What to do if my landlord failed to let in the gas company so now I have no hot water for several days?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if my landlord failed to let in the gas company so now I have no hot water for several days?
I called my soon-to-be landlord on yesterday and explained that I needed to sign my lease, pay my rent, and receive the keys so I could let the gas company in today (all day appointment). This way I could have hot water when I moved in. He told me that he would leave all that with the manager.However, this morning the manager did not have the lease or keys. He told me he called the landlord and he would bring by the keys later and open the door for the gas company; he would then call me so that I could sign the lease. I found out at 5 pm today that he never did this, so now I won’t have hot water for several more days.
Asked on April 29, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Arizona
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
The issue here is if you signed the lease. If you have not signed a lease, there is no standing that you really have. Many contracts must be in writing to be enforceable. In this situation, since you have not begun living there, the only potential damages you may be calculated as a discount on your rent for perhaps having to live elsewhere while you did not have running water. If you did have running water, you really may not have any standing. If you wish to fix this situation, explain you will file a complaint with your state's consumer protection agency so that the landlord may face legal hot water for possibly breaching any potential fiduciary responsibilities he owes you.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.