Can i sue my landlord?
By smuggeridge
@smuggeridge (2148)
March 21, 2007 9:41am CST
We moved into my house (renting) in September and so far the list of things that have broken has gotten beyond a joke. Every time something breaks we ring up and send a letter to our landlord yet she has not come round once (none of these breakages have been our fault, all just normal ear and tear). Here is the list of broken things
Back door
Kitchen Window
Kitchen Lights
Leak in lounge
Accompanying mould in damp walls of lounge
Door bell
Fire alarm
TV (algthough it may not have been her TV so technically not her responsibility)
Mould in bedroom
Now considering all of these problems and no attempt being made to fix them on her part can we sue her for not meeting the standards as set out in the contract?
3 people like this
4 responses
@dont_pick_your_nose (2279)
• Australia
1 Apr 08
Yeah i dont know about sueing the landlord but you are well within your rights to withhold payment of rent, you are renting the house you signed for, if your landlord is making no effort to make contact with you or fix these problems, it is in your interest not to pay. These problems need to be fixed. You need to send a letter to your landlord, outlining your problems and course of action. State the the rent will be witholding rent until the problems are fixed, then stop paying.
@pumpkinjam (8876)
• United Kingdom
21 Mar 08
I believe you CAN sue her but it may be a difficult process. You would possibly have to somehow prove that the problems were not your fault. I know what you're going through as there are so many things wrong in our rented house but we were unaware of most of them before we moved in and the letting agent seems not to have taken note of the problems which were already there. If you have something in writing stating what was wrong before you moved in then it may be worth trying to sue, otherwise you could say to your landlord that you will pay for repairs as long as it comes out of your rent.
@msqtech (15073)
• United States
21 Mar 07
I think that if the standards were met but then things broke then she will have standing.
I think anyone can sue but winning is another thing. I think you need to make reasonable accomadation and she does to. How are repairs to be done in the contract?
@LittleMel (8742)
• Canada
11 May 07
wow this is 2 months old discussion. anyway, I would go see the contract and then call the municipal dept in charge of tenancy law. We moved into the house 3 yrs ago and so I don't remember residential lease anymore.
