MILWAUKEE — "I heard a noise, I got up and checked on the kids I thought maybe one of them had fallen out of the bed, so I got up and checked on the kids," said Lametta Hamilton-Cooper. "I didn't see anything so I came into the bathroom." That's when she discovered her ceiling and the roof above had caved in. That was ten days ago. Since then, Lametta says not much has been done to fix it. And that's why she emailed TMJ4 News asking for help.
Lighthouse, our specialty reporting unit, got in touch with Lametta and is exploring the rights tenants like Lametta have, and what landlords are held accountable for.
"This is the bathroom, this is where the ceiling fell," explained Lametta as she pointed to a gaping hole in her apartment.
VIDEO: Milwaukee renter seeking help after part of her ceiling caves in
On June 23rd, the sound of the ceiling caving in woke Lametta from her sleep, and she says it's been a nightmare ever since. She says it took five days for someone to cover the hole with a tarp and now her landlord says it will be several weeks until it's fixed. "He said they gotta redo the whole roof and once they do the roof then they'll work on this," she said gesturing to the bathroom ceiling. "We can't take showers, I have kids, so we have to go somewhere else and do extra — who wants to do that?"
Lametta told us her landlord says it's safe to shower, but she's not convinced. "I really don't know what else to do, I called everybody," she added.
One place Lametta turned to was Milwaukee's Department of Neighborhood Services. TMJ4 News also called the office and was told they will step in during an emergency like no water or electricity but an inspector has to make that decision, and it's a two-week to four-week wait to get one out.
Wisconsin law does not explicitly state that landlords are required to provide or pay for alternate housing if a rental unit is uninhabitable due to serious damage.
But landlords are obligated to make repairs within a reasonable timeframe, if not, tenants may be entitled to withhold rent. Lametta says she's asked her landlord for a rent reduction. "He was like no I can't do that, I have to pay $12,000 for the roof."
Andrea Albers contacted Lametta's landlord who said he's trying his best and has hired a roofing company.
The landlord also said - he doesn't have other accommodations to offer Lametta but would be willing to work with her on a reduced rental rate.
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