Seattle, WA asked in Landlord - Tenant for Oregon

Q: My heater doesn't work and my landlord won't fix it, what can I do?

My apartment comes with an electric heater/fireplace, it used to work great, going up to 90 degrees. Now it won't go above 70, ever. It shorts out. I've told my landlord and her reply was "open your closet and clear the vent most heat comes from my(her) apartment, the fireplace is for show", when we signed the lease we were told it was for heat. I've been forced to buy my own heater or it gets to about 40 degrees inside my apartment. My landlord won't fix the issue, I've brought it up multiple times and documented it and this has been happening for months.

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1 Lawyer Answer
Gregory L Abbott
Gregory L Abbott
Answered
  • Landlord Tenant Lawyer
  • Portland, OR
  • Licensed in Oregon

A: You need to be sure that your maintenance request is in a dated writing, with you keeping a copy. If the heat is still not timely fixed, you a variety of potential remedies. You likely are entitled to get a reduction in rent owed until it is fixed. You also may have a right to break your lease, penalty free, as long as you jump through the required hoops - written notice, allow adequate time, etc. Lastly, if worth it to you, you also can ask the court for an injunction ordering the landlord to fix the problem. So there are a variety of options in Oregon and you may wish to simply review it all with a local landlord-tenant attorney to both learn your rights and map out a game plan for how to best address your particular situation. Good luck.

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