Habitability

Most US states treat this as a promise in every residential lease, often called the warranty of habitability. What it covers and how fast repairs must happen depends on state and city law.

California spells the standard out in Civil Code section 1941.1: effective waterproofing, working plumbing and gas, hot and cold running water, heat, safe electrical wiring, clean grounds, trash receptacles and floors, stairs and railings in good repair. New York writes the promise into every residential lease in Real Property Law section 235-b. Texas Property Code section 92.052 requires a landlord to make a diligent effort to repair a condition that materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary tenant once the tenant gives notice.

An example

A tenant in Washington reports that the unit has no heat in January. Under RCW 59.18.070 the landlord must begin the repair within 24 hours of written notice for a loss of heat, hot or cold water, or electricity. A broken refrigerator gets 72 hours. Most other defects get 10 days.

What it means for your repair times

• Heat, water, power and anything dangerous go first, day or night
• Write down when the tenant told you, because many deadlines count from notice
• Keep the record of each step, from the first reply to the tenant’s confirmation
• Check the rules for your state and city, which can be stricter than the state

How Now Ours handles it

You decide what counts as an emergency. An emergency calls and texts the first person on your on-call calendar, then your backup after 5 minutes. Every message is recorded on the case with who it went to and when. Read more in repair timelines by state. This is general information, not legal advice.