Can I withhold rent if apartment is uninhabitable after a natural disaster?

After a natural disaster, both the landlord and the tenant should agree to help each other out. The landlord should repair the building to make sure it becomes habitable again and the tenant should talk to the LL about the rent payment. Nothing will prosper if both parties do not cooperate.

Sad to say, there are just tenants who would use a natural disaster as a way of breaking the lease and not paying rent.

As a landlord, it would feel like an overkill already if you do not pay the rent and we had to do repairs. This is the case especially by small time tenants who own only a few properties. Our insurance policies may have a capped maximum so we might still need to shell out some cash out of pocket to complete the repairs.

Even if we have repaired the rental property, that doesn’t meant that the utility companies will turn on the utilities too. If the storm is extensive, they may need to do a few repairs on their end too; thereby delaying the habitability of the rental property.

Let’s just pray that nothing like Sandy happens again.

Time and time again, you have been reminded to get renter’s insurance. If you didn’t get the renter’s insurance before, you’ll definitely regret it.

I was renting an apartment that got damaged during the hurricane. I had to live under a leaky roof for three weeks befor the repair was completed. It was a huge aparment complex and I understand that repairs cannot happen over night. But the good thing was, my landlord was really nice and offered a prorated rent, which I readily accepted.

As a landlord that owns only a few rental properties, I rely on the rent payment of my tenants to meet my mortgage and monthly obligations. I don’t have insurance so when Sandy hit, I was at a loss. I had to cancel all the lease because it will take time before I get the rental property completely repaired.

There are instances when the landlord would need to file for a cancellation of all the lease agreements because the cost of repairs would exceed the cost of just building a new apartment complex. If it involves autos, this would be called a “total loss” but I forgot what that’s called for apartments. But I’m sure there is such a thing. It is a complicated process that means you need to go to court for it.

You’re only complicating things by filing a lawsuit. If you win, your landlord may not have the money to pay you back for the costs because he would have spent everything on repairing his apartment. I would suggest filing a complaint with the RPA instead. It’s cheaper and may be just as effective.

I agree. I used RPA’s services once and I got some of the resolutions I wanted. Sure, the landlord will negotiate but at least you got something resolved for you.

Check your state tenant laws on what they say about the issue. What’s written here is too general. There could be changes depending on your state.

If you are a good tenant and your relationship with your landlord is good, he will take care of you. But if you withhold rent and make it very difficult for him to do the repairs, he might just cancel your lease agreement.

Where do you think your LL gets the money for the repairs? From your rent of course! And how will he make the repairs if you don’t pay?

Here you are complaining but for all you know, your landlord could be cursing the heavens for such a disaster that will cost him thousands of dollars to repair!