Repair Request Letter
Page last updated: August 22, 2026 · How we source & update
A written request asking your landlord to fix a problem in your rental unit. It documents what's wrong and when you reported it.
Educational — information, not legal advice, and not attorney-reviewed.
When to use it
Use this when something in your home needs repair — like a leak, a broken appliance, a heating issue, or a pest problem — and you want a documented record of your request.
What to include
- Your name, the rental address, and the date
- A clear, specific description of the problem and where it's located
- When you first noticed the issue
- A request for repair within a reasonable time, as your state and lease require
- How your landlord can reach you to schedule access to the unit
- A note that you're keeping a copy of this request for your records
What to attach or keep
- Photos or videos of the problem, dated if possible
- Any earlier verbal requests or text messages about the issue
- Copies of related repair receipts, if you paid for anything yourself
- Notes on how the issue affects your daily life or health
Before you send
- Review your state's repair and habitability rules in the app before sending
- Keep the description factual and specific, not emotional
- Send it using a method that gives you proof of delivery, and keep a dated copy for your records
- Let Renter Shield generate and customize this letter, and track your landlord's response deadline
The letter
Everything in [square brackets] is yours to replace. Nothing is sent anywhere from this page — edit it here, copy it, and send it yourself however your lease says notices are given.
Deliberately no deadlines or dollar figures. Those are set by your state, city and lease, so this letter leaves them to you — your state page carries the sourced rule and its review status. This wording is a general-purpose draft, is not attorney-reviewed, and is information, not legal advice.
You can type directly in the box. Your edits stay in this browser tab and are not saved or transmitted.
When NOT to use this letter
- There is an immediate danger — gas smell, exposed wiring, flooding, no heat in freezing weather, or a security failure like a broken exterior lock. Call the landlord AND your local code-enforcement line the same day, and call 911 if anyone is in danger. Send this afterward as the written record.
- You have already sent two written requests with no response. At that point the next step is usually code enforcement and free legal aid, not a third letter.
- You are planning to withhold rent or pay for the repair yourself. Those remedies have strict state-by-state preconditions and are not what this letter does — read your state page first.
Sending it and keeping the record
Sending. Send it by the method your lease names for notices (portal, email, or the mailing address in the lease). If your lease specifies a method, use that one AND keep a second copy by email or text so you have a timestamp. Photograph anything you hand-deliver.
Keeping. Keep: your sent copy, the delivery proof (sent-mail header, portal screenshot, or mailing receipt), the dated photos, and any reply. Note the date you sent it — in most states nothing starts until the landlord has notice.
Status of this wording: general-purpose draft, written by Renter Shield, not attorney-reviewed, no statutory deadline or dollar figure asserted. Rules vary by state, city, housing type and lease. Last updated September 3, 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.
Want the deadline tracked too?
The letter above is yours to use right now, free, with no account. The Renter Shield app can also keep your dated copy and photos together on your device — that part is optional. — free to start.
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