jonnythan wrote:MrGompers wrote:ZooTech wrote:Dude, you can't just make repairs as you see fit and submit receipts as rent payments. Did you ever notify the landlord about the broken lock? Only if she refused to have it replaced can you have it done yourself, but then the money must go into escrow.
Yes I told her. Waited 7 days no answer & no results. I don't see what the big deal is about $30.
I did her a favor by replacing it myself. A locksmith is gonna charge 3x as much to fix it. Oh well she'll find out when I move out and put the broken lock back in.
I just find it funny.
Some favor.
The landlord could easily replace a lock herself.
You have no basis to be upset or to call your landlord "stupid."
As has been pointed out, tenants cannot simply make their own repairs to their leased property.
When I read the OP, my jaw dropped when I read the thread title, then read that you simply took the cost of your repair out of the rent without ever letting the landlord know beforehand.
Pay attention to the details bro. I already said I informed her about the broken lock. No results after waiting seven days. I could have made this into a huge shitsandwich for her by with holding the entire rent.
Tenants can make repairs to leased property if the landlord fails to do so in a timely fashion. And the lack of those repairs put the lessee or his property in imminent danger. This door is on the first floor. That sounds like imminent danger to me. FWIW, someone hit her with a clue stick cuz now she's paying for it.
Look up the housing statues in your state. I already know the statues in Connecticut and already know that I'm right.
And yes this landlord is stupid.