Q: Am I required to pay the full month's rent if I only lived in the unit for 14 days at the property manager's request?
Am I required to pay the full monthly rent if I only lived in the unit for 14 days? I requested to get my bathroom/kitchen vinyl replaced & the contractors discovered mold underneath the vinyl. I was asked to leave my apt during repairs which last 16 days. I was not aware of any leakage but my understanding was that the toilet had a leakage through the seal of the toilet which is why I didn't see any water. However, they still want me to pay the full rent for the 14 days because I now state the reason as I didn't report the leakage even though I didn't see it. Is this legal? Are there any legal reasons I can use to fight this?
A: Argghh! The leaky toilet seal case. Toilets sit on a "Wax ring" that seal the flow between the toilet and the sewer pipe. if it becomes dislodged or there is some other problem, there will be a leak into the floor that you don't always see, it goes into the floor under the ring. If your LL put you out for 14 days, the premises was not habitable for that time period and you should be entitled to a rent abatement. You might want to look at small claims. If you win and they take action against you to evict you, you may be entitled to additional damages for retaliatory eviction. Thanks for using Justia ask a lawyer.
1 user found this answer helpful
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.
