Key takeaways
- Write the request. Date it. Keep a copy.
- Habitability is the floor; the remedy is state-specific.
- Do not skip rent on a national rumor.
Do this today
- Write the problem, the date you noticed it, and how you told the landlord.
- Photograph the condition with a clock or dated screenshot.
- Ask legal aid before withholding rent.
What this page is not
- Not a national repair-timeline chart.
- Not permission to withhold rent.
- Not legal advice.
Confirm it locally
Caps, clocks, and entry hours live in your state chapter. Search below, or take the paper to legal aid if a court is named.
People also ask
Official sources
- LawHelp.orgFree legal aid by state. Start here for court papers.
- HUD tenant rightsFederal floor and state HUD pages.
- Cornell LII landlord-tenant tableIndex of official state chapters. We name the chapter; we do not paraphrase a number out of it.
- 211Local rent, shelter, food, and utilities, in many languages.
Cluster: Repairs
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org
