ohiolandlord
02-08-2006, 05:45 PM
We recently moved into a house that we're renting from private couple. This is the first time that we have rented from an individual as opposed to a company.
First of all, what is a reasonable time for the landlord to make repairs? Our water heater went out yesterday and he said he would come by this evening after work to look at it. Is that reasonable?
Also, to what extent does a landlord have to provide a clean rental unit? Is there any provision for this at all? The previous tenants were, to say the least, dirty. There is a layer of cigarette smoke grime all over everything, and other messes I've had to clean up. I know that the landlord cleaned before we moved in, but it is still really gross.
Lastly, do we have any possible recourse or could this be a reason to terminate the lease: When we came to look at the property, the landlord's wife said she has an exterminator come out every month. . .just so we know. I asked what for, and she said, 'oh, just spiders.' Well, the exterminator told me that when the previous tenants vacated the premises, that there was an infestation of roaches. So, she lied to us. Just wanted the info about that in case we need to use it in the future.
Thank you for your time and wisdom!
n Ohio, if the landlord will not fix things around the apartment, then you can find your remedy in our FAQ section at http://www.ohiolandlordtenant.com/faq1.html
The applicable statute for tenants to get their landlord to remedy problems speaks in terms of 30 days or a reasonable time to make the repair, whichever is sooner. I haven't seen any case law on how long a landlord has to fix a water heater. I would think it much less than 30 days, but how much less, I'm not sure. It would likely be looked upon on a case by case basis.
As for the cleaning, there is no legal standard for how clean a place must be on move in. If the place has not been cleaned to your satisfaction, then you should write the landlord a letter complaining about it, but you will likely have to clean it yourself or have it cleaned to get it to how you want it.
As for the insect infestation, that can amount to constructive eviction if not remedied. Follow the steps in the FAQ above. As for the spiders v. roaches fib the landlord told, the courts will not be so much interested in a distinction between vermin, but rather that whatever vermin there are in the place, the landlord must have them removed.
To learn more about your rights as a tenant in the state of Ohio, you might want to consider downloading our book online at http://www.ohiolandlordtenant.com/book.html
First of all, what is a reasonable time for the landlord to make repairs? Our water heater went out yesterday and he said he would come by this evening after work to look at it. Is that reasonable?
Also, to what extent does a landlord have to provide a clean rental unit? Is there any provision for this at all? The previous tenants were, to say the least, dirty. There is a layer of cigarette smoke grime all over everything, and other messes I've had to clean up. I know that the landlord cleaned before we moved in, but it is still really gross.
Lastly, do we have any possible recourse or could this be a reason to terminate the lease: When we came to look at the property, the landlord's wife said she has an exterminator come out every month. . .just so we know. I asked what for, and she said, 'oh, just spiders.' Well, the exterminator told me that when the previous tenants vacated the premises, that there was an infestation of roaches. So, she lied to us. Just wanted the info about that in case we need to use it in the future.
Thank you for your time and wisdom!
n Ohio, if the landlord will not fix things around the apartment, then you can find your remedy in our FAQ section at http://www.ohiolandlordtenant.com/faq1.html
The applicable statute for tenants to get their landlord to remedy problems speaks in terms of 30 days or a reasonable time to make the repair, whichever is sooner. I haven't seen any case law on how long a landlord has to fix a water heater. I would think it much less than 30 days, but how much less, I'm not sure. It would likely be looked upon on a case by case basis.
As for the cleaning, there is no legal standard for how clean a place must be on move in. If the place has not been cleaned to your satisfaction, then you should write the landlord a letter complaining about it, but you will likely have to clean it yourself or have it cleaned to get it to how you want it.
As for the insect infestation, that can amount to constructive eviction if not remedied. Follow the steps in the FAQ above. As for the spiders v. roaches fib the landlord told, the courts will not be so much interested in a distinction between vermin, but rather that whatever vermin there are in the place, the landlord must have them removed.
To learn more about your rights as a tenant in the state of Ohio, you might want to consider downloading our book online at http://www.ohiolandlordtenant.com/book.html