The place is not safe to live in

The exact list is set by state statute, by local housing codes, and sometimes by court decisions, so it differs. Conditions commonly addressed across jurisdictions include:

• Heat, and in some places cooling.
• Running water, hot water, and working plumbing.
• Working electrical systems and safe wiring.
• A weather-tight structure — roof, windows, doors, walls.
• Working smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms.
• Freedom from serious pest infestation.
• Safe common areas, stairs and railings.
• Sanitary conditions, including sewage and waste removal.

Mold and indoor air quality are treated inconsistently across states. Some address it directly, some through general habitability or local code, some barely at all. Where moisture is the underlying issue, documenting the water source — a leak, a failed seal, poor ventilation — is often more actionable than the mold itself.

1. 1

   Handle safety first

   If there is gas, fire, carbon monoxide, or structural danger, that is emergency services, not a repair request.

2. 2

   Report in writing

   A dated written report to the landlord, describing the condition and its effect on the household. Keep a copy. See the repairs guide for what to include.

3. 3

   Document the condition

   Photos and video with intact metadata, temperature readings, a dated log, and receipts for anything the condition forced you to buy.

4. 4

   Call code enforcement

   The city or county building, housing, or health department can inspect and issue notices. Ask for a copy of the report.

5. 5

   Contact legal aid

   Habitability is core legal-aid work. They can tell you what remedies your state actually provides, including any that carry deadlines.

6. 6

   Keep paying rent unless told otherwise

   Withholding rent is lawful in some states under strict conditions and grounds for eviction in others. Confirm before, not after.

If a fire, flood, or condemnation forces you out, several separate systems may apply at once: the lease, state habitability law, local relocation-assistance rules if the city has them, renters insurance if you carry it, and disaster assistance if a declaration covers the event. These have different rules and different deadlines.

Practical priorities: get somewhere safe, keep every receipt, get the condemnation or inspection notice in writing, and contact 211 for local emergency housing and legal aid for the tenancy questions.

If your rent is subsidized — a Housing Choice Voucher, project-based assistance, public housing — there is usually a second set of standards and a second office involved: the housing authority or the program administrator, which conducts its own inspections. That inspection process can move on conditions independently of state law, and losing a unit for failed inspection has consequences of its own. Contact the housing authority as well as the landlord, and tell legal aid that the tenancy is subsidized.