How to Get Repairs Made in a Reasonable Time Frame

It's unavoidable — you have a pipe burst or something else goes wrong and you need it fixed. But, now you're wondering how long your landlord has to get repairs done. There isn't really an easy answer to this because it depends on the repair that you need done.

The tenant-landlord relationship doesn't have to be complicated, but getting repairs fixed can really put a wrench in that relationship. First off, DoNotPay is your secret weapon to getting your repairs done. Second off, we've got answers to your questions. Read on to find out more about what a should look like.

How Long Does My Landlord Have to Make Repairs?

What is considered a varies based upon where you live and type of repair. Here’s a quick breakdown of repair types and their associated deadlines:

Critical	These are expected to be fixed ASAP. Generally, your landlord has about three days maximum to get critical repairs done.
Non-Critical	These aren't essential to daily life, but are still important. Generally, your landlord has about two weeks to get these repairs done.

If repairs are not made within the time frame allowed by law, renters are allowed to withhold rent in select circumstances.

How Can I Ask My Landlord for Repairs?

Landlords have several repair responsibilities, but it’s often your obligation to inform them of a problem in a timely manner. You can do ask your landlord for repairs in several ways:

In person. If your landlord is part of a management company, you can go in and request the repair be made. You will want to have evidence of your visit, such as recording when you went to the office (date and time) and whom you spoke with.
By phone. This could be voice or text. Regardless, you'll want to request the repair and either keep evidence that you made the call or keep the text.
By email. If you primarily deal with your landlord using email, this is the best option. You'll email the landlord about the problem. They'll respond in some way (hopefully), and the repair will be made.
By postal mail. If there hasn't been much success in getting your repairs done, you can send a letter to the landlord about the need for repair by postal mail. This serves as a legal notification, especially if you also send an unopened envelope to yourself with the same document. You should also track the mail sent to the landlord for evidence that it was received.
Through a website. Some landlords prefer to get their requests through their websites. You'll go to the appropriate site and fill in the form.

In all cases, you need to somehow keep a record of your notifications. If needed, you'll want to be able to prove that you did, in fact, make the request. The same goes for subsequent requests. You always want some type of record to prove that you notified the landlord about the repair needed.

What Else Can I Do to Get My Repairs Made?

If you can't get repairs done, you may need to take additional steps. You might need to get the help of a lawyer, which will probably cost you money. If you have access to a tenancy group, they might help you, too.

You might have to take more drastic steps. For example, you might find yourself in a situation where you withhold rent. You might have to move out. You might have to complete the repair yourself and deduct the cost from your rent. These are all extreme actions and shouldn't be taken lightly.

How Can DoNotPay Help Me Get My Repairs Made?

DoNotPay can help you with getting problems addressed with your landlord. We can help you get your security deposit back, learn about eviction laws and tenant protections, break your lease early, resolve disputes with roommates, or resolve repair disputes. If you 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.

Why Should You Use DoNotPay?

DoNotPay is a great option for many different tasks that you need to do. It's fast, easy, and successful. This means that you know that you're in good hands, no matter what you need to do to uphold your renter’s rights. Additional rental problems we can help you solve include: