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Legal question about the house we rent

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It comes down to the lease.....what does the lease say about the Landlord's responsibility to maintain the property?

Not so sure about that one @TresMonos. I would reference Georgia statutes regarding "habitability".

A landlord is legally required to keep rental premises livable, under a term referred to as the “implied warranty of habitability.” If the landlord fails to maintain the premises and take care of important repairs, including a broken heater, the tenant may pursue various options, such as moving out, which gets you back to "constructive eviction". I have not personally been down this road but, even if a lease says the renter is responsible for repairs, a court would probably disagree. It is my belief that a court of law will side with the renter/tenant for lack of heat. Again, just my opinion.
 
Probably best to find another house to rent.

Exactly, but there is always the concern over a signed lease agreement, which needs to be understood, as well as options for remedy, so the renter/tenant can move out without having another legal hassle, court appearances, court costs, etc. follow him/her down the road.
 
Exactly, but there is always the concern over a signed lease agreement, which needs to be understood, as well as options for remedy, so the renter/tenant can move out without having another legal hassle, court appearances, court costs, etc. follow him/her down the road.

It is Thurs. Winter storm arrives Sat. NO WAY heat will be repaired by then. I guess having your family suffer bitter cold is preferable to "legal hassle, court appearances, court costs, etc."?
 
Write a letter, send by certified mail, email and text him demanding repair. If he won’t fix the problem you can repair it yourself and deduct the cost of repairs. This cold snap would certainly quailfy as an ‘emergent’ repair situation.
 
Write a letter, send by certified mail, email and text him demanding repair. If he won’t fix the problem you can repair it yourself and deduct the cost of repairs. This cold snap would certainly quailfy as an ‘emergent’ repair situation.
Not a lawyer but been through the situation. Unfortunately ‘reasonable timeframe’ can be up to 30 days, depending on how big of a slum lord the judge hearing your case when you inevitably get sued is. But no heat with 30 degree weather, I’ll take my chances in court.
 
It is Thurs. Winter storm arrives Sat. NO WAY heat will be repaired by then. I guess having your family suffer bitter cold is preferable to "legal hassle, court appearances, court costs, etc."?

Sounds like motel time or a family visit to me; protect the family now, then understand your legal options to recover lost monies and get out of the lease, if need be. Common sense should always prevail.
 
This is not legal advice but, having been involved in real estate for more years than many on here have been around, I will offer a reference.

Failing to make repairs can lead to an often used term/condition known as “constructive eviction”. If a landlord fails to make needed repairs, and a tenant decides to move out because of the failure to complete the repairs and make the unit “habitable”, constructive eviction may be used to go to court if the landlord decides to sue for any remaining rent.

Been there, done that, on both sides of the law.
I did this concerning mold and water damage
 
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