If landlord tell you have heat but when winter come you don't what should you do?

Answer 1

As with all legal matters, consulting an attorney in your area, one who is familiary with the specific laws of your state and locality, is the best thing. Some will offer a free consultation. However, here are some general things I would do.

1. Notify the landlord of the problem, giving him the opportunity to come out, or send someone out, to repair the problem.

2. If he refuses, or just does not do anything, call him again and let him know you are having a repair person come out the next day, unless he sends someone before then.

3. If he still doesn't take care of it, have the problem fixed by a reputable and established company. Have them provide you with a receipt and description of what was wrong and what they did to fix it. Pay them. (As a CYA bonus, you may wish to get estimates from three companies, and go with either the middle or lowest bid.)

4. Notify the Landlord of what the cost was, and give him the opportunity to reimburse you.

5. If he does not, when you next send the rent in, send an amount in which you have deducted the repair cost. Send a copy of the repair bill with your payment. Obviously your payment should be by check, or by some means in which you'll have proof of payment.

6. If he then attempts to evict you, you will have your day in court. Show the judge the bill, your proof of rent payment, and your timeline of the steps you took to resolve this.

All this is pointless if you are already in arrears of your rent, by the way. And again, you should contact an attorney. But that should work.