10 Things UWM Students Should Know When Renting January 7, 20211. Occupancy Ordinance: Milwaukee has a law stating that no more than three (3) unrelated individuals can live together. Violation of this ordinance can result in a fine and even eviction of you and your roommates. Living with family is the only exception to this law. Legally related family includes husband or wife, son or daughter, mother or father, sister or brother, uncle or aunt, grandparent, grandchild, niece or nephew, first-cousin, mother-in-law or father-in-law.
2. Protected Classes: Unlike race, ethnicity, and gender, student status is not a protected class. Landlords can refuse to rent to students. However, landlords cannot use student status as a means of preventing tenants of a certain age to sign a lease.
3. Gender Discrimination: It is illegal for a landlord to discriminate based on gender, unless it is an owner-occupied building with four (4) or fewer units. Owner-occupied properties are those where the landlord lives on-site. If there are four or fewer units ...