What You Need To Know About Your Rights As A Tenant

Are you currently renting an apartment or a home, and wondering what your rights are? You may have signed a lease, but are now wondering if there are living conditions that have made the property uninhabitable and give you a right to break it. Here are some common questions you likely have about your rights.

What Are The Obligations Of The Landlord And Tenant For Property Habitability?

Be aware that your state has their own sets of laws regarding what a landlord is required to do in order to make your home or apartment habitable. However, many conditions are fairly basic and will apply to anywhere that you live. For example, you must have working hot and cold water, have the home be pest free, and have the basic structure of the home be secure and intact to live in. 

Who Pays For Pest Extermination?

If you do find yourself with a pest infestation where you have bed bugs, cockroaches, or mice in your home, you may be wondering whose responsibility it is to pay to have them exterminated. This is actually a situation where your landlord needs to take care of the situation to make the home pest free. If they are trying to put the blame on you for something that is clearly out of your control, such as mice in the home, then they are violating your rights as a tenant.

How Should You Request That Maintenance Be Performed?

It's always a good idea to make any requests in writing when you need maintenance to be performed. You want the date that the request was made to be documented so that you can prove that the repair was not made in a timely manner. It is not enough for a landlord to eventually fix your problem, since not having something as basic as running water can  make the home uninhabitable.

What Do You Do If The Landlord Doesn't Make Repairs?

Know that you may have a right to break the lease if the landlord does not make the necessary repairs. Check with your local laws to find out how you must notify the landlord, and how many days they have to respond to your complaint. It is possible that you can use this as a reason to break the lease and find a new place to live because the unit is uninhabitable. 

Reach out to a landlord tenant attorney to seek legal advice about your situation.