Full question:
I am in a 1 year lease on a rental house, the central air/ heat has never worked and now we have no electric in the main bathroom, the hallway and one of the bedrooms. The owner told us if anything went wrong while we were renting, we had to pay to fix it. I think the house had not been wired correctly/ or by a real electrician. Do we have to pay to get the wiring & heat/air repaired? With winter coming on heat would be nice. I have 7 more months in the lease, but without electric running through part of the house, it's making it kinda miserable to live. What can I do BY LAW??
- Category: Landlord Tenant
- Subcategory: Repairs
- Date:
- State: Oregon
Answer:
Under Oregon law, landlords must maintain rental properties in a habitable condition. This includes ensuring that heating and electrical systems are in good working order (ORS 90.320). A rental unit is considered uninhabitable if it lacks adequate heating or electrical lighting that meets legal standards.
While landlords and tenants can agree in writing for tenants to handle certain repairs, this cannot diminish the landlord's overall responsibility to maintain the property. Therefore, if the heating and electrical issues existed before your tenancy or are due to improper wiring, you likely should not be responsible for the repair costs.
Given the current issues you are facing, you may want to communicate with your landlord about these problems. If they do not address them, you may have legal grounds to pursue further action, such as contacting local housing authorities or seeking legal advice.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.