i live on the coast of nc right across from the ocean and my heater in my house is broken and only works when it feels like it. plus its only a wall unit above the stove that blows ac and heat. and our fireplace has a broken damper that is stuck closed so we cant have fires...but my house is like 45 degrees right now. ive notified my landlord by phone 2 times and he says he is gonna get it fixed then never gets back to me. its been 3 weeks now. im going crazy
Many states allow you to make necessary repairs when your landlord refuses, and you may deduct it from your next rent payment. Don't do anything without looking into your states laws. According to this Local Tenant Rights, Laws, and Protections: North Carolina with all his delaying, you may be able to suggest to him, in writing, that you will have the repairs done yourself, and that you will be deducting the costs from the next months rent. His duty to make repairs will not begin, until he's received a request in writing. But while you can make the repairs, you may not be able to take it upon yourself to deduct it from your rent, without his consent. The law requires him to give consent and pay, as he is required to fix your heater, but he may still refuse. If he still denies you your basic rights as a tenant, then tell him you will regretfully need to follow the law, and as directed in the landlord tenant booklet, take him to small claims court to retrieve your funds, as it is solely his responsibility to repair the heater. Even in leases that say otherwise, that repairs must be made at the cost of the occupant, tenants are warned that; "A landlord cannot excuse himself from these duties..... and tenants should not to be fooled into thinking that such clauses are binding".
In the meantime, you can either put on some warm clothes, go buy a cheap heater from the store, or start drinking some whiskey.
This happened to me a few years ago with my AC during the dead of summer in an upstairs apartment. After a week of the runaround I left my landlord a message that basically said either have it fixed by the time I get off of work today or I will be staying in a hotel for the duration and billing them for it. I had brand new AC by the time I came home.