When a refrigerator quits working, it can create costly and time-consuming issues.

Landlords are required to maintain and repair appliances that are supplied with the rented home. Wis. Stat. 704.07(2)(a)2. It is important for tenants to let their landlord know about any problems with their fridge (or other appliances) as soon as possible. Repair requests or concerns should be made in writing or you can write an email or letter to your landlord after the conversation to document what you discussed. Other steps for a repair are outlined here.  

If the fridge quits working, tenants can talk to their landlord about next steps and if any options are available. For example, could the landlord bring in a mini-fridge or is there a fridge in a vacant unit that can be moved? This should also be in writing!

Also, tenants should keep track of their extra expenses caused by the fridge not working, such as buying new food or a mini-fridge to prevent food from spoiling.

If the tenant has renter’s insurance, it may cover the replacement costs of the food lost.

If the landlord refuses to compensate the tenant or make repairs, another option may be file an action in small claims court.

Hello, my lovelies. 

As winter blasts its way into our lives, here at the TRC, our call logs fill up with questions about the cold, and the problems it causes. Here are answers to some of our more frequently asked questions.

We've got fridge issues and heat issues lined up in our emails today, and I'm combining them for one blog post for giggles, and also for the thrill of tangential hyperlinks.

Fridges: sometimes they die. But what about all the stuff that's inside? Is there someone who is responsible for that, if it's lost? (Also, is Wisconsin unique in its meat raffles?)

Heat: it was cold this weekend! And it's supposed to be again, soon. However, not all landlords have the heat on, and frozen tenants are calling us to ask when their heat must be on (spoiler: there's no date! It just has to be warm enough to maintain 67 degrees in your house!)

When I talk to people that have moved to Wisconsin from other places, they often tell me that they are surprised with the intensity of the seasons here. Last winter was brutally cold (winter 2013-2014 was pretty cold for Wisconsin and comparatively mild for Alaska. Sigh). Springs often have floods. Summers have periods of intense heat and drought. Autumn is glorious. While we are free from hurricanes and earthquakes, we have tornadoes, hail, ice storms and snow.

Rental housing in Wisconsin isn't always successful in dealing with the extremes. As we let go of the tough winter, and look towards the summer, one question that we regularly get here at the TRC is: "My house is extremely hot. Is there an upper limit to how hot it can be?  

And the answer is, generally, no.  Here are some things to be aware of: