No heat in apartment, Milwaukee mother concerned
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee mother said she and her children have been struggling to stay warm in their apartment for more than a week.
The family's unit has been without heat that long.
Early December in Milwaukee is a bitter scene outside, with chilly walks and breath you can see. But for Jasmine Veasy and her two daughters, that's been life inside their apartment.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
"If my kids were here, you can see them breathing in the air, it would come out," Veasy said. "My daughters are usually not here, because it's so cold, and I've pretty much been going back and forth to my mother's from here."
She first noticed her heat being off when she tried turning on her thermostat.
"Waited about an hour, nothing, it started smelling like smoke," she said.
She also noted she even bundles up to sleep.
"Four days ago, I slept with my gloves," she said. "Blankets, comforter, comforter, sheet, pillow, it's just cold."
Now she and her kids don't even sleep there at night, which is a painful blow as a renter.
"I pay rent here, so it's really inconvenient for me to pay rent and not even stay here," Veasy said.
She said she's called the managers, Berrada Properties, numerous times. She said they told her they'd put in a maintenance request, but so far, nothing has happened.
Nick Toman of the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee said it's the landlord's responsibility to ensure there's heat during the cold. He said it should be at least 67 degrees.
"A property without heat in Milwaukee in the winter isn’t safe," Toman said. "Failure to provide heat would result in a breach of the lease if there’s a lease."
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android
He's advising renters to keep a paper trail when reaching out to landlords, while Veasy said she just wants her and her kids to sleep in her own bed warm.
Toman also said Veasy’s next step could involve reaching out to the Department of Neighborhood Services. They'll usually come out for an inspection.
This could result in fines against the landlord or condemning the place if it's not habitable in the cold.