No heat, no response: Milwaukee tenants raise alarms about landlord
No heat, no response; tenants raise issues
Tenants across Milwaukee said they have been left without heat during bitter cold conditions, with many also reporting they have been unable to reach their landlord.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee tenants across the city say they have been left without heat during bitter winter conditions, with many reporting they have been unable to reach their landlord.
No heat complaints grow
What we know:
FOX6 News has received nearly a dozen calls and emails from viewers describing similar complaints, many of them tied to the same property owner.
The reports come after a 36-unit apartment building on Milwaukee’s west side was temporarily shut down, forcing more than 50 people – including children – to leave because of a lack of heat.
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City leaders held a press conference on Monday, Jan. 26, to address tenant rights during extreme cold but did not name a specific landlord. However, the complaints received by FOX6 all point back to the same company.
Berrada Properties owns more than 400 properties in Milwaukee, including the west-side building that was shut down. That same week, another Berrada property without heat suffered a pipe burst and a ceiling collapse.
Former employee speaks
What they're saying:
Alzora Davis, a former property manager for Berrada Properties, said the complaints mirror what she saw while working for the company.
"That’s how they operate," Davis said. "The complaints that I’ve heard – it’s real nasty. It’s real nasty."
Davis said she left the company after five months.
"There were a lot of things that I saw that I just couldn’t put myself in that category," she said.
Tenant rights reminder
Dig deeper:
Milwaukee city leaders said Monday that tenants should contact the Department of Neighborhood Services if more than 24 hours have passed since notifying a landlord about a lack of heat. DNS says an inspector will then follow up with the tenant.
"We encourage tenants to document their losses, expenses they’ve had to pay out because of the lack of heat, because of the landlord's conduct, so that we can help them pursue those cases," Davis said.
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Some tenants told FOX6 News they did not want to appear on camera, saying they fear eviction. Records show that so far in 2026, Berrada Properties LLC has filed 129 eviction cases, accounting for more than 13 percent of all evictions filed in Milwaukee County.
"You have to stay current on rent. Do not fall behind on rent – do not even delay paying your rent because that can be used against you in eviction," said Jeremy McGovern, DNS spokesperson.
DNS officials said landlord retaliation is a crime and urged tenants who believe they are being retaliated against to document their situation and contact the city.
FOX6 News has attempted to contact Berrada Properties multiple times by phone, email and in person. The company has not responded.
Milwaukee leaders push tougher landlord penalties amid no-heat shutdowns
Milwaukee leaders are pushing tougher fines for landlords after multiple buildings were shut down for lack of heat, including a 36-unit complex that displaced more than 50 residents.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.