Also, you can make your own repairs if you get the landlord’s consent, although you will be on the hook for any injuries or property damage that you cause in making them. You may be able to get your rent reduced to reflect the reduced value of the unit. If the issue is relatively minor, and you cannot persuade the landlord to address it, you can sue the landlord in small claims court. Or you can alert a housing inspector to the problem if it violates a building code. Other options include making the repairs and suing the landlord for the cost of the repairs in small claims court, as well as compensation for related injuries or property damage. Tenants also can make the repairs on their own and then deduct their cost from the rent, although this is not an option in every state. In many states, they can withhold rent until the repairs are completed. They can break the lease and move out, arguing that the landlord essentially evicted them (a “constructive eviction”) because the unit is unlivable. Tenants have a wider range of options if the landlord is refusing to make major repairs. If your landlord won’t fix anything, the options available to you will depend on whether the problem is major or minor. What do you do if your landlord won’t fix anything? If they want to end the tenancy, they need to comply with state rules on notice, and they need to follow specific procedures if they want to evict a tenant. Landlords also cannot retaliate against tenants for exercising a legal right, such as blowing the whistle on a building code violation. They cannot discriminate against tenants based on their membership in a protected group, such as people of a certain race or national origin. A landlord also must take security precautions to reduce the risk of foreseeable crimes in or around the premises.Ī landlord must respect the tenant’s right to privacy and generally provide notice before entering the apartment. They must fix environmental hazards or hazards that could cause accidents and injuries. Thus, they generally must make major repairs to problems that make the unit unlivable. What are a landlord’s legal responsibilities?Ī landlord’s legal responsibilities include, in almost every state, keeping the rental unit in a condition that is fit for habitation.
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