What Are The Steps That Tenant Should Follow To Get Repairs Made?
The relationship between a landlord and tenant is essentially a ‘partnership’ because the landlord must provide the tenant with a habitable place to live but what happens when repairs are needed? How should a tenant move forward with getting repairs made?
In this article, we will answer this question and provide tenants with a ‘blueprint’ that they can use to get repairs made at their Portland Oregon rental property.
How to get repairs made at a rental property
Landlords in Portland, and across Oregon, are legally required to provide their tenants with a great place to live that falls within the implied warranty of habitability which also is defined as the following:
All states but one (Arkansas) recognize the implied warranty of habitability, either by a decision from their highest court or by statute. (And, even in Arkansas, some cities and counties have enacted ordinances that come close to establishing the same standards.)
So, what does it mean to say that landlords must provide habitable rentals? Some laws layout specific requirements, while others leave it up to interpretation. In most places, landlords are responsible for:
- keeping basic structural elements of the building, including floors, stairs, walls, and roofs, safe and intact
- maintaining all common areas, such as hallways and stairways, in a safe and clean condition
- keeping electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems and elevators operating safely
- supplying cold and hot water and heat in reasonable amounts at reasonable times
- keeping known environmental hazards such as lead paint dust and asbestos from posing a significant danger
- taking reasonable measures to prevent foreseeable criminal intrusions, and
- exterminating rodents and other vermin.
When a rental property presents a danger to the tenant, and is badly in need of repair, and is in violation of the implied warranty of habitability, these are the steps that a tenant must follow to ensure that repairs are made at the rental property in Portland.
Step 1 – Check Your Lease – Before calling your landlord, the first thing to do is to check your lease because your landlord may assign you to the task of making some minor repairs at your property (changing light bulbs, pest control, etc.) while more advanced repairs may be the landlord’s responsibility.
Step 2 – Determine Who Should Pay – Depending on your lease, minor repairs like pest infestation (especially due to negligence) may be your responsibility to pay for while more advanced repairs like plumbing or electrical issues may be the landlord’s responsibility to pay for.
Step 3 – Contact Your Landlord – If you cannot resolve minor repairs at your Portland Rental Property yourself, it’s best to communicate with your landlord and arrange for them to get those repairs done.
In cases where the landlord refuses to make repairs at your rental property, according to Oregon Landlord-Tenant law, you have the legal right to pay for those repairs yourself, after contacting your landlord in writing, especially if they cost less than $300 and ultimately deduct those funds from your rent.
Contact Rent Portland Homes – Professionals
At Rent Portland Homes – Professionals, we specialize in local property management services and can save owners the time, money, and hassle of managing their investment properties themselves.
For more information about the property management services, we can offer you, contact us today by calling (503) 447-7735 or click here to connect with us online.
