If a landlord fails to take care of important maintenance such as a leaky roof or a broken heater tenants may have the legal rights to.
If landlord wont fix leaking roof.
If they don t you can terminate.
You might also want to contact the local housing code inspector to take enforcement action against the landlord.
This means that your landlord must ensure that the building is structurally sound provide hot and cold water ensure that the roof is not leaking and keep the plumbing electrical and heating systems all in safe operating condition.
If your home doesn t have a dpc your landlord may not be responsible for putting one in.
A leaking roof with water leaking into the outlets and lights is a safety hazard and would constitute a breach of the implied warranty of habitability.
Your landlord now has a reasonable.
If the landlord won t or can t fix it send them a letter giving them seven days to correct the problem.
The defects don t have to be serious and you may not even care about them.
The landlord has a sudden vacancy losing money and has to fix everything.
The leaking roof and the mold are health hazards to you and your child who has asthma and therefore clearly constitute breaches of the implied warranty of habitability.
In some states you may also ask the court for an order directing the landlord to repair the defects with rent reduced until they are fixed.
You can use them as an excuse to legally end your lease if you got a job transfer can t afford it are getting a divorce or other reasons.
Repairs to a leaking roof are likely very expensive and other difficulties about repairing the roof likely make that a poor option.
As a first step notify your landlord in writing and preferably by certified mail that they have a duty to fix the plumbing problem under landlord tenant law.
Even if it is not in your rental agreement or lease your landlord is required to keep your building and unit in a habitable condition.
If there s a problem with an existing damp proof course dpc in your home which is causing the damp then your landlord is likely to be responsible for repairing it.
In addition you can sue your landlord for lost or damaged property for example furniture ruined by water leaking through the roof.
California tenants are legally entitled to rental property that meets basic structural health and safety standards and is in good repair.
What must a landlord fix.
In every lease there is an implied warranty of habitability which means that the landlord has to maintain the premises in a habitable condition in compliance with local and state housing codes.
To the legislature it s poetic justice.