The Wisconsin Legislature has passed a Republican bill to protect landlords.
The Senate passed the measure 18-14 Tuesday. It allows local governments to inspect rental properties only in blighted areas with numerous complaints, decreasing values or increases in single-family home conversions to rental units. If an inspection doesn't reveal a violation or the violation is fixed within a month inspectors couldn't return to the property for five years. Inspection fees would be waived in either case.
Local governments also would be blocked from inspecting rental property less than eight years old and couldn't enact ordinances based on building aesthetics.
Democrats opposing the bill say it protects bad-acting landlords.
The Assembly passed the bill in January. It now goes to Gov. Scott Walker.