Who is legally responsible for a water line repair?
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Who is legally responsible for a water line repair?
I am in a lease-to-own situation. There was no power or running water to the building upon signing the lease. It is a referb deal, where I was supposed to make it livable. Upon turning the water on, it came to our attention there is a leak. I would like to know who is responsible for fixing the leak – me, as the leaseholder, or the property owner, since we do not own the property yet. The leak is in the water line going from the street down to the house (service line).
Asked on May 16, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Maryland
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
What you need to do is to read your lease and see who has been allocated what in terms of repair. In standard rental leases the tenant is not generally required to have to repair anything major (it is worded differently) unless they agree to it. How one would interpret making it "livable" will matter here. Good luck.
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