How to Get your Landlord to do Repairs

Is your garbage disposal broken, window screen needs to be replaced or maybe you have no heat or there are cockroaches. You have asked your Landlord or Manager to repair and help you, but nothing has been done. Read more to find out what you can do to get your landlord to do repairs.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Usually your first call is to the manager or management company, although it may be to your landlord if your landlord does not have a manager or management company. A repair person should come in a few days after your phone call, but if they don't you will need to follow up.

2. Call the manager again and ask if you can call the repair people to set up an appointment. Tell them that this way you know when they are coming and you the manager doesn't have to take time out to do it. Write down your conversation and the date that you called and the person you talked to.

3. If they will not give you the information or cannot, ask if they can schedule the appointment the next Saturday. Get a confirmation of what company will be showing up. The managers usually use the same people over and over again for repairs, so getting an appointment should be no problem for the manager.

4. If at this point, no one has shown up to do the repairs, you will need to follow up with documentation. Send a letter to the manager or landlord telling them of your need for repairs and if possible, send a picture of what needs to be repaired. Printing it out on plain paper is just fine, you do not need to use photo paper.

5. Wait one week and then follow up with another phone call. Tell the manager or landlord that if they are not able to get someone to make the repairs that you will go ahead and call the repair person yourself and take it out of your rent. If the landlord or manager says they will get someone over right away, then tell them you will wait three days and if they have not shown up you will go ahead and get the repair person yourself. Be very nice and do not be emotional. Just state the facts. Write down the conversation for your records.

6. After that time period has passed, call a repair person and have them come do the repairs and get a receipt. This is mandatory. By this time it should be close to rent time, so you will not be out the money for too long. When it is time to pay the rent, pay it along with a copy of the receipt (you keep the original) for the repairs that you had done.

7. If your landlord or manager says you need to pay the full amount, then state you will, but you will be taking them to small claims court to be reimbursed for your repair costs. Be firm and assertive and not emotional.

Tips & Warnings

• A paper trail is extremely important. If you need to go to court the Judge will need the information and will trust that over conversation.
• You may be kicked out after this, but not likely. The landlord or manager knows that you will stick up for yourself and knows that if you went to court over the issue, they would be found out they kicked you out for retaliatory reasons and will be held accountable.

[havanargila]

on 4/7/2009 very good info *5

[chava812]

on 2/26/2009 Good article! It should be in the lease one signs as well that repairs will be handled in a timely manner and maybe even certain kinds of repairs done on an emergency basis and others within 7 days. When you sign the lease, and while smiling gently, insist on having that kind of information included in the lease. If you can afford $50 for a lawyer, have a lawyer review the lease before you sign it as well - make sure it's one who works with title companies so he/she has real estate experience and will know what can be included to protect you and not be unreasonable for the landlord either. Always keep a copy of everything, and write down the names of people you speak with and the date/times you talk to them, and what was said. Don't rely on memory.

[jodihill]

on 2/26/2009 I wish I had this two months ago! Valuable info that everyone should know!!!