Repairs and habitability: your rights

Which questions does this guide answer?

Each answer below is quoted from its own page, where the full explanation, your state's rules and the free next steps live.

• Habitability

  The condition of being fit and safe to live in — working heat, water and plumbing, and freedom from serious hazards. In practice it is the standard used to judge whether a repair problem is a legal issue or an inconvenience. It does not mean perfect or new, and cosmetic complaints usually fall outside it.

• Bed Bugs in Your Rental: Who’s Responsible and What to Do

  Bed bugs are generally the landlord’s responsibility to treat, especially in multi-unit buildings, though who pays can sometimes depend on how the infestation started. Report it right away, in writing, and avoid DIY treatments that can make things worse.

• Broken or Unsafe Appliances: Your Rights as a Renter

  Appliances that came with your unit are generally the landlord’s responsibility to keep safe and working. Some problems, like a gas smell or sparking outlet, are emergencies — stop using the appliance and get help immediately.

• Unsafe conditions & repairs, by problem

  Ten condition-specific pages — mold, bed bugs, no heat, no hot water, pests, leaks and water damage, and more. Most states require a rental to be livable, but what that covers, how fast a landlord must act, and what you may do if they don't are set by your state and city. These pages explain the usual process, the evidence to capture, and when a condition is urgent enough to call an inspector or legal aid.

• Lead Paint in Your Rental: What Renters Need to Know

  Peeling, chipping, or deteriorating paint in an older building can be a lead hazard, and it’s taken seriously because of the health risk to young children and pregnant people. Don’t disturb it yourself — document it, report it in writing, and ask about testing.

• Mold in Your Apartment: Your Rights and What to Do

  Ongoing mold, especially from a leak or moisture problem the landlord hasn’t fixed, is generally treated as a habitability issue. Document it, report it in writing, and Renter Shield can show you what happens next where you live.

• No Air Conditioning in Your Apartment: What Renters Should Know

  Rules about cooling vary far more by location than rules about heat — some places now require it, most historically haven’t. But if AC came with your unit, your landlord generally has to keep it working. Renter Shield can show you what applies where you live.

• No Heat in Your Apartment: Get Help and Know Your Rights

  No heat in cold weather is treated as an emergency in most places, not a routine repair. If it’s dangerously cold, get safe first and call for help — then document the problem and notify your landlord in writing. Renter Shield can show you the exact rule for your state.

• No Hot Water in Your Apartment: Your Rights and What to Do

  Going without hot water for more than a short outage is generally treated as a habitability issue, especially for households with young children, older adults, or health needs. Document it, report it in writing, and watch for a gas smell near the water heater, which is an emergency.

• Roaches and Pests in Your Apartment: Your Rights and Next Steps

  An ongoing infestation of roaches or other pests is generally treated as a habitability issue, especially when it spreads from shared walls or common areas. Document it, report it in writing, and ask for professional treatment.

• Sewage Backup in Your Apartment: Get Help and Know Your Rights

  Sewage backing up into your home is a health hazard, not a routine repair. Avoid contact with the water, get everyone out of the affected area, and treat this as an emergency while you notify your landlord in writing.

• Water Leak or Flooding in Your Apartment: What to Do

  A leak or flooding is a habitability issue and can become a safety hazard fast, especially near electrical outlets or panels. Get safe first, then document everything and notify your landlord in writing.