Maintenance problem that's lasted for months, what can I do? Are they breaking the lease agreement?

Question

I am renting an apartment and my A/C has been leaking coolant for the past several months, since about February. I've put in several maintence requests and maintenance has come to fix it immediately.
The thing is that they always do the same thing over and over again, and the solution last for a few days or weeks. It's really annoying because it leaks constantly and causes puddles in my bathroom. Last time, I had to throw out about 7 gallons of the stuff when I put a plastic tub underneath it. I feel like they're not doing enough to solve it and are just kind of being lazy about the whole thing. Turning off the A/C is not really an option because I have other roommates to consider and we live in Texas where the heat is unbearable. Also, our complex requires us to have the A/C on 24/7. So, are they breaking the lease by not actually fixing the problem? Since Feb. the longest time it hasn't leaked was for a month. All the other times, it stopped for less than a week.

Answer 1

If your are has a local codes enforcement office I suggest contacting them.

Most governments require that rental property be kept in a "habitable" condition or they make them fix the problem.

Also see if your area has any local landlord or tenant laws on the books to require them to comply. Lots of areas have such laws.

A call to the local codes guys would be my first suggestion.

Answer 2

You deliver up 2 separate places in which you believe you perhaps in a position to wreck your rent. First are models you notice within the leaser itself. (models like rent now not containing landlord's understanding, clause for past due fee, and many others). In the case, someone clause that's unlawful does now not invalidate the rent. That special clause in unenforceable. This is a safeguard for each events. seem at it one other approach, if an unlawful clause made an complete rent unlawful (and offers the proper to wreck it), then a landlord can incorporate an unlawful clause in all his rentals and whilst he desires to eliminate a tenant at any time he can simply say "oops, there may be an unlawful clause so the entire rent is invalid, get out". It does not paintings that approach. Specifically, below Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93A, Sections two(c) and nine, your landlord is against the law from making an attempt to implement unlawful clauses. The different models are much more likely to support you out, however extra from a negotiating point of view. If the owner desires to maintain your ft to the fireplace, you'll have to be equipped to maintain his/hers to the fireplace as good. The estate demands to be structurally sound, you'll be able to have to end up the gap is affecting the constitution of the constructing. That could imply getting a structural engineer or an inspection from a the nearby workplace that handles code violations. Also, for the oil heating the normal subject, there's a requirement that individually metered utilities have to be supplied for the tenant to be accountable for the fee of the application. I'm guessing out of your description that there are separate items, however your unit was once established to the normal subject as good. This, plus the lead object could be anything I could use to check out and negotiate your approach out of the rent. if the owner says no, the one technique to invalidate the rent is through courtroom. Not definite hoe the courts are in MA, nevertheless it could take unitl March to get it resolved. well success!

Answer 3

You would have to read your lease agreement to see what it says about landlord's responsibility. Put the landlord on written notice that you will have your own repairman fix the A/C and deduct the cost of repairs from your rent payments, if the A/C is not fixed immediately and correctly.

Answer 4

Send the landlord a registered letter saying you are going to have it fixed in 1 week and take it off the rent. Save a copy of the letter and the reg. form. If it doesn't get fixed in 1 week get it fixed, and send the next rent, minus the expense of the repair with a copy of the receipt.

Answer 5

I had the same type of problem with a place I rented from. My roomate worked for a lawyer and we consulted him. In our state, the law was that after two weeks you can contract it yourself and send the bill to the people you are renting from. But you should consult a lawyer for the exact laws of your state.

Answer 6

buy a book calledTenants Rights for your state. it will tell you how to get things fixed or break the lease..legally. its written in easy to understand language.......

Answer 7

Threaten to call the authorities since you are having breathing difficulties from the possible mold or mildew in the water.