Q: I’m responsible to make sure my rented home is in the same condition when I move out,Is my landlord held same standards?
I rent a house in Cambridge Md, my slumlord refuses to fix things. I had to call the housing inspector to show him the tub is horribly cracked with cheap paint and has just constantly been repainted over to hide. We moved in March and I noticed the problem in April.He refused to fix it kept putting it off. Aug rolls around we have a leak in the hall ceiling causing it to fall in and need replacement. He hired an unlicensed handy man that patched it up and it looks terrible. LL tells me he isn’t painting because he isn’t responsible for cosmetic fixing (nothing about it in lease). How ever it’s hideous and that’s not how I rented and agreed to live.I feel it should be painted.If I’m responsible for keeping the home in the same condition isn’t he?
A:
Well, yes and no. Unfortunately, it's very hard to get a landlord (LL) to fix things if it's not directly covered in the lease or under law. So, for instance, if the roof caved in and he refused to fix it, you could go and file a rent escrow.
However, things that are not truly threatening (ie. painting, rug looks terrible, etc.) are hard to force. You can try to make an argument of breach of contract, but it will be difficult. My advice would be to arrange to get out of there as soon as possible and document all the damages, etc., so that if he tries to foist the damages off on you, you can prove that none of them were your fault.
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