What to do if we have been without a heater for 5 months?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if we have been without a heater for 5 months?
Now frost advisories are out and we still have no heat. Is there a certain time or month in which there must be a working source of heat or the house is deemed unlivable? Can our landlord provide us with just a single (1) space heater for a 2 story, 3 bedroom house? Does this qualify us to terminate our lease?
Asked on September 17, 2012 under Real Estate Law, South Dakota
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Since your rental has not had a heater for five (5) months, I would write your landlord demanding that the situation be resolved by a certain date. Keep a copy of the letter for future use and need. If the due date comes and goes without the situation being remedied, you contact your local health department and building/permit department seeking an inspection of the unit. If cited, the landlord will be forced to remedy the situation immediately.
You might also wish to consult with a landlord tenant attorney about your matter.
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.