerns of rental property owners with regard to our industry. Many of the politicians that we have spoken with recently indicated that they would not have time to meet with us due to the constant meetings and the protests at the State Capitol.

The AASEW was also concerned that even if meetings could be scheduled, it would be difficult to have the politicians full attention. Obviously those legislators that are actually appearing for work have their hands full with other important matters.

As such, the AASEW has regretfully, canceled the trip to Madison. It is our hope that we can reschedule the trip in the future once things settle down in Mad-Town.

Check back here or at www.apartmentassoc.org for any updates.

I apologize for the inconvenience that this may have caused those members that had already registered for the event.

Don't Miss Landlord Boot Camp on February 26th!

The Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin's (AASEW) will be offering its third annual Landlord Boot Camp on Saturday, February 26, 2011 from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm. Learn everything that you need to know about Landlord-Tenant law in Wisconsin at this all-day seminar.

Yours truly will be the presenter and I will be addressing the following topics:

- Screening Rental Applicants

- Written Screening Criteria

- Fair Housing (Discrimination) law

- Rental Documents (Rental Agreements, Nonstandard Rental Provisions, Rules & Regulations, Pet Agreements . . .)

- Notices Terminating Tenancy

- Causes for Eviction

- ATCP 134

- Security deposit transmittal letters ("21 day letters")

- The judicial eviction process

- Abandoned tenant property

- Collections . .. . and much much more.

You can view a detailed outline of the course here.

Cost to attend the seminar will be $159 for AASEW members and $249 for non-members. All attendees will receive a manual that includes over 100 pages of outlines, case law, relevant statutes and regulations, and templates to assist you with managing your rental properties.

The seminar will be held at the Clarion Hotel located at 5311 S. Howell Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53207.

Last year's AASEW Landlord Boot Camp was filled to capacity and we even had to turn a few people away. So call early to reserve your spot.

Here are two comments from attendees at last year's Boot Camp:

"I really enjoyed the class. The course materials were very helpful. The location was very convenient. I learned a lot about screening and evictions. I would highly recommend the course. It should be taught to all landlords. Thanks" - Lisa Wolff

"We have owned our rental properties for over ten years and in January of 2009 we decided to join the AASEW. We jumped right in by signing up for the Landlord Boot Camp. We both learned so much and have had the opportunity to utilize so much of what we learned already. Tristan is an excellent teacher and the included manual is a wonderful resource." - Steve and Kathy Kinnamon, Woodcreek Apartments, LLC.

Remember that "landlording" is a business --- so take the time to educate yourself on how to better manage your business.

Contact Paulette Vildberg, Executive Director of AASEW, at (414) 276-7378 or paulette@apartmentassoc.org today to reserve your spot.

Don't Miss DR. RENT at AASEW's Next Meeting on Monday, January 17th!!

On Monday, January 17, 2011 at 7 p.m., John "Dr. Rent" Fischer will be the featured speaker at the AASEW's February membership meeting. John will be presenting his most requested seminar entitled "Top Ten Mistakes That Landlords Make." The meeting will be held at the Best Western Midway Hotel which is located at 1005 S. Moorland Road in Brookfield.

Besides, being a blogging buddy of mine --- John's blog is entitled the Dr. Rent Chronicles --- John is a Wausau area landlord and landlord-tenant law guru, and Past-President og the Wisconsin Apartment Association. John is a very dynamic speaker - you will not want to miss his presentation. His most recent post is a great overview of Rent Certificates.

Here is some more info about John:

John H. Fischer is a Wausau area landlord. He started working part-time with Emmerich & Associates, Inc. in 1993 and since then has worked in nearly every aspect of the real investment field. Although he still works with Emmerich & Associates, managing their non-residential portfolio, in 2006 he purchased the bulk of their residential inventory and founded HelpRent, Co.

Observing a number of old and new landlords going to court and having a hard time because of their lack of understanding of Wisconsin's complicated landlord-tenant laws and procedures, John has been making an effort to educate landlords on the proper way to do things for over a decade. He has taught classes on everything from accounting, to proper management procedures, to landlord-tenant law. He has provided training sessions to a number of local apartment associations as well as the Wisconsin Apartment Association. He offers a series of courses in real estate through the University of Wisconsin Continuing Education program.

John is the past president of the Wausau Area Apartment Association and was the 2010 president of the Wisconsin Apartment Associations. He has degrees in International Business Management as well as Human Resources Management from the UW-Madison School of Business. He is also a graduate of Bryce Harlow Institute for Business and Government Affairs at Georgetown University.

Also known as Dr. Rent, John answers landlord and tenant questions on his weekly radio talk show which can be heard on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on WNRB-LP 93.3 FM, a local Wausau readio station. He also participates in a number of online forums. He is a feature contributor to WausauBlog and is a featured writed at Citizen Wausau.

I hope to see everyone at the meeting!

Landlord Boot Camp - Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin's (AASEW) will be offering its third annual Landlord Boot Camp on Saturday, February 26, 2011 from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm. Learn everything that you need to know about Landlord-Tenant law in Wisconsin at this all-day seminar.

Yours truly will be the presenter and I will be addressing the following topics:

- Screening Rental Applicants

- Written Screening Criteria

- Fair Housing (Discrimination) law

- Rental Documents (Rental Agreements, Nonstandard Rental Provisions, Rules & Regulations, Pet Agreements . . .)

- Notices Terminating Tenancy

- Causes for Eviction

- ATCP 134

- Security deposit transmittal letters ("21 day letters")

- The judicial eviction process

- Abandoned tenant property

- Collections . .. . and much much more.

You can view a detailed outline of the course here.

Cost to attend the seminar will be $159 for AASEW members and $249 for non-members. All attendess will receive a manual that includes over 100 pages of outlines, case law, relevant statutes and regulations, and templates to assist you with managing your rental properties.

The seminar will be held at the Clarion Hotel located at 5311 S. Howell Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53207.

Last year's AASEW Landlord Boot Camp was filled to capacity and we even had to turn a few people away. Don't let that happen to you!

Here are two comments from attendees at last year's Boot Camp:

"I really enjoyed the class. The course materials were very helpful. The location was very convenient. I learned a lot about screening and evictions. I would highly recommend the course. It should be taught to all landlords. Thanks" - Lisa Wolff

"We have owned our rental properties for over ten years and in January of 2009 we decided to join the AASEW. We jumped right in by signing up for the Landlord Boot Camp. We both learned so much and have had the opportunity to utilize so much of what we learned already. Tristan is an excellent teacher and the included manual is a wonderful resource." - Steve and Kathy Kinnamon, Woodcreek Apartments, LLC.

Landlording is a business --- take the time to educate yourself on how to better manage your business.

Contact Paulette Vildberg, Executive Director of AASEW, at (414) 276-7378 or paulette@apartmentassoc.org today to reserve your spot.

AASEW Landlord Tradeshow - This Wednesday - Sept. 22nd

Annual Landlord Tradeshow!

Bring 2 non perishable food items that we will donate to the Hunger Task Force for free admission, free seminars, free entrance to the exhibit hall, a chance to win some great raffle prizes and free appetizers

September 22nd, 2010

Serb Hall, 5101 W. Oklahoma Avenue, Milwaukee

Seminars 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. (doors will open at 11:40 p.m. for first seminar)

Exhibit hall open from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Be sure to visit our exhibit hall to talk with vendors that offer products and services for the rental property industry and graciously support our tradeshow!

Click here for a listing of the seminars that will be presented

Do Not Miss the 11th Annual AASEW Tradeshow on Sept. 22, 2010

Do you know what you can legally deduct from a tenant's security deposit? Looking for ways to improve your cash flow? Need a few sales tips to fill your vacancies? Are you in Compliance with State and Federal Fair Housing Laws? You will get the answers and more at the Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin (AASEW) Annual Landlord Tradeshow!

Free seminars.

Free entrance to exhibit hall.

Free appetizers.

Network with hundreds of rental property owners and real estate professionals!

Need a product or service for your rental business? Visit our exhibit hall and talk with vendors that service our industry!

Plus, find our Traders' Corner in the exhibit hall and bring your property listings if you are in the market to buy or sell!

Admission is FREE with 2 non-perishable food items that we will donate to the Hunger Task Force

September 22nd, 2010

Serb Hall, 5101 W. Oklahoma Avenue, Milwaukee, 53219

Seminars 12:00 p.m. -6:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hall open from 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

The seminars that will be offered include:

- Security Deposits: What A Landlord Can Legally Deduct From A Tenant’s Security Deposit (Attorney Tristan R. Pettit of Petrie & Stocking S.C.)

- Improving Your Cash Flow: Tips for Rental Property Owners (Don Hill of Heartland Information Research)

- Rental Business Ownership: Pros and Cons of Using An LLC (Attorney Heiner Giese of Giese & Weden S.C.)

- Are You In Compliance With State and Federal Fair Housing Laws? (Margaret Bowitz of the Milwaukee Fair Housing Council)

- Sales Tips To Fill Your Vacancies (Andi Simmons of Start Renting)

- Saving Energy and Dollars In Your Rental Business (Jeffrey Mackey of WE Energies)

- Reduce Interior and Exterior Paint Problems: Save Time and Money (Gary Paul and Steve VanGorp of Diamond Vogel Paints)

- Is Your Prospective Tenant a Good Credit Risk? (Kathy Haines of Landlord Services LLC)

- Financing Programs For The Investor (Dan Kleinke of Merit Financial)

FREE Seminar on Evictions - Saturday, August 14th

I will be presenting a free seminar on the topic of evictions for the City of Milwaukee's Landlord Training Program on Saturday, August 14th. I am presenting this seminar on behalf of the Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin (AASEW).

The Seminar will run from 9 am - 12 noon and will be held at Alverno College's Wehr Theater which is located at 3441 S. 39th Street. I was informed that there is a parking lot located at 40th & Morgan for attendees to use.

I will cover three topics:

1. Causes for Evictions - I will explain the different types of notices that can be served on a tenant and explain under what circumstances you should use the different notices)

2. Notices Terminating Tenancy - I will explain what must be included in a proper notice and how to properly serve a notice), and

3. The Judicial Eviction Process - I will cover the "nuts and bolts" of what you must do to file an eviction lawsuit and what to expect once you arrive in court).

The attendees will receive copies of my detailed outlines on the above topics plus examples of various forms.

If you are interested in attending the seminar you must register in advance by calling (414) 286-2954 or email jhagne@milwaukee.gov.

Hope to see you there!

Don't Miss Next AASEW Town Hall Meeting on Monday, July 19th

Have a question about landlord tenant law? Property management? Real estate investing/short sales? Then come to the AASEW General Membership meeting on Monday, July 19th, 7:00 p.m. at the Best Western Hotel, 1005 South Moorland Road in Brookfield.

Attorney and AASEW President, Tristan Pettit, AASEW Director and Portfolio Director at StuartCo, Susan Ipsarides, and owner of Plan B Homebuyers & Tailwind Funding, Brian Meidam, will all be on hand to answer your questions and give you tips to help you manage your rental property business.

BED BUGS: Everything That You Wanted To Know . . . and More

If you have not heard -- bed bugs are making a comeback. Bed bugs are wreaking havoc on hotels, apartment complexes, and anywhere else where people congregate. I have even been told that 75% of all of the hotels in Las Vegas are infested with bed bugs - I don't know if that is true or not - but with the influx of people entering and exiting that city daily, it would not surprise me, since bed bugs are the ultimate hitchhiker. Unlike roaches or other varmits, bed bugs are attracted to people - not dirty living conditions, so you can have a perfectly clean apartment that still may be infested with bed bugs. In the past very strong chemicals (DDT) kept the bed bug population at bay, but with many pesticides now outlawed, bed bugs have made a comeback, much to the dismay of the rental community.

The pesky bed bug has appeared at more than a few of my client's rental complexes and trsut me when I tell you they are expensive and difficult to indicate. The best way to eliminate bed bugs is to prevent them from even showing up in the first place. But prevention is difficult since they hitch rides on furniture, clothing and other personal belongings.

Whereas, bed bugs used to be the specialty of exterminators who would spray chemicals around the infested rooms to kill them and their eggs, there are now other contractors that have entered the field. There are bed bug sniffing dogs that can be rented to sniff around your rental unit and alert you to any possible infestation and other companies that are killing bed bugs by different means then chemicals - such as heat treatment.

Because of the huge increase of bed bugs being found in rental housing lately, the AASEW's June membership meeting included a presentation on this "itchy" subject by AASEW business member, Giertsen Company of Wisconsin. Giertsen Co. is primarily a remediation company (wind, water and fire damage) however they have learned that the heating equipmen that is used to dry out a water damages property also can be used to kill the pesky bed bug.

Below is the PowerPoint presentation that Patrick Meyer of Giertsen Co. shared with the AASEW on June 21, 2010.

The old saying that my parents would tell me prior to going to bed when I was a kid -- "Don't let the bed bugs bite" -- has a whole new context for me after viewing this presentation.

Giertsen Bed Bug Blog

View more presentations from Petrie Stocking.