Everything You Need To Know About A Landlord's Duty To Repair
According to most local and state laws, the landlord is responsible for keeping the rental property safe. Housing or local building codes have standards set specifically to include minimum requirements including proper electrical wiring, security, ventilation, and lighting. Some locations require smoke detectors in the rental properties.
Acceptable Repairs
Even though the tenant is responsible for keeping the property and home's living area clean, it is up to the rental agent or landlord to keep the property in good livable condition. The roof, floors, and stairs to the home are considered on that listing. Plumbing and heating units must be in good working order with adequate amounts of hot and cold water.
If you have a bug infestation problem, it is up to the landlord to provide an exterminator unless it is from your poor housekeeping habits. If the landlord provides the exterminator and you have not kept the home clean, the money may be taken out of your security deposit if you don't pay the professional team.
Steps to Take for Repairs
It is best to check the terms of the lease or any other written or oral promises made by the landlord to the tenant. You need to verity the local and state building codes as well as any state landlord-tenant codes.
Step #1: The best step is to state clearly what problems exist in writing. If you state your issue is getting worse, it may entice the agent into fixing the problem. For example, you have noticed that the bathroom baseboards have an accumulation of mildew. This may be a sign of black mold under the tiles in the room. This is a health hazard that needs to be fixed.
It all depends on what the underlying issue is and what steps can be taken to eliminate them. If you have faulty lighting even though you have continued to replace the bulbs, it might be an electrical concern. Draw this to the landlord's attention as a safety issue.
Step #2: If any house or building codes have been violated, and the landlord has ignored your requests, it might be time to report the agent or company to the local housing and building agency. The local agent should be listed in the phone book or the Internet. The staff at the agency can clarify the codes and help discover if you or the landlord is responsible for the problem.
Be sure to check the area where you live for any rules that include tenant and landlord responsibilities. If you provide enough facts and can prove it is not negligence on your part, the landlord should respond. After all, you are renting the home as a comfortable unit for you and your family. It is up to you to maintain its general appearance, but it is the landlord's responsibility to keep it functional.
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