Hamilton, OH asked in Landlord - Tenant for Ohio

Q: Does landlord have to legally call a PROFESSIONAL electrician ?

We woke up at 5 am sunday smoke alarms going off went into kitchen and there was a fire behind the stove . We were not cooking or hadnt messed with stove since Friday night .We quickly got everyone out of the house called fire department . They said the stove malfunctioned. And that we just needed a new stove. Let landlord know. He comes Tuesday morning bring a stove plugs in it trips breaker and now my refrigerator and built in microwave will not come on. Also our lights are flickering and when they are on are really dim if they even come on at all. I'm very worried about a bigger fire and our landlord is cheap so I'm worried he will bring in a "friend" to try and fix it .Does he have to have a professional electrician come out? How long does he have to make repairs? What if we have to leave our residence . Will they provide alternate housing? Our Rent is fully paid and up to date. How should we address both the appliance issue and the electrical issue?

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1 Lawyer Answer
Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
Answered
  • Landlord Tenant Lawyer
  • Cincinnati, OH
  • Licensed in Ohio

A: Call the local building inspector. Consider having your own electrician come and check it out if landlord does not use a reputable electrician. Send landlord a written notice of the problem and your concerns. Then you can begin paying your rent on time each month into escrow with your local court. If landlord wants the rent, landlord will have to go to court an explain what is being done to correct the problem. The court will decide if the landlord is acting reasonably, and if not, can terminate your lease.

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