MILWAUKEE — Marcenia Pringle, who lives in a Berrada property near Cornell and Teutonia, contacted TMJ4 about the ongoing heating issues in her building. She said tenants have been without adequate heat for months.
READ ALSO | Tenant describes living with no heat or water at Milwaukee apartment complex
"Because the temperatures are beyond below, like we don't have thermostats where we control our heat, we have to use ovens and heaters, and space heaters and ovens are not safe for anyone," Pringle said.
Inside Pringle's apartment, an open oven runs constantly while she wears a hat and coat indoors. The building's heaters are warm to the touch but insufficient to heat entire units, she said.
Watch: Northside tenants upset as insufficient heat complaints meet extreme cold this weekend
The hallway temperatures are so cold that breath is visible in the air, demonstrating the severity of the heating problem.
"This is unacceptable. We pay rent. This should never have to come to where you're not taking care of your properties; it's unacceptable," Pringle said.
Christopher Combs, another tenant in the building, faces the same conditions.
"It just gets colder and colder," Combs said. "When you pay your money, you're supposed to get a service, I ain't get no service."
Residents say their calls to Berrada Properties go unanswered. During a call placed during the TMJ4's visit, Pringle waited over six minutes on hold before being sent to voicemail.
"They never call you back," Pringle said.
Multiple attempts to reach Berrada Properties representatives through phone, text, and email went unanswered.
The Department of Neighborhood Services received no heat or insufficient heat complaints for nearly 20 different Berrada Properties on Friday alone, according to a department spokesperson. Over 100 total heating complaints were reported throughout the city, for all buildings.
DNS has reached out to Berrada Properties about the specific issues, but has not heard back as of Friday. The department plans to follow up on Monday to determine if further action is needed.
Berrada Properties owns over 8,000 units and hundreds of buildings in Milwaukee.
Residents remain skeptical about getting help.
"He's not making no effort on doing anything; the only thing we can do is accept it or walk away," Pringle said.
The Department of Neighborhood Services encourages residents to report heating issues when landlords are not being proactive, regardless of who the landlord is. For those concerned about retaliation, DNS advises documenting everything, staying current on rent, and notes the department can help facilitate investigations into retaliation.
If you need relief from the cold, please visit one of Milwaukee's warming shelters with extended hours this weekend.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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