Madison Landlord Council

The Madison Landlord Council (MLC) Forms CD is $55 and is only available to members of the Madison Landlord Council and the Wisconsin Apartment Association. (Annual MLC dues are $185.)

Application Form

The Madison Landlord Council Forms CD was created to provide our members with a set of forms that are easy to use. It was created as a resource to save you time and money in your rental property business.

The documents contained in the Madison Landlord Council CD should not be considered legal advice. The MLC makes no representation as to the legal validity of any provision or the adequacy of any provision in any specific transaction. For legal advice, please contact an attorney familiar with landlord tenant law. A list of attorneys that may be able to assist you and a link to Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc where MLC members have access to a special association group rate can be found on our website, www.madisonlandlords.com. You will find a Pre-Paid Legal Services application form included with your MLC Forms CD.

Use property management forms to highlight your rental policies. For example, some landlords will choose to use the Controlled Substance Policy Statement. Others may not. You may want to add lease provisions specific to your property, such as having an agreement for your tenant to shovel sidewalks in winter or spell out how late fees are applied if rent is paid late. Check with your attorney to be sure these provisions comply with applicable law and meet your specific needs.

Scroll down on this page to click on the form you'd like to use. Some forms allow you to type directly on to the blank form and print it out. You can also print a blank form and fill it in by hand. The forms are in Microsoft Word.

Always make a copy of the forms signed by you and your tenant. Keep one for yourself and give your tenant a copy. If you ever need to go to court, you'll be glad you have a complete set of forms signed by your tenant and yourself.

The forms you use speak volumes about your business. Madison Landlord Council forms tell applicants and tenants that you operate a professional and responsible property management business.

Pre-Paid Legal Services:
For additional information about Pre-Paid Legal Services programs and the family and business legal plans available to Madison Landlord Council members, please contact MLC/Pre-Paid Legal Services liaison, Joe Campana at (608) 244-4772; campana@prepaidlegal.com

Madison Landlord Council Forms
I Application Forms:

Application Procedure and Screening Criteria:
Use this BEFORE you give an applicant an application. This lets the tenant applicant know, in advance of signing taking an application what your expectations and requirements are.
Application for Rental Housing:
Always use a written application form and verify the information provided to you. Failure to provide accurate information may be grounds for denial.
Application Review and Reason for Rejection:
In the City of Madison, if an applicant requests, in writing, the reason their application was rejected, the landlord must also provide that reason in writing.
Reference Check Questions:
Treat every applicant the same. Use this form to document your consistent property management screening process.
Employment Verification Form:
Use the Application Review and Reason for Rejection, the Reference Check Questions and Employment Verification forms to help you stay organized, especially when you are processing multiple applications for multiple apartments. You will be able to inform the tenant applicant of your decision based on the information you gathered during the application check.
Application Denial Form:
If you reject an application based on a credit report, you must use this form to inform the applicant that they can contact the credit reporting agency to request a copy of their credit report and/or correct errors. In Madison, if an applicant wants to know the reason their application was rejected, you can fill in the reason for rejection then send it to the applicant.

II Residential Rental Contract (Lease) Forms and Disclosures:

Landlord Disclosures and Requirements:
Before entering into a rental contract, landlords are required to make these disclosures. While the same information may be found in other forms, we put them all in one place.
Residential Rental Contract (Lease):
Always use a written lease!
Non-Standard Rental Provisions:
If you want the option of taking a security deposit deduction, you must inform the tenant in advance of those deductions. This is a required by the Department of Ag, Trade, and Consumer Protection Administrative Rules.
Co-signer Application:
If the tenant does not meet your screening criteria on their own, consider a co-signor. The co-signor agrees to pay the rent if the tenant fails to. Use this form to qualify the co-signor.
Rental Contract Guaranty (Co-Signer):
This is the form that binds the agreement between the tenant, co-signor, and the landlord.
Rental Contract Renewal Amendment to Lease (Madison):
If you and the tenant agree to renew the lease, you can sign this Renewal Amendment to the original lease, rather than filling out a new lease, addenda and attachments.
Sublet Agreement Example I:
Life happens. There will be times that a tenant will decide to leave the unit before the end of the lease term. To minimize the costs to both landlord and tenant, establish a smooth transition for a sub-tenant to complete the lease term. Using a Sublet Agreement protects all parties.
Sublet Agreement Example II:
Here is another example you could use when you sublet. This agreement works well in campus rentals.
Madison Landlord and Tenant Responsibility Brochure:
The Landlord Tenant Brochure is a required disclosure by landlords to tenants upon signing the rental contract or lease.
Check-In and Check-Out Form:
This is an important legal document. It documents the condition of the apartment upon move in. Having a complete check in form will help to settle disputes if they go to court.
Check-Out Inspection Form:
This form is used when doing a final walk-through at the end of the lease and gives the tenant information on what damages or cleaning needs to be done at the end of the lease. Clear communication is the best way to reduce disputes.
Security Deposit Transmittal (Refund):
Security Deposits must be returned within 21 days of the tenant vacating the premises.
EPA and HUD Lead Paint Disclosure Form and Pamphlet for pre-1978 housing:
Landlords are required to provide the information in these forms to all tenants who live in buildings built prior to 1987.

III Addenda and Attachments to Lease

Rules and Regulations:
This form includes general rules and regulations for your property. You may decide to add rules and regulations or remove them. Make sure any new rules or regulations are legal. Check with your Pre-paid Legal Lawyer.
Security Deposit Addendum:
This form complies with the requirement to determine how the Security Deposit and the Security Deposit Rent Credit is handled.
Smoke Detector Ordinance Addendum:
Smoke Detectors save lives and protect property. It is a joint responsibility to keep them working.
Fire Code Evacuation Plan:
A fire evacuation plan is a required disclosure for 4 unit buildings. This form will take you to the City of Madison website that spells out what you need to do to comply with the fire code.
Grill Safety Addendum:
Pet Agreement I:
Pets can be welcome tenants too! In the City of Madison, landlords cannot charge a pet deposit. No additional rent or deposits can be charged for service animals.
Pet Agreement II:
Another example of the type of Pet Agreement you can use.
Satellite Dish Addendum
Controlled Substance Policy Addendum:
Lead Based Paint Addendum for Buildings Built Before 1978:
The Lead Based Paint Addendum was written for the Wisconsin Apartment Association after the historic Wisconsin Supreme Court Case, Antwaun A, where the landlord was held liable for lead poisoning of a young boy because of chipping and peeling paint in the apartment that the landlord failed to correct.

IV Other Useful Forms

Receipt for Check-In Documents and Keys:
This is very helpful when there are multiple roommates checking into an apartment.
Move-In Maintenance Request
Regular Maintenance Request
Notice to Enter:
Twenty-four hour notice to enter is required in Madison, except in the case of emergency.

V Eviction Forms

Eviction Questions and Answers
Cover Letter for Five Day Notice to Quit or Pay Rent
Summons and Complaint
Five Day Notice to Quit or Pay Rent
Five Day Notice to Remedy Default (Nuisance)
Fourteen Day Notice to Terminate Tenancy
Twenty Eight Day Notice Terminating Tenancy/Month to Month Lease
Warehouse Receipt and Notice of Lien

VI Useful Links for Landlords

Internet Links for Landlords