22Jan/114
How long can our landlord leave us without running hot water?
Hot water is included in our rent, the hot water has been off since Friday, it is now Monday. The main boiler broke and our landlord does not want to fully replace it, just try and get plumbers to fix it. One already came out and fixed it and it broke again in about 4 hours. There are at least 50 units in the complex so that's at least 200 people without running hot water.
I live in California if that helps.
How long can our landlord leave us without running hot water?
January 22nd, 2011 - 14:25
He can’t. has anybody phoned the health department or housing commission on him?
January 22nd, 2011 - 14:40
Get enough people involved and complain to the news media, the landlord will move quicker.
January 22nd, 2011 - 15:14
You said the boiler broke and he has plumbers trying to fix it?
Then he is in his legal right. he is attempting to rectify the issue, and as long as the plumbers are on an emergency work order, or rushed job, then that’s all the proof the land lord needs against any legal actions or otherwise.
Don’t get me wrong, he might be being cheap, or he could just not have the means to pay for new boilers. But if plumbers are coming out and fixing the problem (regardless if temp) then he is upholding his end of the agreement.
January 22nd, 2011 - 16:01
Living quarters without hot water are legally uninhabitable, and repairs must be immediate. You should document this problem in a written complaint to the property owner (and on-site manager, if any), and immediately report the situation to your local housing code enforcement agency and your local public heath agency. These will both probably be county agencies which you can find with a web search using the name of your county and the agency needed (larger cities may have their own agencies as well).