Repairs and Safety (2024)

FAQs

Can you withhold rent for repairs in NY? ›

You may be able to sue your landlord for a rent reduction or withhold rent, if you landlord fails to make a repair or violates the warrant of habitability. Withholding rent can be risky because your landlord may sue you for non-payment of rent.

Landlords in Pennsylvania are prohibited from discriminating against tenants, retaliating against tenants for exercising their legal rights, invading a tenant's privacy without proper notice, providing uninhabitable living conditions, illegally withholding security deposits, and including illegal clauses in lease ...

For example, if the rental property is in need of a critical repair, such as fixing the heat, a landlord must fix it within 24 hours. When it comes to non-critical emergencies, a landlord has 14 days to make the repair.

How long should we be without our refrigerator until the landlord replaces it? There is no specific regulation on the amount of time a stabilized tenant may be without their refrigerator as long as the owner makes a good faith effort to replace that service.

If you've given the landlord notice of the repairs but the landlord has not done them, you may withhold your rent until the repairs are completed. You must set the rent money aside and not spend it.

At the forefront of this protective barrier stands the Fair Housing Act—a federal mandate with a clear directive: landlords cannot discriminate. New York's own legal framework echoes these sentiments, holding property owners to a high standard of fairness and rejecting any form of arbitrary discrimination.

What Are Tenant Rights in Pennsylvania? Tenants have renter rights in PA that grant a habitable living environment, fair treatment and a clear understanding of lease terms. Renters are entitled to privacy, with landlords required to provide notice before entry, except in emergencies.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ensured that tenants have the right to a decent place to live. This guarantee to decent rental housing is called the Implied Warranty of Habitability. Landlords must remedy serious defects affecting the safety or the ability to live in the rental unit.

Only serious defects are covered under the law.

For example, a badly leaking roof, a broken furnace, plumbing that doesn't work, broken floors, dangerous wiring or lack of water are all things that must be repaired by your landlord.

Under Pennsylvania Law, you may withhold rent if you can prove the dwelling unit is not habitable and have taken the proper steps of informing the landlord of the problem and giving the landlord a reasonable amount of time to fix the defect that caused your rental unit to be uninhabitable.

What makes a house uninhabitable in PA? ›

The warranty of habitability only covers serious problems such as, but not limited to: Lack of adequate heat in the winter or ability to cool the property in the summer, inadequate or unsafe electrical service, lack of drinkable water, malfunctioning sewage system, and serious leaks or other structural problems ...

In addition to slip and fall related negligence, landlords can be held liable for various other negligent acts or omissions, such as mold exposure or carbon monoxide poisoning. Under Pennsylvania law, landlords can be held liable for negligent maintenance in the care and control of the property.

Generally, a rental will also include a kitchen area with at least a means to cook, such as a stove. Landlords may require the renter to supply their own refrigerator or other appliances. Whatever is installed and provided for in the initial rent or lease agreement is the responsibility of the landlord.

According to the 23rd annual portrait of the U.S. appliance industry, standard refrigerators usually last anywhere from 10 to 18 years, with an average life expectancy of 14 years. Compact refrigerator lifespan is even shorter, ranging from 4 to 12 years with an average life expectancy of 8 years.

You may refuse entry to a landlord if they do not give proper notice for a visit, or if they try to enter for any reason beyond the five valid ones listed below. These rights cannot be waived — they still apply if your lease says otherwise, or if you don't have a lease.

Tenants have the right to withhold rent due to unremedied code violations in their unit. If a landlord fails to provide their tenant with a safe, livable, and sanitary dwelling, the tenant has the right to pay their rent into a separate bank account, rather than to the landlord -- this is called paying in escrow.

A complaint may only be filed with DHCR not less than 10 days and not more than 60 days from the date the tenant sent a notice to the landlord. The tenant may also withhold rent, but in response, the landlord may sue the tenant for non-payment of rent. In such case, the tenant may countersue for breach of the warranty.

In extenuating circ*mstances, tenants may make necessary repairs and deduct reasonable repair costs from the rent. For example, if a landlord has been notified that a door lock is broken and willfully neglects to repair it, the tenant may hire a locksmith and deduct the cost from the rent.

In New York City, a landlord has 24 hours to fix “immediately hazardous” conditions, like heat or ovens or sinks that don't work at all. They have 30 days to fix “hazardous conditions” like leaking ceilings or roaches. “Non-hazardous conditions” like peeling paint must be fixed within 90 days.