Published guides, checklists, and practical analysis for repairs.
10 published articles in this topic.
RepairsQuick Answer Treat a repair problem as three separate questions: Is the condition urgent? Who is legally responsible? What record proves the notice, access and result? In New York, residential tenants have a statutory warranty of habitability covering conditions dangerous or detrimental to life, hea
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RepairsQuick Answer The strongest repair file is chronological, not dramatic. Keep proof of the condition, when you first noticed it, when the landlord was notified, what access was offered, what work occurred, what you paid, and what remained afterward. The goal is to let a landlord, inspector, arbitrator
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RepairsQuick Answer A lease can allocate everyday tasks, describe reporting procedures, list included appliances and set access expectations, but it generally cannot erase mandatory housing duties. In New York, a lease cannot waive the statutory warranty of habitability. In British Columbia, a landlord rem
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RepairsQuick Answer A reliable repair process has seven stages: make the area safe, classify urgency, notify in writing, arrange access, document the work, verify the result, escalate only if necessary. The law supplies the boundaries; the workflow prevents missed messages and avoidable damage.
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RepairsQuick Answer Start with cause, legal duty and authorization , not with the size of the invoice. Landlords generally bear statutory maintenance and normal wear repairs; tenants can be responsible for damage they or their guests cause. A tenant who hires a contractor without following the local rules
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RepairsQuick Answer Most repair disputes become harder because someone loses the chronology: the tenant reports too late, the landlord does not document access, somebody hires a contractor without authority, or a party jumps straight to rent withholding or threats. The cure is not more aggressive language;
Read article →RepairsQuick Answer Repair law becomes clearer when the facts are separated into condition, notice, cause, access and remedy . The three examples below are hypothetical and are not claims about real tenants, landlords or court outcomes. They show why the same sentence—“the landlord would not fix it”—can pr
Read article →RepairsQuick Answer New York and British Columbia both require landlords to maintain safe, livable rental housing, but the procedures differ sharply. New York relies on the statewide warranty of habitability plus local housing codes and court/agency remedies. New York City adds detailed heat, hot water and
Read article →RepairsQuick Answer Good repair templates are short enough to use. The tools below help document the defect, emergency contact attempts, access, contractor work, costs and closeout without pretending that a template can determine the law. Replace bracketed text with real facts and remove anything that is n
Read article →RepairsQuick Answer Repair disputes turn on four recurring issues: how serious the condition is, what caused it, whether the landlord had notice and access, and what remedy local law allows. Below are sixteen questions that cover the points most likely to change the next step in New York or British Columbi
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