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Landlord Won't Make Repairs: What Can I Do?

This is not legal advice. We explain what the law says. We cannot tell you what to do in your situation. For that, talk to a lawyer. Find free legal and rent help in United States.

Your landlord must keep your home safe to live in. This page explains how to ask for repairs and how to build proof. It also covers who can help when your landlord will not act, and the federal rules that apply everywhere. Pick your state for the rules where you rent.

  1. In general, your landlord must keep your rental home fit to live in, even if your lease says nothing about repairs. Lawyers call this the warranty of habitability (the rule that a rented home must be safe and fit to live in). A few states are different, so check your state's guide.

    Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School Wex: implied warranty of habitability Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Managing rent payments

    This rule depends on where you live. See the rule in every place we cover.

  2. Not every problem makes a home unfit to live in. The test is health and safety, usually measured against local housing codes. No heat, no electricity, and a serious insect problem are the kind of conditions that fail that test. Faded paint, small nail holes, or a worn carpet normally do not.

    Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School Wex: implied warranty of habitability Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School Wex: constructive eviction

    This rule depends on where you live. See the rule in every place we cover.

  3. Start a record on the day you notice the problem. Take photos or videos, and note the date on each one. When you call your landlord, write down the date and time of the call. Note the name of the person you talked to and what they said about repairs.

    Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia Tips for Requesting Repairs

    This rule depends on where you live. See the rule in every place we cover.

  4. Ask for the repair in writing, and keep a copy of every letter or note you send. Say what is broken and ask when the landlord will fix it. If there is a disagreement later, your copies show what you asked for and when.

    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Managing rent payments Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia Tips for Requesting Repairs

    This rule depends on where you live. See the rule in every place we cover.

  5. If your landlord refuses to make repairs, tell your local government about unsafe or unhealthy conditions. The office may be code enforcement, the building department, or the health department. The city or county should inspect your home and require your landlord to repair violations it finds. Keep any papers the city or county gives you. If you face an eviction case, they can be proof of the problems.

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Renters section California Attorney General Know Your Rights as a California Tenant

    This rule depends on where you live. See the rule in every place we cover.

  6. Do not just stop paying rent, even when the landlord ignores your requests. A landlord can start an eviction case (a court case to remove you from the home) when rent is not paid. Before you hold back rent or pay for a repair yourself, talk to a lawyer or a housing services office about your state's rules.

    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Managing rent payments California Attorney General Know Your Rights as a California Tenant

    This rule depends on where you live. See the rule in every place we cover.

  7. You can get legal advice even if you cannot pay for a lawyer. You may qualify for free legal aid (a lawyer at no cost) based on your income. A lawyer can tell you what your state's law lets you do about repairs, including whether you can hold back rent.

    USAGov Find legal aid for a housing complaint Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Talk to a local expert

    This rule depends on where you live. See the rule in every place we cover.

  8. If your home gets so bad that you are thinking about moving out because of it, read the constructive eviction guide first. Constructive eviction is the legal name for conditions forcing you out of your home. If you prove it in court, you stop owing rent from when you moved out. But you take the risk first and prove it later, so get legal help before you decide.

    Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School Wex: constructive eviction

    We have full guides on this. See our Constructive Eviction guides.

  9. Many states make it illegal for your landlord to retaliate (punish you for reporting unsafe conditions). This can look like an eviction notice, a rent increase, or fewer services soon after you complain. Not every state protects you. Each state defines this differently. Check your state's guide before you rely on this protection.

    Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School Wex: retaliatory eviction

    This rule depends on where you live. See the rule in every place we cover.

  10. Federal law bans discrimination in repairs and services. Your landlord cannot refuse repairs because of your race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability. Your landlord cannot give you worse service for the same reasons. This protection also covers you if children live with you. Your landlord cannot punish you for reporting discrimination. You can report housing discrimination to HUD. HUD is the federal housing agency.

    U.S. Code 42 U.S.C. § 3604(b) HUD Retaliation

    This rule depends on where you live. See the rule in every place we cover.

  11. Lead paint has its own federal rule, and it applies everywhere in the country. Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint, and peeling or chipping lead paint is a hazard that needs prompt attention. Federal law requires your landlord to tell you what they know about lead paint before you sign a lease. The landlord must also give you the federal lead paint booklet. If you did not get this information, you can report the landlord to the EPA, the federal environmental agency, at epa.gov/lead/violation.

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Lead-based Paint Disclosure Rule

  12. Extra rules apply if you live in HUD-assisted housing, which gets federal rent help. Examples include public housing and a Section 8 voucher (a paper that helps pay your rent). Federal standards require these homes to be free of health and safety hazards. Residents have the right to repairs in a timely manner. If HUD backs your building's loan or manages it, you can report problems that were not fixed to HUD's Multifamily Housing Complaint Line at 1-800-685-8470.

    Code of Federal Regulations via Legal Information Institute 24 C.F.R. § 5.703(a) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Your Rights U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Multifamily Housing Complaint Line

    This rule depends on where you live. See the rule in every place we cover.

Published by Nazanin · September 24, 2026 · sources checked September 12, 2026

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