Milwaukee couple say landlord is ignoring critical repairs

Milwaukee couple say landlord is ignoring critical repairs

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Milwaukee couple say landlord is ignoring critical repairs

A Milwaukee couple say they're at their wits' end about a water leak in their rented apartment.

Every day, Charles Wilson walks out to his living room at 26th Street and Highland Avenue, he's greeted by carpet so soaked with water that he's covered it with plastic and cardboard just to walk across the room.

In two months of calling the landlord Berrada Properties to address the problem, he said they've never come to check it out.

Wilson said shortly after the apartment building was sold to Berrada, the laundry room began leaking through the wall, soaking Wilson's carpet.

"As the months started progressing, people started using the laundry room, washing and stuff like that, the more the water started coming out," Wilson said.

He first noticed the moisture this summer. It started out against a wall, but over the months it has gradually spread across the floor to where at this point, the carpet even across the room is completely soaked.

“Like you literally hear ‘squish’ like you was outside walking in the rain. And then we're scared too because of the water and the carpet, now we're worried about the mold coming,” Wilson said.

Earlier this week WISN 12 News reported on a rat infestation at another Berrada property. The company hasn't responded to multiple interview requests.

A Milwaukee alderman took notice and suggests tenants register for the city rent withholding program. Tenants accepted into the program pay their rent to the city, and the landlord doesn't get paid until any outstanding repair orders are completed.

Alderman Robert Bauman said it can offer some leverage for tenants.

"It can get complicated, and it's bureaucratic intensive, sad to say, but yes in theory, you pay your rent into the Department of Neighborhood Services, they act as an escrow agent, they hold the rent on behalf of the landlord until the issues are abated," Bauman said Tuesday.

Wilson said he hopes it doesn't come to that.

"I pay the rent faithfully every month. Even with this. And I have family telling me 'Man, I wouldn't pay nothing,'" Wilson said. "I don't want to move. My fiancée don't want to move. We want to stay here. All they gotta do is come fix the problem. That's all we're asking."

Community Advocates offers assistance to renters dealing with landlord issues, including information on the rent withholding program. They can be reached at 414-449-4777 or online at https://communityadvocates.net.

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