You may not see it in the headlines, but evictions are still rampant in Milwaukee.
Eviction filings have dropped in recent years, from 13,950 in 2023 to 12,142 in 2025, according to Nick Toman, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee.
But that means thousands of residents, including families and children, are still being affected.
What struggling renters need to know
Document, document, document: Toman said any transactions between a tenant and landlord should always be documented. Anything unrecorded becomes harder to prove in court.
The process: “The first thing to understand is that evictions are three lawsuits wrapped into one,” Toman said.
The first is the actual eviction, which is the right to possession of a property. The second and third are essentially about who owes who what, and about property damage, he said.
The steps: Toman said the first step to any legal eviction is terminating the tenancy. There are a few ways that can happen.
One way is if the lease ends and doesn’t get renewed, he said. If you’re on a month-to-month lease, you can get a 28-day eviction notice with no cause. A tenant can also get a five-day notice for breaking a tenancy agreement but has five days to fix the problem, he said.
Once any of those notices are given and the tenant does not vacate the property, the property owner can file for eviction.
“Self-serve” evictions are when property owners remove a tenant and their belongings from a property without going through the legal process. These are against the law, according to Toman, and so is filing evictions before giving notice.
What tenants can do
The best protection for a tenant is to have renter’s insurance. Also, keep proof of big purchases, as expensive things sometimes get lost in evictions.
What not to do
Don’t stop paying your rent.
“A tenant cannot withhold rent by themselves,” Toman said. “Even if the property owner is in the wrong, withholding rent is shooting yourself in the foot.”
What’s being done
Toman said though funding has gone down significantly, attorneys are doing their best to serve all those in need.
Eviction Free Milwaukee offers legal support to manage the eviction process for families that are at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, which would be $48,225 for a family of four.
Attorneys with the Eviction Defense Project are at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, 901 N. 9th St., Room 406, starting at 12:30 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for on-the-spot representation.
According to Toman, to complement the Eviction Defense Project, the Legal Aid Society has attorneys at the courthouse on Tuesdays and Thursdays for on-the-spot representation.
Toman said the program has limited capacity and helps folks on a first-come, first-served basis. So, get there early if you need assistance.
“We try to help everybody who asks for help, but we can’t always get to everybody, because we just don’t have enough attorneys available in time for walkups,” he said. “We really encourage people to reach out ahead of time, but if they haven’t talked to anybody, people should get to the courthouse early.”
The Rental Housing Resource Center, a collaborative that consists of seven partners, provides legal aid, mediation services and other support to help residents avoid evictions.
Among the resources the center provides are support for tenant/landlord communications, eviction defense and financial assistance to those who qualify through its housing stability and other programs.
Resources to consult if you’re worried about eviction
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee: 414-727-5300
Mediate Wisconsin: 414-939-8800
Legal Action of Wisconsin: 855-947-2529
Rental Housing Resource Center: 414-895-7368
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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