Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Louisiana

I want to know is there any thing i can do about a landlord who will not come out and do repairs until he feel like it? can i hold out on giving him my rent payment when he take his time about coming to fix things.i have never been late on my rent ever.when it's close to paying the rent he sometimes come out and fix things but if you have already paid the rent and then call him he take for ever and sometimes you may have to call back over and over again. i don't think that right for him to do people that way.he want his rent on time but he take his time to fix things when ask to.


Asked on 5/14/10, 9:58 pm

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

You cannot simply refuse to pay rent. You must follow this procedure.

Under Louisiana law, if there are defects in the property, you can send the landlord a WRITTEN demand to make necessary repairs. If the landlord refuses to make the repairs after a REASONABLE time, you may hire a professional to make the repairs, keep the receipts, and deduct the amount you paid the professional from your rent. Give the landlord copies of the receipts in lieu of that amount of rent.

A "reasonable" amount of time can differ, depending on the nature of the repair needed. A serious water leak or a broken front door should probably be fixed within a couple of days, whereas a slow drain or a broken interior door could reasonably sit for a couple of weeks or more. It is something courts look at on a case-by-case basis.

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Answered on 5/20/10, 10:09 am


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