Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Louisiana

I have been renting a home for 6 months now, the past 3 months I have been asking my landlord to make repairs to the home. They come and start the repairs but when I put the rent chk in their hands they do not complete the repairs, and avoid my phone calls. Recently my A/C unit went out after letting them know that is has not been cooling and it constantly runs no matter what temperture I set it on. I have a pipe that is leaking badly and causing my water bill to increase. My question is, Do I have the right to request that they not deposit the rent chk until the reapairs are made? As a tenent, what are my rights in this situation?


Asked on 9/08/11, 10:20 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Adam Lambert The Law Office of Adam S. Lambert

You do not have the right to withhold rent or to demand that they do not deposit your rent check. However, you do have rights in this situation. When repairs are needed, you need to send a WRITTEN request to the landlord to make the necessary repairs. If the landlord fails to make the repairs within a reasonable time, you may hire a professional to make the repairs and deduct the amount you paid the professional from your rent. Just give the landlord a copy of the receipt. The landlord is not allowed to evict you for doing this.

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Answered on 9/09/11, 7:57 am


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