What landlords are responsible for

• ✺Knowing what landlords must provide helps you recognize when something is genuinely their responsibility versus yours.
• ✺Unsafe or poorly maintained housing can affect your health and safety, not just your comfort.
• ✺Understanding these duties can help you push back appropriately if a landlord is neglecting required repairs.

Implied warranty of habitability

A legal requirement that rental housing meet basic safety and livability standards.

Normal wear and tear

Gradual deterioration from ordinary use, which is generally the landlord's responsibility to fix.

Code enforcement

A local government office that investigates building and housing code violations.

Repair and deduct

A remedy in some states letting tenants pay for a needed repair and deduct the cost from rent, under strict conditions.

• ✗Assuming all repairs are the landlord's job, even ones caused by your own damage.
• ✗Not putting repair requests in writing, which makes it harder to prove the landlord was notified.
• ✗Withholding rent without checking your state's specific legal requirements first.
• ✗Ignoring unsafe conditions instead of reporting them to the landlord or local authorities.

• !Habitability standards and landlord duties are defined mostly by state and local law, so specifics vary by location.
• !Entry notice requirements (like 24 or 48 hours) differ by state — check your lease and local law.
• !Remedies like rent withholding or repair-and-deduct have strict rules and can backfire if done incorrectly.
• !Local code enforcement or housing authorities can often help if a landlord won't make required repairs.

• Landlords must keep rentals safe and livable, covering structure, utilities, and code compliance.
• They're generally responsible for normal wear and tear, not tenant-caused damage.
• They typically must give notice before entering except in emergencies.
• Local law determines the exact standards and tenant remedies if a landlord doesn't comply.

Totally optional. Nobody's grading you.

1. 1.Review your lease to see what repair responsibilities are listed.
2. 2.Look up your state's habitability and entry notice laws.

Related lessons:

• What tenants are responsible for
• What to do when something breaks
• How to communicate with a landlord

• Renting a home
  Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)(opens in a new tab)
• Tenant rights, laws and protections by state
  U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)(opens in a new tab)