You have lived in your rental unit for about a year and the railing on the stairs has been loose the entire time. If you slip on the stairs, you’re likely going to fall and may get seriously injured. You’ve told your landlord, but they have never come to fix it.
Or, maybe you have an outlet that sparks every time you use it. To you, it is clear that it is a fire hazard. You check the batteries in the fire alarm all the time, worried that something will happen while you’re asleep. Again, you’ve told the landlord, but they have never come to replace that outlet.
If you’re facing serious risks in your rental apartment or home, remember that you do have rights. The space needs to meet building regulations. It has to provide the basic necessities you expect. If there are serious injury hazards, the landlord needs to fix them so that you have a safe place to live.
Your landlord may act like you’re being a nuisance when you call them, as if it’s an extra burden on them to make the repairs. But that’s not the case. It’s not a burden. It’s what they’re expected to do. You don’t own the space. You’re not expected to make these basic repairs, but it is their obligation as the property owner.
If they fail to uphold that and do not make repairs in a timely manner, you could be in harm’s way. That is why you need to know all of the options you have to seek financial compensation.
