what rights do renters have ?

Question

this is very important to me to find out . in the house that we are renting , we were having trouble with the breaker box . we couldn't have a dryer on because the electircity kept shutting down . several times even with the microwave , it would cut all electiecity off . we told the landlady about it and she said ok , we'll see what we can do . the breaker box was a very old one . we have lived here for an year and a half , no complains even though we needed better screens on several windows. a man was send to paint the outside house , only did partial cause he was always drinking beer while painting and it was never finished . still we did not complain . i've heard , i'm not to sure that landlords whether it's renting a house or an apartment , has certain amount of money a year to do repair in the tenants house . what we did was replace the breaker because we were afraid that it was fire hazzards and could cause fire . after telling the landlady not once but twice , she not doing

to fix the problem . now , she won't reemburst the money back and she wants us to pay more rent or move out ! why ? we haven't done nothing wrong . she says it's probably us that is making the electricity go out like that . she has given us a 2 weeks eviction . we were on a lease , but we were on month to month rent . what rights do we have ? should she be responsible for the repair to the house , like the breakers to the house ?

Answer 1

You do have rights. I hope you saved all receipts. Contact one of the links below they can help.

Answer 2

I assume that you are talking about legal rights. It depends on the laws of the area where you live and varies quite a bit. But maybe you should be asking yourself, "What power do I have as a renter?"

And the answer is, "Not much".

My personal advice is that you should weigh the value that you are getting by living in your current situation, including the extra money that you have spent, against the cost of creating friction with the landlady by insisting on your rights. Even if you manage to enforce your rights through some legal means you are very likely to pay for it through later resentment. If you are a renter without a lease then you may be only a few days away from being homeless if you anger the person who rents your home to you.

You actually might get a better return from your money if you were to write the landlady a sincerely sweet note telling her how much you spent on repairs just because you didn't want to trouble her any more than necessary and that you do NOT expect repayment because she has been so good to you in the past.

I understand that writing it may make you want to gag but I am simply speaking from an investment standpoint. Remember, a landlady that favors you during difficult times is invaluable.

Good luck!
WK

Answer 3

You're going to need to check your state's laws on this. Some states specifically permit you to repair and deduct in certain circumstances, but only if you follow the rules exactly. This is true even if it is a dangerous situation.

If local laws do not permit you to repair and deduct, you MUST pay the rent that the landlady is demanding to avoid eviction.

BUT, you can and should sue her in small claims court for the cost of replacing the defective breaker panel. Make sure that the work was done by a licensed electrician, and that he provides you with an itemized receipt that verifies the hazardous nature of the old panel and all of the costs to remediate the situation.

Consult with an attorney for further information.

Answer 4

If you have a lease, the owner cannot kick you out without a good reason. But then if he wants to find one, he will.. So as a renter your rights are limited. You also do not want to start making repairs (especially of the electrical kind). You could, and then send him the bill, or deduct it from your rent but if you do not have a good rapport with him things may get complicated.

Answer 5

Give her the reciepts and deduct it from the rent, a landlord has legal responsibilities to make sure the accommodation is safe to live in and to keep it in repair. If you get grief seek legal advice or go to your local library for information on rental status, i'd need to know more what type of rental it was, short term, long term, unfurnished, holiday let as different laws apply or search on the net.

Answer 6

to yhrough u out if u didnt follow the rules mentioned in the contract

Answer 7

alot...................