Tenants Rights for repairs

[isaan]

Ever since moving into my apt in May, I've been dealing with a flooding bathroom. The building manager has been coming out to fix it when I call him but the "fix" would last a week before it would start flooding again. End of July I informed him I was going out of town for two weeks and requested maintenance for this but when I came home it looks

Comments

[girlstyle]

Read the Tenant's Union website carefully; the timeline (and really all the information you need) is in there somewhere.

I was forced to resort to this years ago to get out of a slumlord apartment and, iirc, the landlord has 30 days from receipt of the letter to correct the problem as long as the problem is breaking a rule. You may even be able to use a technicality aside from your real problem. My problem was black mold and I got out because there wasn't adequate ventilation in the bathroom.

Good luck!

[isaan]

Really? I thought I read the site thoroughly but I'll give it another read. Thanks!

[girlstyle]

You know, I'm such an information nerd that I probably used the RCW website and city ordinances too... Basically, I found everything I needed without having to talk to a real person :)

[makale_83]

Make sure the letter you send is certified.

[isaan]

That's my intention. I'm in the mode of dotting my i's and crossing my t's

[schmuckythecat]

Document as much as possible about previous incidents. Take pictures.

The term you are looking for is "constructive eviction". Google it.

[isaan]

Thank you! I just took some pictures. Although I need to figure out how to get the date time stamp to appear on said pictures

[girlstyle]

You can always take a picture with the front page of that day's newspaper. I've seen this work for documenting move-out condition successfully.

[mandyhubbard]

You're not totally SOL because it was verbal. In your letter, use as many dates as possible

Example:

I moved in on X Date.
The week of X, I had an issue and informed you, and you fixed it the same week.
The week of X, I again had an issue, informed you, and you fixed it the next week.

The week of X, I went on vacation and informed you 2 days prior, but when I returned on X, nothing had been done....

Put AS MANY DATES AS POSSIBLE on it, so that if it does become an issue you atleast know he got a letter with the dates, and that should help if things come to a head. And dont forget to send by certified letter so you have proof.

[isaan]

I don't remember all the dates but I do have some written down on my calendar

[mandyhubbard]

I would get as close as you can (saying "The week of", or even, "twice in May, three times in June..." Etc. The more you load him up, the less likely he'd be to push the issue if you try to bail on a lease.

[erik]

When I lived in Washington I think I read somewhere that if you had a maintenance issue so severe that it impaired your ability to even live in the unit (and, IMO, a flooding bathroom would fall under that umbrella), you can almost immediately begin withholding rent, or seek out a reasonably costly repair service to fix it, and then deduct that amount from your rent.

I still think you ought to document the whole thing and write the letter, but that may be an option if you try to continue living there and want a more permanent solution to the issue. Again, though, make sure you thoroughly read the tenant laws. I may be misremembering.

[inanna]

Nope... you cannot withold rent... that is illegal.

But, if they don't respond within 24 hours for crucial things (water, heat) or 10 days for other things, then you can hire an outside company to fix it and deduct that from your rent (providing receipts), up to 50% of your rent, i believe. Although that last amount may be variable.