Question

By Jim

I had several ceiling leaks in my living room ceiling due to a roof leak several floors up.  The maintenence came in and placed buckets under the leaks.  They told me that they need to work with a roofer to find out where the leak is coming from before they can fix my interior ceiling.  They told me that they want to wait a few days for the area to dry out before they make repairs inside my apartment.  Water was also leaking on the HVAC unit in the apt.  Is this an acceptable resolution?  I am a new renter and am not sure of my "rights" if any.  I live in a luxury apartment in NJ.  Any advice would be appreciated.

Edited on: Thursday, August 26th, 2010 10:10 am

2 Responses to “Question”

My response: (We welcome stories, examples, explanations, answers and a touch of your personality)
 

BlackCloud

August 28th, 2010 7:43 am

Check specific laws applicable to your state. You may need to inform the landlord in writing about the problem, and he has a certain amount of time (depending on what it is) to fix it (sometimes up to 2 weeks). I would definitely have them do something about water on the HVAC unit (unless they want to repair or replace it later). If they don’t fix the problem, you have several other options, perhaps even having it fixed yourself and deducting it from the rent–but taking certain actions can cause you to forfeit other options, so be careful. The important thing is to review your lease carefully, to check the specific rights, duties, and responsibilities you have as a renter, and the landlords rights, duties, and responsibilities. IMPORTANTP: be sure to keep everything well documented. Notify the landlord of every problem in writing, dated, and be sure to deliver it in person or certified mail an keep a copy yourself. The leak itself should be fixed fairly quickly, but it may take time to dry out the plaster or drywall in the ceiling and fix that. Any reasonable landlord should want to get repairs done soon before they cause more damage and cost.


Randy

August 30th, 2010 1:11 am

If they really are only taking a few days to resolve the leak, then yes, they are being reasonable. I would urge you to work with the landlord.

If the problem gets dragged out further you can file a complaint with the RPA or do as BlackCloud mentioned above and send a your landlord an official letter.


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