Q: Can I terminate my lease if my A/C is constantly breaking?
My A/C unit goes out once or twice a week leaving us to call maintenance to fix it but they do not get to the issue till the day after leaving us in an 80+ degree apartment. This issue has been going on for the two months we have lived in the apartment, they promised a new A/C unit would be installed on Friday (9/1), and was not installed. Sunday (9/3) my A/C unit finally gave out and caught on fire as I was trying to turn it on and was told it wouldn't be ordered till Tuesday (9/5). Since Friday I have been out of my home because it has reached 92 degrees, I am unsure if the new unit will be installed Tuesday again leaving me out of my home. Is this a safety concern that can be used to terminate my lease and report the complex?
A: Some cities in Texas have local ordinances which require landlords to keep AC systems in good repair. Most specify that the system must keep the premises 85 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler to comply with the ordinance. You can report the landlord to the city housing authority to enforce the ordinance.
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