When a tenant lives in a comfortable rental house, what kind of repairs landlords have to do and what doesn’t?
Landlord repairs: What must a landlord repair?
No matter if it is written or not in a rental contract the landlord must provide you with a structurally sound, hot and cold water, a roof which doesn’t leak and correct installations. If pests appear in an apartment, the landlord has to pay costs of exterminations, except if the reason for pests emerging is lousy housekeeping.
Landlord repairs: What landlord does not have to repair?
The landlord doesn’t have to fix all problems. Problems such as dripping faucets, torn window screens or small holes in carpet, the landlord isn’t obligated to repair.
If in your rental contract is written that landlord must repair all damages, then he must fix and those minor problems.
How to Make your Landlord to do Minor Repairs
There are a lot of methods that tenants can use to get their landlords to fix minor problems. Some tenants, with uninhabitable conditions, will choose to stay in the apartment and fix the problem themselves while subtracting from the rent.
Here is some advice to get your landlord to fix minor issues.
Write Your Request
If you put your request in writing, your landlord would have time to think about the request.
Second, requests in writing are giving you a chance to expose your argument, step by step, so you could easily explain why it is good to fix the bathroom and not in the realms of a redesign.
In the end, you can show your landlord potential injury which is caused by a minor problem.
Mediation
You can contact free or low-cost meditation services that specialise in landlord-tenant relations. If your written request fails, meditation service will invite your landlord and try to get some solution.
Report Your Landlord
In a situation where the problem is a violation of some building rules, you may need to contact the local authority, if you have not had luck with the prior two tips. They can examine the problem and take necessary measures related to this issue.
By taking these measures, you can jeopardise the relationship landlord-tenant, and this is not a problem if you intend to stay there for a few months, but it may be a problem if you want to stay for more than a year.
Sue your landlord.
Your ultimate solution will be to file a lawsuit against the landlord. If you succeed the court procedure, the judge will allocate the difference between the rent paid and the rent that was due to be paid on the basis of the market conditions. The lawsuit will surely spoil your relationship with the landlord, so let it be the last resort.
Get a Free Initial Case Review
Good communication should be established because of the relationship between the landlord and the tenant. Good understanding of your rights and obligations will contribute to your case. Contact a local lawyer for free legal advice.
Comments are closed.