On August 11 in Appleton and August 12 in Green Bay, we told members that the Tenant Protection Package bills had dissolved but the messaging had not, and that candidates would campaign on that platform before November 3.

On Wednesday, October 7, gubernatorial candidate David Crowley announced a “Fair Deal for Wisconsin Renters,” including a Student Renters Bill of Rights. Here is what’s in it, where you’ve seen it before, and what it means for housing providers.

What Was Announced -

The plan has six commitments:

1. Restore local authority to inspect rentals and act against repeat violators.
2. An annual rent increase cap that exempts new construction.
3. Tenant remedies when repairs are ignored.
4. Eviction changes: longer notice, a right to fix problems, and access to a lawyer.
5. End junk fees and “rent-fixing software.”
6. A Student Renters Bill of Rights covering early leasing, deposits, and roommate liability.

In his post on X, Mr. Crowley frames the plan as a response to renters paying more with fewer protections. He attributes that in part to legislation his opponent voted for, and says the plan “restores balance.” He doesn’t name the legislation. The release says cities are “barred by state law” from acting, which appears to point to the state preemption statute, Wis. Stat. 66.0104. We don’t take sides between candidates. For housing providers, what matters most is which laws would change and how they would affect their businesses.

You’ve Seen Most Of This Before -

Each Fair Deal commitment, matched to the Tenant Protection Package bills (TPP 1.0, Oct. 2023; TPP 2.0, Feb. 2026):

• Local inspection and enforcement authority: Local inspections (TPP 1.0); AB-1048/SB-1029, full repeal of the state preemption statute, Wis. Stat. 66.0104 (TPP 2.0)
• Annual rent cap: Rent control and a rent increase cap (TPP 1.0)
• Repair remedies: Rent abatement (TPP 1.0); AB-1119/SB-1076, 100% rent withholding (TPP 2.0)
• Eviction changes: AB-1137 (5-day to 30-day notice), AB-1138, AB-1195/SB-1165 (Right to Counsel)
• Junk fees: AB-1064/SB-1063, ban on application and screening fees
• Renewal protections implied by the release: LRB-3051; AB-1133/SB-1098 (just-cause non-renewal)

TPP 1.0 arrived in October 2023 with more than 20 bills and was dissolved in April 2024. TPP 2.0 followed on February 13, 2026: 19 bills, 12 of them recycled from 2024, dissolved March 23. Two election cycles, the same themes.

Two items are new to us: the “rent-fixing software” language and the Student Renters Bill of Rights. Neither the press release nor the post on X contains bill text or a cap percentage, so how closely the plan tracks the earlier bills remains to be seen.

The Math Behind The Message -

The release says renters pay too much. Our analysis of more than 5,000 doors from 2019 through 2023, confirmed by the NAA Dollar of Rent analysis, shows the other side:

• Operating expenses rose 34.2%, while CPI rose 20.6%.
• Rent increases were 17.6% for existing residents and 33.3% for new residents, so neither covered the cost increase.
• Capital spending fell 82%.
• Owner net return fell from about 9 cents per rent dollar to about 7 cents, down 22%.
• Multifamily insurance rose roughly 75% between 2019 and 2024.

A cap set below cost growth doesn’t lower costs. Capital spending is the first thing to give, and deferred maintenance can lead to neighborhood decline and a shrinking tax base, while more owners move into other niches in the market. The plan exempts new construction, but 61% of Wisconsin’s apartments were built before 2000, so a cap would land on the older, more affordable stock. That hurts the very residents these proposals aim to protect.

Who It Lands On -

Nationally, 93.6% of rental purchases are by owners with fewer than 100 properties, and 82.4% by owners with 1 to 9 (John Burns Consulting, through Q4 2023). The rental market is mom-and-pop owners, and they have the least capacity to absorb new legal and compliance costs.

Mr. Crowley says good landlords have nothing to fear from rules holding bad ones accountable. We agree with the principle, and it’s the heart of our 955 Principle: more than 95% of residents and providers do it right. The question for every new housing policy proposal is whether it targets the 5% or sweeps in the 95%.

Where We Agree -

Our common-purpose agenda supports more housing supply, modernized emergency rental assistance, and mediation as an alternative to eviction. We support enforcement against bad actors. What we ask is that housing providers are at the table when the rules are being considered and written.

What You Can Do -

• Ask candidates where they stand. The questions from our September Meet the Candidates panel still apply: rent control (Minneapolis vs. St. Paul), 30-day eviction notice, Right to Counsel, and what they’ll do about the five cost buckets discussed in our State of the Industry presentation.
• Know the law, and vote on November 3.
• Join or renew at AANW.org or FVAA.info, and refer a colleague or, better still, several colleagues.

AANW FVAA is a nonpartisan trade association. We don’t endorse candidates, and this post is about policy.

Sources: Crowley Campaign Press Release, WisPolitics, Oct. 7, 2026  ·  Crowley Post on X, Oct. 7, 2026 

2026 State of the Industry Presentation, AANW FVAA, August 11–12, 2026