When to Fight for Tenant's Rights to Repairs

Written by dan the roommate man


Once you signrepparttar lease to a rental unit, you are automatically entitled to certain privileges. Unlike homeowners, you are not responsible for making all repairs. Landlords are required byrepparttar 110482 Landlord-Tenant law to keep things a "fit and habitable condition" during your residency. Ifrepparttar 110483 landlord fails to do this, you may have to get a bit aggressive.

Althoughrepparttar 110484 specifics of these requirements will vary slightly from state to state*,repparttar 110485 responsibilities of landlords are generallyrepparttar 110486 same. Some ofrepparttar 110487 typical landlord responsibilities include:

* Putting and keepingrepparttar 110488 premises in a fit and habitable condition. * Keepingrepparttar 110489 common areas safe and sanitary. * Complying with building, housing, health, and safety codes. * Keeping all electrical, plumbing, heating, and ventilation systems and fixtures in good working order. * Maintaining all appliances and equipment supplied or required to be supplied byrepparttar 110490 landlord. * Providing running water and reasonable amounts of hot water and heat, unlessrepparttar 110491 hot water and heat are supplied by an installation that is underrepparttar 110492 exclusive control ofrepparttar 110493 tenant and supplied by a direct public utility hook-up.

Ifrepparttar 110494 landlord does not fulfill these duties, and you have been a responsible tenant (keeping all fixtures and appliances clean and undamaged), you need to be aggressive. Now by "being aggressive" I do not mean slashing your landlord's tires and leaving threatening messages on his or her answering machine. I simply mean that you shouldn't let your landlord convince you thatrepparttar 110495 repairs "aren't that important" or that they'll "get to them whenever they get a chance."

The first step you need to take is to let your landlord know there is a problem. According to Neighborhood Link, an on-line web site forrepparttar 110496 people of Ohio, "If a landlord does not meetrepparttar 110497 duties imposed byrepparttar 110498 Landlord Tenant law... then a tenant may giverepparttar 110499 landlord a written notice to correctrepparttar 110500 condition. This notice must be in writing and delivered torepparttar 110501 person or atrepparttar 110502 place whererepparttar 110503 tenant normally pays rent. The tenant should keep a copy of this notice."

It is incredibly important to have a written notice. Don't assume that your landlord will remember that you told him or her there was a leaky faucet in apartment 3G while you were walking by. Landlords are busy people! So, providing physical copy of a letter will actually help them remember there is a problem. Not only will this be easier on your landlord, but in case your landlord refuses to makerepparttar 110504 repair, you can use your copy ofrepparttar 110505 notice as a defense. If you tried to take your landlord to court without a copy ofrepparttar 110506 written request, you wouldn't have any substantial evidence to back up your claim. However, if you providerepparttar 110507 judge with a typed, signed and dated copy ofrepparttar 110508 request for repairs,repparttar 110509 chances of getting those repairs made are much higher.

What Are The Responsibilities of a Tenant?

Written by dan the roommate man


s a tenant, you have many advantages over homeowners... you don't have to mowrepparttar lawn, or paintrepparttar 110481 house, or repaverepparttar 110482 driveway. It may seem like you haven't any responsibilities above and beyond gettingrepparttar 110483 rent check in on time... but you do.

Throughrepparttar 110484 landlord-tenant laws, you are required to do several things:

# Keep your apartment or house safe and sanitary.

# Dispose of trash and garbage in a sanitary manner. While your landlord will usually maintainrepparttar 110485 outside of a rental unit (depending onrepparttar 110486 lease) you are responsible forrepparttar 110487 interior. Failing to keeprepparttar 110488 rented unit clean could result inrepparttar 110489 loss of your security deposit.

# Keep all appliances thatrepparttar 110490 landlord provides in good working order.

# Keeprepparttar 110491 electrical and plumbing fixtures clean and use them properly. If any of these fixtures break, it is your responsibility to contactrepparttar 110492 landlord. Your landlord is responsible for keeping these things in good working order, and unless they've broken because of your carelessness your landlord is typically responsible for makingrepparttar 110493 repairs.

# Not damagerepparttar 110494 apartment or permit your guests or visitors to do so.

# Not disturb other tenants. You have your right to quiet enjoyment, and so dorepparttar 110495 other tenants. It isrepparttar 110496 landlord's responsibility to make sure thatrepparttar 110497 noise/comfort level ofrepparttar 110498 other tenants is appropriate, and in order to do this, he or she will want you to help them out.

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