Can I Report My Landlord to the Health Department

A landlord has a duty to make sure that the tenants enjoy safe and convenient living in the rental units. This means that any conditions that may affect the habitability of the rentals as well as pose any health problems to tenants must be dealt with accordingly.

Whether it is a poor building structure, lack of proper sanitation, faulty electrical system, poor plumbing, pest infestations, presence of molds, or a lack of fire escapes, the landlord has to sort out these issues as soon as possible to ensure a safe and comfortable living for tenants.

If a landlord does not look into conditions that make living on the premises a health risk, as a tenant, you have the right to raise your concerns. If the issue is not addressed even after making the landlord aware of it, you can report the landlord to the health department. While reporting a landlord to the health department by yourself can be a challenge, DoNotPay can assist you with this process.

After helping you report your landlord to the health department, DoNotPay can further enlighten you on your rights as a renter, assist you to kick out a roommate, guide you to write a letter to the landlord about repairs, and educate you on what to do when your landlord evicts you without notice. Read along for more information on this.

How to Ask Your Landlord to Look into Health-Related Issues on Your Premises

Before considering reporting your landlord to the local health department, you should first request them to look into the matter, and fix the problem. Informing your landlord about these problems through writing is certainly better than doing it verbally. This is because a letter of complaint can serve as evidence of your request in case the matter ends up in court. When writing the letter, make sure it includes the following:

1. The specific problem(s) you are encountering in your rental unit
2. A suggestion for a reasonable solution
3. Possible health issues the problem may result in if not dealt with promptly

You should then mail or deliver the letter to the landlord. Keeping a copy of the signed letter is also necessary along with evidence of mailing or delivery in case you have to sue the landlord. A few days later, call the landlord to confirm if the letter was received. If the landlord has not yet looked into the matter in 5 business days, respond with another similar letter that makes it clear that you will be complaining to the local health department.

How to Report a Landlord to the Health Department by Yourself

If your landlord has not yet taken any measures to solve the issue, you can file a complaint with your local health department. Include the following information when filing your complaint:

• Your full name
• The address of the premises
• The name of the landlord or property management company
• The specific complaint
• The first time you encountered the problem
• How long you have experienced the problem and how regularly does the problem occurs
• If you have informed the landlord
• The landlord's response

After filing the complaint, the health department will take measures to establish if your complaint is valid. The department will thereafter deploy a health inspector who will:

1. Inspect the property to investigate the complaint and establish whether there is any health infringement on the property.
2. Put together a report of their findings- The report will include the address of the property, the inspection date, the health infringements found at the premises, and the time the landlord has to fix the issue(s).
3. Send a copy of the report to the landlord if the health inspector has noted any health violations at the property.
4. Allocate a time frame for the landlord to fix the issue(s). The landlord will be given several days to address the issue(s), after which they ought to contact the health inspector to come and re-inspect the property.
5. Re-inspect the property and hand out a letter of compliance if the landlord has corrected the health violations.
6. Fine the landlord if he has not yet corrected the health infringements.

How DoNotPay Can Help

As discussed above, reporting to your landlord involves a tight process. However, DoNotPay can help by guiding you through the process as well as filing such disputes on your behalf. Our Landlord Protection product can help you:

1. Get back your security deposit.
2. Learn about your state's eviction laws and what protections apply in your case
3. Resolve disputes regarding repairs with your landlord
4. Resolve disputes with roommates by filing demand letters or going through small claims court
5. Break your lease early

How to Break a Lease in Your State using DoNotPay:

If you want to break a lease in your state but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in four easy steps:

1. Search for and open the Landlord Protection product on DoNotPay.

2. Select which issue applies to you.

3. Answer a simple set of questions so our chatbot can collect the necessary information to create your demand letter.

4. Choose whether you want DoNotPay to send the demand letter to your landlord or roommate on your behalf. If you already tried sending a demand letter and it didn't work, we can help you start the small claims court process.

And that's it! You should hear back from your landlord directly once your demands are sent.

Other DoNotPay Services that Help Renters with Landlord Disputes

The landlord services DoNotPay provides go well beyond basic eviction resolutions. Some of the other services DoNotPay provides include:

Why Use DoNotPay to Help You Solve These Problems?

DoNotPay is the best platform when it comes to sorting out matters with your landlord that pose a health risk to tenants. This is because:

• It is fast. You don't have to spend hours trying to solve the issue.
• It is easy. You don't have to struggle to fill out tedious forms or keep track of all the steps involved in reporting your landlord to the health department.
• It is successful. You can rest assured knowing we'll make the best case for you, and keep track of all that paperwork.

What Else Can DoNotPay do?

DoNotPay can also help you deal with other issues such as:

• Find and use standardized legal forms and documents
• Find Unclaimed Money
• File a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request
• Notarize any document online

Why hesitate? Use DoNotPay today!