Posted: 9/30/2008 8:14:40 AM EDT
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I have a legal question for you guys. Long story: Our landlord sucks. It's generally not a problem, unless something breaks. And then it depends on what breaks. Last Christmas, 1/2 our apartment was without power for almost a month. I notified him of the problem on the day it happened, and it took 4 1/2 weeks to get it fixed. They took $100 off rent. Then we had a problem with the bathtub faucet. It was fixed in 2 hours. Followed by a clogged drain for almost a month (they didn't take any $ off, and yes, I tried snaking it, drano etc. Plumber had to do something from the roof?). Then our stove broke. It took them a month to repair it, and they took $50 off. Now, a month after they fixed the stove, it's toast. It took 1 hour to heat the oven up to 220, and the range is about the same. It's been 4 1/2 weeks since I've told him, and all I've gotten from him is that his dad, the owner, is being a child about replacing/repairing it. Well, I don't give a shit that his dad doesn't want to replace it. I've given them close to $20,000 in rent since I moved there, and they've put maybe, MAYBE $400 back into maintaining the place. The only thing I can find legal wise is that my landlord is responsible for making repairs in a timely matter. Rent is due tomorrow, and I sure don't want to pay it until I have a way to cook again. I've tried to find in the law a specific amount of time that the landlord has to repair things, but can't for utah. I know in other states they have 24-48 hours. Am I still legally obligated to pay rent, or can I pay a reduced amount until it's fixed? Short version: POS landlord hasn't fixed stove that's been broken for almost a month. Do I have to pay rent? Can I reduce the amount I pay until it's fixed? What can I do? |
This may help
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Well, I thought I'd update. I wrote a letter to the landlord stating that it's been a month, and that I expected a working stove to be in within 48 hours. Since the LL is usually pretty worthless, I also called the owner (the LL's Dad), and left a message letting him know what we've been dealing with. Owner lives in California, and was at my apartment the next morning, and I got a new stove the next day. It's gas too, and bigger, so we're happy. Unfortunately, he didn't take any rent off. I know from now on that if there's ever a major problem, I'll just call the owner of the property. Thanks for the help. |
| Most states allow you to with hold rent if your dwelling space is inhabitable, such as no heat, water, electricity, etc. However, you still have to pay the rent, you just pay it into a trust account. You really should talk to a real estate attorney in your town. |
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I'm a landlord. State laws vary so much that I'm afraid that you'll not get a very useful answer here. I can give you one piece of advice. Fire your landlord. Move somewhere else. One of the most expensive events for a landlord is the vacancy. During that time, they have to make the mortgage payment. When I get a good tenant, I go a long ways to make sure that they stay happy. I make concessions when I'm not required and it has paid off for me. My tenants move in and they stay. |
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Move. Not really an option unless I want to pay about $175 more a month. My rent is really low now, compared to other places of the same size. Owner is a dentist in CA who bought it for his son (my landlord) to live in. He only keeps the rent high enough to pay the mortgage and property tax, plus a little extra. |