The responsibility of a rental property can give rise to conflicts. While an agreement can be made to sort thing out, things might get out of hands in some cases. If a landlord does the part and maintain the property properly, the tenants have nothing to worry about. But if they ignore their duties and the tenants suffers for it, legal ways are always there to uphold the tenants’ rights.
The responsibility of the owner
Basic habitation standard requires a rental unit to have proper heating, electrical system, plumbing, and pest control. It is the job of the landlord to ensure that these factors are set right at all times. The law requires the owner of the property to act quickly to do the repairs and restore proper quality to avoid any damage or issue to the tenants.
The repairs and maintenance should comply with all codes and regulations and should be done within a specific timeframe. The worse the condition, the shorter the timeframe the owner gets to fix the issue. To comply with all regulations, the repairs must be done by certified professionals. Failing with these requirements can prompt the tenant to work with a tenant rights lawyer for unfair eviction.
The responsibility of the tenant
A tenant must diligently take pictures and videos of the damaged area and write to the owner asking for repair and maintenance. The condition and the effects must be clearly stated for the understanding of the landlord. These documents can be kept as records of the communication between the two parties.
The repair and deduct process allows the tenant to stop paying rent until the repairs are done and the quality is restored. Tenants also have the option to formally complain to authorities about the condition. The authorities might take action against the landlord for failing to comply with codes and regulations. In extreme cases, tenants can hire lawyers to protect their rights as tenants and find solutions to these issues.
Tenants must know their rights and follow the legal procedure for the maintenance done. Lawyers can also help tenants to get compensation for the damages the tenant faced.
