Q: Landlord Tenant dispute, Landlord enters back of property without permission, has also failed to repair property
I live in a town where the Code Enforcement is very strict. Our landlord has a building next door to us with a connected back parking lot.
Our landlord consistently visits the property and complains about trash and our way of life, etc. to avoid having to get calls from Code Enforcement about us. Numerous times our landlord has entered OUR rented property without notice through a back gate next to his building to check the back porch for trash and then willl issue us warnings to fix. Which we all do not understand why he can enter. The part he enters is not his private buildings property.
He has also failed to complete any repairs on the property , broken oven , broken window (told us 4 weeks?) , broken toilets, numerous electrical outlets not working, and much more.
We do know we might need an attorney but do we have a case against our Landlord for entering our property? As well can we Repair and Deduct via Rent? He has threatened to evict us and much more.
A: Every lease in NJ, both written and oral, are deemed to include the provision of quiet enjoyment. This means no one can enter the leased premises without the renter's permission unless it is an emergency such as a water or gas leak. If repairs are not made within a reasonable period of time, open an escrow account and make timely rental payments into the account. Notify the landlord that the money will be promptly released as the repairs are made.
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