Can a tenant withhold rent because their landlord isn’t properly maintaining their building or unit?
A tenant should first talk to the landlord and let the landlord know what the problems are. The tenant should also put all the problems in writing and give this to the landlord or the person that takes care of these problems (e.g. the superintendent or property manager). If the landlord refuses to do the repairs or the tenant thinks that the landlord is taking too long to deal with them, the tenant has several options. See the Board’s brochure on “Maintenance & Repairs” for information about what a tenant might do.
