HOUSTON – As homeowners file claims and repair property damage caused by Hurricane Beryl some renters are stuck in less-than-ideal conditions.
Renters are asking Amy Davis how long their landlords have to fix damage caused by the storm.
Amy is answering your questions about renters’ rights after Beryl.
The Texas Property Code and your lease contract have all of the answers to these questions.
Houston apartment resident stuck in repair limbo
Let’s start with this one from viewer Natasha. She said her daughter’s apartment in the Texas Medical Center had a major leak from the storm. She sent pictures of the ceiling of her second-floor apartment.
On Friday, 11 days after the storm, she says management sent crews to remove the wet sheetrock from the ceiling and bedroom walls. They moved her daughter’s bed to the living room and then left.
They told her the work can’t be completed until after the roof is fixed but they don’t know when.
Natasha says management has refused to relocate her daughter to another apartment or reduce her rent so that she has money to stay somewhere else until the repairs are complete.
So what are her daughter’s options?
Check the lease agreement: If it says anything about what happens when the unit is “partially unusable,” she would go by that.
If nothing in the lease addresses this: the tenant can go to court and ask a judge to approve a reduction in rent based on how much of the apartment is not usable.
- RELATED: Texas Property Code
Question: After Hurricane Beryl a pipe broke at my apartment complex. There is raw sewage leaking and we have to boil water. I can’t do laundry or dishes and there is an extreme smell from all of the sewage. Shouldn’t the apartment complex help us find another place? Like a hotel?
Answer: Unfortunately, nothing in the Texas Property Code says that your landlord has to find you another place to stay. The property code only speaks to raw sewage inside your home or apartment. If that were the case that would make your place uninhabitable and you could ask a judge to let you break your lease.
If you have any issues like these with your landlord remember:
Put your repair requests in writing and date it.
You will need all the correspondence as evidence that shows how long you have waited for repairs.
Do you have a question for Amy Davis? Email AskAmy@kprc.com.