If a tenant goes without water for 2 weeks, what are the remedies?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If a tenant goes without water for 2 weeks, what are the remedies?
My friend is a long-term tenant at a guest ranch. Their apartment was without water for 2 weeks, during which time they repeatedly asked for it to be fixed. They were told someone would come out to check on it but that did not happen. They were allowed to use another unoccupied unit to take showers but were not allowed to move into that unit while their water was out. Their landlord claims it took so long to fix because they couldn’t find the leak but he has make no indication that they should pay pro-rated rent to compensate for those 2 weeks. What are their options?
Asked on March 21, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Colorado
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Your friend could do you suggest: he could seek compensation for the time he was without water, such compensation equivalent to a pro rata reduction in the rent paid for that period. The rent would be abated, or reduced, by an amount commensurate with the dimunition in value from not having water in their unit for that time. If the landlord will not voluntarily provide such compensation, however, your friend would need to sue to recover it, which may or may not be economically worthwhile.
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.