On Milwaukee’s south side, residents of a local apartment complex say they have been told they must be out by Feb. 28 after a Christmas Day fire left dozens of units uninhabitable, and many are now racing the clock to recover what they can. Tenants describe confusing messages from management and a disputed waiver they say is limiting access to apartments, while some report that furniture and electronics were missing after they were finally allowed back in. Families who lost their homes are staying in temporary rooms while they sift through what is left of their lives.
Tenants told FOX6 Milwaukee that property management set the Feb. 28 deadline and sent text messages asking residents to sign a waiver that would let staff dispose of anything left behind after keys were turned in. Several renters showed screenshots of what they say are unanswered messages and said they came back to find some unit doors forced open and items such as furniture and TVs gone. One tenant told FOX6 Milwaukee he filed a police report before officers informed him that the owner had removed property.
The fire broke out on Dec. 25 at the Colonial Creek complex near S. 60th Street and W. Cold Spring Road and displaced roughly 46 units after firefighters carried out multiple ladder and interior rescues, according to WISN. Officials and coverage note the 1967 building did not have an automatic sprinkler system, a detail that has fueled recent debate in the city over fire-safety disclosures and retrofit rules, as per Spectrum News.
Owner, inspections and the move-out deadline
Residents say management has set up hotel rooms and offered to waive January rent, but they were also warned they could still be charged if they break their leases, a policy that has many tenants weighing whether to stay on paper or walk away entirely. City officials say the building cannot reopen for habitation unless it receives a new certificate of occupancy, and the Department of Neighborhood Services explains how complaints and inspections work on its website (Department of Neighborhood Services). Reporters for FOX6 Milwaukee said attempts to reach the property owner went unanswered by their deadline.
Legal options and tenant resources
Wisconsin law restricts landlords from using self-help tactics such as changing locks or improperly throwing out a tenant’s belongings, and state agencies offer complaint and guidance tools for renters, including materials from DATCP. Low-income tenants can seek free legal help through Legal Action of Wisconsin, and the city’s Department of Neighborhood Services handles code complaints that can lead to inspections. Tenants who believe their property was taken or discarded improperly are advised to save all communications, photograph any damage or missing items, and file formal complaints with the Department of Neighborhood Services and, if needed, DATCP…