Q: Can I withhold rent for undo distress from non-working utilities?
State: Maine
Commercial Lease
We are renting a commercial space. The furnace has not been working properly for 3 months now. Landlord is always "working on it". I constantly have to step away from my active restaurant to shut off and turn back on the furnace in the hopes it starts blowing warm air again. I do this multiple times a day. It is incredibly disruptive to both us and our guests. 3 months is a long grace period to repair this. At what point can I withhold rent for the fact that a crucial utility that we are owed is not reliable and we go without consistently?
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