One of the most common Louisiana landlord/tenant disputes is that landlords refuse to make repairs, or the repairs that have been made are insufficient. Many Louisiana tenants believe that they can stop paying their rent due to the landlord's lack of performance. Under Louisiana law, landlords are obligated to repair issues both adequately and in a timely fashion. Although landlords are obligated to make repairs, if they fail to do so a tenant can not stop paying rent for lack of repairs or faulty repairs. Many tenants find themselves in eviction courts due to withholding rent based on lack of repairs.
Tenants in Louisiana have the right to hire their own repairman to repair the issues. If a tenant chooses to use an outside repairman, they must let the landlord know. From there, the landlord must apply the total costs of repairs to the tenant's rental balance. For example, a tenant has submitted a work order to the landlord to fix the broken air conditioner. Three weeks have passed and the landlord has not repaired the a/c.
The tenant then informs the landlord that they will use XYZ Air Company, LLC for repairs. XYZ Air Company repairs the air conditioner the same day and charges the tenant $2,500. The tenant's total monthly rent is $2,600. The landlord must apply the $2,500 to the rent balance, leaving the tenant with $100 to pay to the landlord. If the landlord refuses to allow the tenant to make their own repairs, the tenant may seek to legally break the lease.
Tenants must always keep in mind that a landlord/tenant dispute is a lease dispute. A lease is a contract; it is one of the most important contracts that you will ever sign in your life. Don't fight against landlords on your own. You need an experienced landlord/tenant attorney on your side. Attorney Chareese "Queen" Haile is an experienced landlord/tenant attorney who will fight for your rights as a tenant. Need a landlord/tenant lawyer? Click the link below to learn more.