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Milwaukee apartment ceiling collapse, residents complain about no heat

By and
Published  January 20, 2026 5:03pm CST
Milwaukee
FOX6 News Milwaukee
Apartment ceiling collapses in Milwaukee

Apartment ceiling collapses in Milwaukee

A Milwaukee family is displaced after the ceiling of their apartment collapsed, and they said their building did not have heat.

The Brief

    • A ceiling in a Milwaukee apartment caved in on two children after a pipe burst.
    • Residents of the Berrada Properties building report living without heat for up to a year, forcing them to rely on dangerous portable heaters in sub-zero temperatures.
    • Milwaukee officials are investigating the safety violations and warned that the building faces an emergency closure order if the heating issues are not resolved.

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee family is out of its home after a ceiling collapsed. Family members say their apartment building did not have heat. 

Renters' nightmare

What we know:

First, they heard the water bubbling, and then a burst. The ceiling ended up on the floor. 

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"The ceiling caved in and fell on two of the kids," said Janet Fowler, a Milwaukee renter. "Our mouths were just wide open, like, couldn’t believe it."

Fowler's daughter lives in the apartment on Milwaukee's northwest side. Fowler told FOX6 News the heat does not always work. She thinks that is why a pipe burst and the ceiling collapsed. 

Janet Fowler

"It was steaming hot water, as a matter of fact," Fowler said. 

Fowler reached out to FOX6 News on Monday night, Jan. 19, after she said Berrada Properties, which owns the building, did not get back to her. 

Other resident complaints

Dig deeper:

Fowler is not the only resident to say they have had problems. A neighbor who lives upstairs said she hasn't had heat since they moved in.

"About 3 degrees. Girl, it be cold here," said Brenda Penney of Milwaukee. 

Brenda Penney

Penney said her thermostat had not worked for a year. She and her daughter use portable heaters to stay warm. 

"It gets cold here in Milwaukee. And this is no fun to be shivering. It’s not fun," Penney said. 

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The cold is not the only thing keeping Penney up at night. She lives above the unit where the ceiling collapsed. 

"I am kind of scared because hers fell in and I live above it. I could just go in too," Penney said. 

DNS reaches out to Berrada

What they're saying:

Officials with Milwaukee's Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) say they have received two complaints – and a special enforcement manager has tried to contact Berrada Properties. 

DNS officials say the lack of heat is a safety issue, and if it is not fixed, there could be an emergency order and closure of the building. 

FOX6 News reached out to Berrada Properties about the issue. We have not heard back.  

The Source: Information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.

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