Madison landlords could face heavier fines for violating landlord and tenant ordinances if amendments being considered by the city’s Landlord and Tenant Issues Subcommittee are approved.

The subcommittee met Thursday to discuss amending Madison ordinances to require tenants’ awareness of their right to inspect photographic evidence, as well as increasing penalties for landlords who violate city ordinances dictating tenant rights. While some of the current ordinances do allow for fines after violation by the landlord, the new amendments would increase the number and cost of fines upon subsequent violations.

Nancy Jensen, executive director of the Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin, said adding penalties for not having the apartment ready for a new tenant could have an effect on future lease dates.

Citing the example of students being late during move-out days, Jensen discussed the landlords’ need to prepare the apartment before the next tenant moves into the unit.

Jensen added she would be forced to advise landlords to no longer begin leases Aug. 15 should these penalties be approved. Jensen said students might no longer be without a home the typical one night, but three or four nights possibly in order to give the landlords a cushion to avoid the penalty.

Police involvement in landlord and tenant disputes was also discussed at the meeting. Allowing police to issue tickets for violations committed in these disputes would change the current policy of treating disagreements between landlords and tenants as civil issues, committee member Phil Ejercito said.

“Right now, police aren’t aware that they have the power to act,” Ejercito said, stressing that a landlord entering an apartment without tenant knowledge becomes a safety issue rather than a civil matter.

Ejercito added students living downtown may not fully understand their rights as tenants, and a person’s first instinct is to call the police rather than the city attorney if someone has, for example, entered the premises without prior notice.

Allowing police officers to issue a ticket similar to a parking ticket would give them the power to handle these disputes rather than routing it to the city attorney, he added.

Jensen expressed concern with the police being involved with landlord and tenant disputes, saying it could draw police away from other more serious issues in Madison.

While much of the meeting focused on penalties the landlords may face if they violate ordinances, committee member Curtis Brink stressed the need to look at the responsibility of both sides of the landlord and tenant relationship.

A tenant moving out of a property late could, in turn, cause the landlord to face penalties if he is unable to prepare the unit in time for the next tenant to move in to the property, Brink said.

The subcommittee voted to send these proposals to the full committee, which will discuss the amendments in a future meeting.