What are Your Options if Your Landlord Won’t Make Repairs
When you are a renter, you depend upon your landlord to take care of problems with your unit. Unfortunately, sometimes landlords do not resolve issues that arise within your rental home or apartment. When a landlord refuses to fix problems or simply ignores your requests to resolve issues, this can be very frustrating. In some cases, your health and safety could also be jeopardized by your landlord’s inaction.
Fortunately, you do have legal options if your landlord won’t make repairs. An experienced Las Vegas real estate lawyer at Pintar Albiston LLP can provide you with assistance and advice on the steps you should take if your landlord fails to fulfill his obligations to you. Call today to schedule a consultation and learn more.
What to Do If Your Landlord Won’t Make Repairs
If you have a problem with something in your rental unit, the first thing to do is to check your lease agreement and see who is responsible for repairs. For some commercial leases, the tenant is actually responsible for correcting some problems that arise. In residential real estate transactions, however, the landlord is almost always responsible for fixing issues that occur within your apartment or home. If your lease makes your landlord responsible, then you need to ensure you have properly notified your landlord of the issue.
You must alert your landlord in writing to the repairs that need to be made. You will want to have proof your landlord has received your written request for repairs in case a dispute arises. As such, it is typically a good idea to send your landlord a certified letter detailing the problems with the unit and the requested corrections.
Depending upon the terms of your lease agreement and the type of problems in your unit, your landlord will generally have between two days and two weeks to make a reasonable effort to get the repairs accomplished. For repairs affecting health and safety or affecting the habitability of the unit, such as a gas leak or air conditioning out during the hot summer months, your landlord will generally need to act more quickly than when the repairs are related to something non-essential that is broken.
If your landlord won’t make repairs within a reasonable period of time, you have other options. You may be able to break the lease agreement and move out if you want to do this. You may be able to hire a qualified repairman to make the repairs and then deduct the cost of the repairs from the rent. You could also potentially simply deduct the amount that the repairs would cost from the rent that you are paying even without making the repairs, or you could withhold rent in an escrow account until the repairs have been made. When you take any of these actions, it is very important to ensure you have provided your landlord with proper notice and have real justification for withholding money, otherwise you could face late fees on rent or even eviction.
A Las Vegas real estate lawyer at Pintar Albiston LLP can advise you on what you can do if your landlord won’t make repairs. Call today to schedule a consultation and learn more about your legal options.