No Power=Dwelling Uninhabitable=No Rent???

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If we get into a situation where we do have a prolonged loss of sevices (power,water,sewage)...what will be our legal responsibilty with regards to paying rent? At some point do not our dwellings become uninhabitable?

-- T (just wondering@bout.it), December 23, 1999

Answers

Maybe you can answer this question: Would a judge find your situation to be the fault of the landlord? In Maryland, people are allowed to pay their rent into an escrow account which is held until the landlord makes repairs, (If those repairs are his responsibility) If they don't pay the rent into escrow, they are in contempt of court......so ya gotta pay one way or the other. BWHAHAHAHA

Also NO rent=NO mortgage payment= FORCLOSURE= you pay/you stay/you don't/you won't!

-- Charli Claypool (claypool@belatlantic.net), December 23, 1999.


The laws vary from state to state. You need
to check with the laws in your state. In OR
the landlord must provide:
a. weatherized and waterproof
b. plumbing
c. hot and cold water
d. heating
e. electric
f. sanitary
g. garbage
h. good repair
i. ventilation
j. fire safe
k. working locks
If any of these are not provided, you can
repair at your expense and subtract from
your rent.

IMHO that if there is a power outage, your
landlord will not be the responsible party
and not be subject to these laws. The county
could evict you though, if your dwelling is
not habitable. I doubt that they would take
this step if a widespread problem occurs.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), December 23, 1999.


read your contract. there probably are clauses about the house being inhabitable. also check with local ordinances relating to consumer regulations (fairfax county va has tenant/landlord assistance.) but i would bet power loss doesn't cut it. however, if there were problems with things the landlord could fix (such as furnaces that weren't y2k compliant) the judge might hold them liable. my landlord has done NADA regarding Y2K.

-- tt (cuddluppy@nowhere.com), December 23, 1999.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew lots of folks were astonished to discover that their leases bound them to pay rent for the full term, even though the apt. buildings lacked walls in some cases.

-- james hyde (hydesci@gte.net), December 23, 1999.

look,

1 months rent = 1 can of spam.

You got it they (landlords) don't.

It seems likely that if all the prognostications of oil are correct. The preps will be currency. note the word will.

Alot of you still can't imagine this as a reality can you???

nope did'nt think so!!

-- d----- (dciinc@aol.com), December 23, 1999.



In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew lots of folks were astonished to discover that their leases bound them to pay rent for the full term, even though the apt. buildings lacked walls in some cases.

Such a lease is void, no habitability = no lease. Pick up and leave.

-- Slobby Don (slobbydon@hotmail.com), December 23, 1999.


--T:

In Virginia, a tennant would give the rent to a judge to hold pending a landlord making the dwelling livable. If the landlord is unable to do this in a reasonable amount of time, then you get your money back, but you are also likely to get evicted as your building would then be condemned. Time to ride the white bus.....

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 23, 1999.


I wondered about habitability and people who planned on bugging out away from the city without a pre-planned destination. Would motels or boarding houses be allowed to stay open if they were unhabitable and violated health codes? Would occupants be vacated to the armory or shelter? I hope people think about this before they just pick up and leave the cities. They may end up in a refugee camp in the dead of winter at some rural county's fairgrounds.

-- anon (anon@anon.calm), December 23, 1999.

I have found over my years of life that laws favor the business not the buyer or client. With that in mind....

-- Susan Barrett (sue59@bellsouth.net), December 23, 1999.

The main reason many renters won't be paying rent in a couple of months is not because the power's off. They wont have paying jobs if we have the kind of disruptions I'm expecting. Maybe they will be trading spam or God knows what for rent. It's going to get ugly folks.

-- doktorbob (downsouth@dixie.com), December 23, 1999.


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