KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: Habitability
Know Your Rights is a Legal Aid Society educational series that provides helpful information on a variety of relevant topics. This month, we’re talking habitability!
Here’s what you need to know:
Landlords are legally required to provide tenants with working heat during fall/wintertime and air conditioning during the summertime.
Tenants should never stop paying rent if landlord does not provide heat, air conditioning, or does not repair or remedy issues with a rental unit. Refusing to pay rent will result in giving a landlord the right to evict you for non-payment.
Request receipts from your landlord for proof of rental payments!
Landlords have no right to remove a tenants’ personal property from the rental property or lock you out of a rental property, only the Sheriff does.
Landlords must provide you written notice (a letter) that you have breached your lease. The written notice must either be sent via certified mail, OR hand-to-hand delivery to the tenant.
For a non-payment eviction, a landlord must provide tenants with a ‘7-day notice to pay or vacate’.
For a lease violation eviction (i.e. loud music, unauthorized pets, etc.), a landlord must provide tenants with a ’14-day notice to cure’ the remedy.
For non-renewal of a lease, a landlord must provide tenants with a ‘30-day notice of non-renewal’.