Q: Am I allowed to withhold rent in new york state due to unfixed flooding
I notified my landlord of flooding in my room in may it is the middle of June and it is still not fixed. My furniture has molded and had to be thrown out due to the flooding. I now have nowhere to sleep and the issue is not fixed. Can I legally withhold rent until they fix the flooding and give me my renter's insurance money?
A: You can withhold the rent. However, if the landlord takes you to court to evict you and obtain a judgment for the rent arrears, the court may award you only a partial abatement of the rent for the portion of the apartment that constituted a breach of warranty of habitability and the landlord a judgment for rent arrears for your use and occupancy of the habitable portion of the apartment.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
