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my apartment is breaking apart, can i sue the landlord?
For about a year my apartment has been breaking apart. The doors have tearing, the cabinets are peeling. The lock from the front door isn't reliable. The floor could use some work. Big chunks of the ceiling fall. water leaking from the bathroom' and kitchen's ceiling. We have repeatedly called the landlord to come and fix it, but he doesn't. There are children living here and we don't have enough money to move out. what laws or acts are against this? i didn't know what category to put this is
i live in NYC
5 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavorite Answer
tonalc2 is right and should be picked as best answer.
I noticed you added your state. NY does have a repair and deduct policy, but only for small, necessary repairs. So the peeling things may not be covered, it can't be cosmetic.
The large issues here, front door lock and leaking water, probably violate NY's rather strict multiple dwelling laws. Call the building inspector. It costs you nothing and if it's a problem, the city makes the landlord fix it in 1-90 days. You may not be evicted for reporting, even if it turns out to not be a livable problem.
Source(s): EDIT: Everything was so sane here and then, bam! OK, you can't really "sue" the landlord unless you fix the problems yourself. That's when you deduct though, so that's covered by the first three answers. Living somewhere, even if it does turn out to be in violation of local ordinances, is really your problem. I'm not being mean, I just mean that you can't sue for back rent (because you did in fact live there) or pain and suffering (because you could have fixed the problem yourself). There's nothing else to sue for because there aren't any monetary damages. Hope that helps. - DudeLv 41 decade ago
Take inventory. You need to ask yourself if it is worth it. You can try and fight the landlord on this, but it probably won't be repaired to your satisfaction. Do more research next time, I don't know what you are paying, but if you are getting a deal, the hassle isn't worth it for what you can get in NYC for a nominal amount increase. Amenities and comforts are everything when you come home after a hard day's work.
- PooPooLaTrashLv 71 decade ago
Also, most states have building codes. Water leaks and parts of the ceiling falling would most certainly be considered violations in most places I know of. Contact your county courthouse for information on who to contact in your town/city.
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For NYC, see this page: http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr/violation.shtm...
"If your building owner fails to maintain your apartment and provide essential services, you may report the condition to the City's Citizen Service Center at 311 (311 can be accessed outside of New York City by dialing (212) NEW YORK). For the hearing impaired, the TTY number is (212) 504-4115. The Citizen Service Center is open 24-hours a day, seven-days a week."
- tonalc2Lv 71 decade ago
You didn't say where you live.
Most states have "repair and deduct." This basically means you give the landlord 30 days to make repairs, and if he doesn't, you have the work done and deduct it from your rent. Also, in most states tenants are protected from retaliatory eviction because of this.
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- KitKatLv 71 decade ago
of course -take the copies of all of your complaint letters & the landlord's response (or your documentation that there was no response) & see an attorney. it might behoove you to give notice & move.
