What can I do if my backdoor will not lock because the door is damaged and my landlord has not fixed it?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What can I do if my backdoor will not lock because the door is damaged and my landlord has not fixed it?
It has been about 2 weeks. The door was pretty old and had not been replaced in many years. It was damaged through no fault of my own.
Asked on August 15, 2011 Missouri
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If you have a broken lock on the back door of the rental you are occupying and the landlord has yet to fix it, you should write a letter to the landlord stating what has happened, request that the lock be fixed by a set date, and if not fixed by the landlord by the set date, you will fix it yourself and deduct the cost of the repair from your next monthly rental payment.
Keep a copy of this letter for future reference.
Your letter should also mention that the broken lock that just wore out is a "safety issue" needing immediate attention.
All states have laws mandating that a landlord provide safe and habitable rentals to his or her tenant.
Assuming your landlord does not fix the broken lock in the requested time period, you have a new lock installed at your cost, send a copy of the invoice and any receipt to the landlord and an extra key to him or her with a reduced rental check for the following month with a letter explaining what you did. Keep a copy of this letter for future reference.
Good luck.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.