Can a landlord disconnect water or electricity? How long do they have to fix things? Amy Davis and Ryan Marquez of the University of Houston Center for Consumer Law cover a lot of ground as they tackle topics important to renters in Houston and across Texas.
Watch the episode in the video player above.
Websites mentioned in this episode
University of Houston Center for Consumer Law
Laws regarding what a landlord must do
Texas Law Help - includes sample letters you can send to landlords
For quick reference, you can scroll to these timecodes in the episode to hear a specific topic
:49 How long does a landlord have to fix a broken A/C or other issues?
2:00 Why you need to put any requests to apartment management in writing and the best ways to send the request.
3:46 The exact laws regarding landlord’s duty
5:01 Who makes the decision if the issue a health and safety concern / needs to be fixed faster.
8:00 Can landlords disconnect electricity or water? What can you do if this happens?
9:51 Can landlord raise rent all of the sudden like $300-$400 a month?
10:30 How much notice does a landlord have to give when raising rent?
11:07 How the taxes impact landlords and then impact renters.
12:30 Can you choose your own cable provider even if the apartment is set up with a certain company?
13:42 What rights does tenant have to refuse cable plans?
15:00 Answers to eviction questions.
17:00 What you should know about security deposits. Can a landlord keep my security deposit? What you can do to make sure you get back your money on your security deposit.
19:01 What can you do about mold in apartments? What is the law regarding mold growing in apartment?
Helpful KPRC content related to helping renters
What if my landlord won’t return deposit?
How to get your security deposit back
Do you have an episode idea? We are working to bring you more information on consumer-related topics. Email askamy@kprc.com if you have an idea for a topic!
