Update: I finally got my landlord to fix the heat by sending a photo of the thermostat at 3 AM.

For a month, every email I sent about the broken furnace got a 'we'll look into it' reply. Last Tuesday, the inside temp dropped to 52 degrees... so I took a clear picture of the thermostat with a timestamp at 3 in the morning. I attached it to a new email with our city's tenant rights code section about heat. They had a repair guy here the next afternoon. Has anyone else found that moving past just calling and providing concrete proof actually gets things done?

4 comments

4 Comments

nguyen.lily26d ago

What specific part of the tenant code did you quote? I've found that citing the exact penalty or deadline for the landlord can really light a fire under them.

the_keith26d ago

I used to just complain but quoting the exact law works way better.

kimr7426d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah the "exact law" thing is so true. I saw a post from @nguyen.lily about how landlords hate when you know the penalty amounts, it makes them move faster. My old place tried to keep my deposit for normal wear and tear, but I pulled up the state code section on deposit returns and they mailed the check the next day. It's like they bank on you not knowing your rights. Having the actual text ready to copy and paste changes the whole game.

taylorshah2d ago

Honestly the BIGGEST power move is knowing the law BEFORE you move in. I always take photos of the exact state code about deposits and send it with my first month's rent check. Sets the tone that you're not someone they can mess with.