MADISON. A coalition of tenant unions and apartment owners surprised observers by presenting a joint rent-protection ordinance to the city council Tuesday.

The framework, hammered out over nine months of closed sessions, freezes landlord registration fees for two years and limits mid-lease rent increases to 3 percent for tenants earning below the area median.

Both sides described the deal as imperfect but livable. “No one got everything they wanted,” the tenants' negotiator said. “That's usually how you know it will hold.”

The council will take a final vote after the public comment period.