What Are Your Landlord's Responsibilities?
Curious about what exactly your landlord is responsible for?
Here's a list of things your landlord can and cannot do.
According to law, you landlord must...
(a) make sure that your house or apartment complies with all
building, housing and health codes that significantly affect
your health and safety. If you feel your landlord is not
following the building, housing or health codes, you should
contact your local tenant's union.
(b) make all repairs necessary to make your house or apartment
livable. Keep in mind that this means your landlord is
responsible for NECESSARY repairs, not repainting your front
door for aesthetic appeal.
(c) take care that all electrical, plumbing, heating and
ventilation systems are in good working order.
(d) supply sufficient amounts of hot water and heat at all times.
(e) keep the hallways and stairways safe and sanitary.
(f) provide garbage cans (if he or she owns four or more units
in your building).*
(g) give you reasonable notice before he or she enters your
apartment
Your landlord must not...
(a) increase your rent, decrease you services, issue or even
threaten to issue an eviction as a result of your complaining to
him or to the city about a code violation or because you joined
a tenants' union of some sort. As long as you are assembling
peaceably, you have a constitutional right to join whatever
group you want to.
(b) shut off any of your utilities, change the locks on your
apartment or threaten any of these acts in order to make you
move out of your apartment.
(c) enter your apartment without consulting you or repeatedly
demand to enter. In most leases there is a clause stating that
the landlord must give you reasonable notice before entering.
Typically, leases will state that your landlord must give you at
least twenty-four hours notice before entering. Also, if your
landlord is constantly entering your apartment - whether he or
she gives notice or not - you don't have to withstand it. You
should consult your local tenant's union.
(d) refuse to rent a unit to you due to your race, sex,
religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical
limitation, national origin or sexual preference. If your
landlord has done any of these things, you have been
discriminated against and may be able to take the case to court.
Regardless of whether or not you're behind on your rent, your
landlord still has no right to do any of the things mentioned in
the