Landlord Repairs

When you rent out an apartment, home, condo, or townhouse, most of the time the landlord is required to make any repairs that are needed while you are living there. You need to check the contract before signing it to be sure it outlines that the landlord is responsible. If a problem does arise, you should give the landlord a call about the issue and write a letter. Keep a copy of the letter for your records as you can use it as proof if any legal problems arise. A landlord usually has repairs done as soon as possible, but if they don’t repair the problem without a reasonable excuse, you will need to take further action to have the problems solved.  Below is one method that could be used to solve your issue.

Repair and Deduct

This method allows the tenant to deduct the amount of money for the repairs out of the rent. It can go up to the entire amount of one month’s rent. This method needs to have approval before you use it. You should contact a lawyer, a legal aid organization, or a tenants’ association first. The problems have to directly affect the tenant’s health. For example, no heat during the cold winter months could lead to causing sickness and other problems.

Here are the guidelines that must be met before you can use this method:

• The problem must directly affect the tenants health
• The repairs must not cost more than the rent of one month
• This method can’t be used more than twice a month
• The problem cannot have been caused by the tenant, family or friends of the tenant, or pets
• You must let the landlord know of the problem first
• The tenant has to allow a reasonable amount of time for the landlord to respond to the problem
• If the landlord fails to repair, the tenant must repair them or hire someone to repair them
• The tenant must keep all receipts for the repairs

The best time to use this method is when there are no other options available. Always make sure you have documents of everything and that the situation is a very serious one before taking action.