MADISON, Wis. -- The apartment where a homicide took place Tuesday is being targeted by the city of Madison under its chronic nuisance ordinance.

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It's a tool the city is using to try and crack down on problem properties and their landlords. Under the new ordinance, residents can be fined if police are called there too many times, WISC-TV reported.

Under the ordinance, once a building is deemed a chronic nuisance, the city can start charging the owners with the costs associated with police responses, WISC-TV reported.

Police and the city attorney's office said Tuesday that the building has been a problem for a while.

Legal action was started as early as last spring against the landlord for drug abatement and nearly three weeks ago it was declared a "chronic nuisance" under a nearly year-old law, WISC-TV reported.

But it's not just the building where the homicide took place. In April, the property at 902 West Badger was declared a chronic nuisance and was given a $13,000 bill for the cost of a police SWAT team visit to the building.

At the building next door to 910 West Badger police costs are now mounting for that landlord, WISC-TV reported.

"What we're trying to do is to hold the landlords accountable," said Capt. Jim Wheeler of the Madison Police Department. "There are only a few landlords in the area really making it difficult for those who live in the area, and they're making it difficult for the landlords who have property."

Wheeler said calls have drastically gone down since 902 West Badger was served a bill and is hopeful the chronic nuisance ordinance can be a good tool for combating problem neighborhoods, WISC-TV reported.

"Hopefully it's a wake up call, it will be a wake up call to the landlords that they need to take responsibility for the building because they're not doing it right now", said Wheeler.

The assistant city attorney said the city has filed chronic nuisance declarations against four buildings and one hotel, WISC-TV reported.

Madison Police Chief Noble Wray will be evaluating the success of the ordinance and will present his findings to the Madison Common Council in September, WISC-TV reported.