Renters left without heat in freezing cold have three actions they can take against landlords who refuse to help
As long as they are aware of their rights, FRIGID renters who are suffering from heating problems in their apartments can compel their landlord to assist.
When temperatures fall to dangerously low levels, legal experts have advised renters to never settle for frigid dwellings.
Poor heating systems have made it difficult for residents of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to stay warm for a number of years.
As his children were forced to burrow under heaps of blankets and sweats for warmth in November 2022, Joseph Garmon, a father who lived at Ascend Apartments, made a frantic cry for assistance.
It’s awful. At the time, he told NBC station KFOR, “I have a wife and three kids, and they’re sitting in the cold.”
Tenant Cathleen Beauchamp of the same building said the cold temperatures made her sick.
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“I hate that I’m having to bounce from place to place to make sure my child is warm and comfortable, that she doesn’t get sick because she has asthma,” she stated.
Additionally, she becomes really ill when she is ill. She ends up at the medical facility.
The building’s administration at the time put up a sign stating that the broiler machine was damaged and that they were working to fix it as soon as possible.
Some residents, however, asserted that they had not noticed any improvement despite waiting for days.
Attorneys encourage tenants to be ready this year in case they need to address heating concerns with their landlord.
Property owners are required by the Oklahoma Landlord Tenant Act to provide renters with a fair quality of living, according to lawyer Tim Gilton.
This implies that power, hot water, and heat must always function properly, Gilton said KFOR.
Renters should notify their landlord and provide 14 days’ notice if there is ever a problem with these necessities.
If the issues haven’t been resolved after the two-week grace period, tenants may take extreme measures.
“The tenant can either move out, terminate the lease earlier or, up to the cost of one month of rent, have the repairs done at their expense and then look to the landlord to reimburse them,” Gilton stated.
My wife and three children are left out in the cold.
Renters should make sure they safeguard themselves before acting in a sudden manner.
This entails providing landlords with documented, dated notices at each stage of the procedure.
Ensure that there is documentation demonstrating that a service request was submitted and not addressed within the allotted two weeks.
After that, give the landlord notice and explain your reasons for leaving or not paying your rent.
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In other rental news, a man’s mother passed away and he was instantly hit with a hefty $15,000 fee.
And in spite of a chicken corpse problem, one landlord attempted to raise the rent.