|
Q.What are the landlord's repair and maintenance responsibilities?
A.By law, you have the right to a decent place to live. The law says that your rental apartment must be “habitable” (livable). If the apartment is not livable- through no fault of your own- you can move. Under most state and local laws, landlords must offer and maintain housing that satisfies basic habitability requirements (e.g., adequate weatherproofing, heat, water and electricity, and clean, sanitary and structurally safe premises). Local building and housing codes typically set specific standards, such as the minimum requirements for light, ventilation and electrical wiring.
Typically, although the laws may vary in your particular city, for a place to be deemed “uninhabitable” or “unlivable” the problem must be substantial and may include one or more of the following:
- a lack of waterproofing and weatherproofing (e.g., broken windows, leaking roof)
- poor plumbing
- insufficient hot and cold running water for bathing and cleaning
- a lack of heat
- electrical lighting that is not in good working order
- unclean grounds and building
- roaches and rodents
- too few trash cans for your garbage
- floors, stairs and railings in disrepair.
To find out more about your particular state or local laws on repair and maintenance, check your local landlord-tenant statutes. California cities with rent control ordinances can be found here.
|
|
