Maria, the landlord, refuses to fix a small leak in the roof that was there prior to the current tenant. Juan, the current tenant, has just discovered the leak after a heavy rain. The consequence is that black mold has been forming in the attic for quite some time. Juan still has significant time remaining on his lease. Juan has notified Maria in writing of the mold and leak issue but has received no response. He is concerned about the premises becoming unsafe to live in. It has been 14 days since he emailed her his notification. What are all of Juan’s options if Maria declines to do the repairs? Please discuss all remedies Juan may seek. Please remember to reference the contract and text to support your analysis.

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Explanation:

Joan may as well put a call through to Maria in addition to his previous mail. Several remedial options are available to Juan and each has its own merits and demerits. It is proper for the tenant to consider each options carefully and seek legal opinion where necessary. However, if Maria declines to do the repairs, Juan may seek the following remedies

• Repair and deduct remedy . In this type of remedy, a tenant may deduct money that is equivalent of a month's rent to cover the cost of the repair or defect. Rental unit 156 covers a condition whether faulty or substandard rented unit could affect the tenant's health and safety. Since the landlord has refused to do the repair, she is guilty of implied warranty of habitability which includes leak in the roof, gas leak, no running water etc. Also, the tenant may not have to file a lawsuit against the landlord since this type of remedy has legal aid. Other conditions attached in addition to the above are ; the repairs cannot cost more than a month's rent, the tenant cannot use the repair and deduct remedy more that twice in any 12 month period, tenant must have informed the landlord in writing and through calls of the faulty area that requires repair. His family or pets must not be the cause of the faulty area that needed to be repaired etc.

• The abandonment remedy . Here, the tenant could move out of the faulty unit or defective rental unit due to its substandard condition which could affect his health and safety. Where the tenant uses the abandonment remedy judiciously, he is not liable to pay any other rent once he has abandoned or moved out of the defective rental unit. The conditions attached are that; the defects must be serious and directly related to the tenant's health and safety, the tenant or his family must not be the cause of the faulty space that requires repair. Moreover, the tenant must have informed the landlord whether in writing or orally telephone calls of the defects that requires repair.

• The rent withholding remedy. Legally, a tenant could withhold house rent if the landlord fails to take care of serious defects that negates the implied warranty of habitability. Conditions attached to this type of remedy are; the defects to be repaired must have threatened the tenant's safety and wellbeing. Again, the faulty or defective unit must be such that it becomes uninhabitable for the tenant . The tenant, his family or pets must not be the cause of the defects that requires repairs. The tenant must have also notified the landlord either through phone calls on in writing, amongst others.

• The tenant could also file a lawsuit against the landlord to recover the cost expended to fixing the faulty repairs where the landlord was not willing to do so. Conditions that must be met before this option could stand in the court of law are; the rental unit has serious defect that is not safe for living. A housing inspector has inspected the house and found to be short of minimum requirements for habitable place etc. A tenant may seek this type of redress where the option for out of court settlement has failed with the landlord.

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