Landlord/Tenants – Rental Agreements and Leases


QUESTION: A­tenant­has­vacated­a­property­and­left­some­personal property.­How­long­does­the­landlord­have­to­store­the­items­if­the lease­did­not­include­language­about­storing­personal­property?­­­­


ANSWER: New­Rules­The­notice­for­disposition­of­personal­property is­only­necessary­if­the­landlord­wants­to­take­advantage­of­the­new rule­found­in­Wis.­Stat.­§­704.05(5).­The­new­rule­provides­that­land- lords­may­presume­the­property­tenants­leave­behind­is­abandoned and­may­dispose­of­it­in­any­manner­the­landlord­believes­to­be­ appropriate­if,­and­only­if,­the­landlord­first­has­provided­written­notice to­the­tenant.­Notice­must­be­given­in­the­original­rental­agreement­ or­a­renewal­and­must­indicate­that­the­landlord­will­not­store­any­ personal­property­the­tenant­leaves­behind­when­the­tenant­removes from­or­is­evicted­from­the­premises.


Greater Madison Area April­2019 Asking Lease Rates


Office­Rates­ East:­$12.83 Central:­$18.14 West:­$14.76


The­new­provisions­for­disposal­of­tenant­property­left­behind­when the­tenant­is­evicted­or­vacates­a­property­do­not­apply­to­pre-existing leases,­rental­agreements­or­tenancies­–­only­to­those­eviction­ actions­filed­on­or­after­March­1,­2014,­and­only­if­the­proper­written notice­was­given­to­the­tenant­at­the­inception­or­upon­renewal­of­the rental­agreement.


Old­Rules­To­avoid­personal­property­storage­issues,­the­landlord may­attempt­to­contact­the­tenant­to­remove­the­remaining­personal property­from­the­unit.­If­the­lease­predated­the­new­personal­property disposition­rules­and­there­was­no­language­allowing­the­landlord­to presume­personal­property­left­behind­is­abandoned­and­will­not­be stored,­the­old­rules­will­apply.


The­old­Wis.­Stat.­§­704.05(5)­provides­that­if­a­tenant­removes­from the­premises­and­leaves­personal­property,­the­landlord­may­store­the personal­property­on­or­off­the­premises.­The­landlord­will­have­a­lien on­the­property­for­the­actual­and­reasonable­costs­of­such­removal and­storage;­or,­if­stored­by­the­landlord,­for­the­actual­and­reason- able­value­of­storage.­The­landlord’s­lien­is­superior­to­any­security­ interest­of­a­creditor­of­the­tenant.­The­following­procedures­must­be followed:


1.­The­landlord­must­give­notice­of­the­storage­to­the­tenant­within­ ten­days­after­the­storage­charges­commence.­Notice­may­be­given personally­or­by­ordinary­mail­to­the­tenant's­last­known­address.­


2.­The­notice­shall­state­the­daily­storage­charges,­and­may­not­ include­any­costs­of­damages­to­the­premises­or­present­or­future rent.­


Asking­rates­Office­from­04/01/12­–­04/30/19 Retail­Rates­ East:­$12.38­ Central:­$21.16 West:­$16.12


3.­The­landlord­must­give­notice­of­his­intent­to­dispose­of­the­ property.­If­the­tenant­or­a­secured­party­fails­to­redeem­the­ property­within­30­days­following­such­notice,­the­landlord­may­sell the­property­by­public­or­private­sale­or­other­appropriate­means. Notice­may­be­given­personally­or­by­ordinary­mail­to­the­tenant's last­known­address.­


4.­The­landlord­must­hold­the­proceeds­of­sale­(less­costs­of­sale­and storage­charges)­for­60­days­after­the­sale.­If­the­net­proceeds­are not­claimed­within­that­time,­the­landlord­must­send­them­to­the Wisconsin­Department­of­Administration­for­use­in­homeless­ assistance­programs.


Asking­rates­Retail­from­04/01/12­–­04/30/19 Office/Whse East:­$6.18 Central:­$8.24­ West:­$6.70


These­rules­apply­in­the­absence­of­any­inconsistent­provisions­in­ the­lease­or­rental­agreement.­If­the­landlord­and­tenant­agree­to­an alternative­lien­agreement­concerning­their­rights­and­duties­for­the storage­and­disposition­of­the­tenant’s­property,­the­agreement­must appear­in­NONSTANDARD­RENTAL­PROVISIONS.


Asking­rates­Office/Warehouse/Flex­from­04/01/12­–­04/30/19 April­2019­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­


READ MORE ABOUT IT: For­more­information­about­disposal­of abandoned­personal­property,­see­“The­New­Landlord/Tenant­Law: Dispelling­the­Ugly­Rumors”­in­the­February­2014­Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine at­www.wra.org/WREM/Feb14/LandlordTenant.­; Also­see­pages­2-3­of­the­November­2013­Legal­Update, “Landlord/Tenant­Legislation­for­2014,”­at­www.wra.org/LU1311;­; page­2­of­the­February­2014­Legal­Update,­“Implementing­2014­ Landlord/Tenant­Legislation,”­at­www.wra.org/LU1402;­and­the­; Legal­Talks­video­for­Disposal­of­Personal­Property­at www.wra.org/LegalTalks.­;


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