State Statutes on Rent Withholding and Repair and Deduct Remedies

If a landlord fails to meet their legal responsibility to maintain rental property, tenants may respond in a variety of ways, including withholding the rent or repairing the problem (or hiring someone to do so) and deducting the cost from the rent. This chart lists state statutes on these options. For advice on reading and understanding state laws, see Nolo's Laws and Legal Research Center.

State

Statute or case on rent withholding

Statute or case on repair and deduct

Alabama

Ala. Code § 35-9A-405

No statute

Alaska

Alaska Stat. § § 34.03.190, 34.03.100(b)

Alaska Stat. § § 34.03.180, 34.03.100(b)

Arizona

Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 33-1365

Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § § 33-1363 to -1364

Arkansas

No statute

No statute

California

Green v. Superior Court, 10 Cal. 3d 616 (1974)

Cal. Civ. Code § 1942

Colorado

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-507

No statute

Connecticut

Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § § 47a-14a to -14h

Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 47a-13

Delaware

Del. Code Ann. tit. 25, § 5308(b)(3)

Del. Code Ann. tit. 25, § § 5307, 5308

District of Columbia

Javins v. First Nat?l Realty Corp., 428 F.2d 1071 (D.C. Cir. 1970)

D.C. Code Ann § 6-751.10 (for installation of fire alarms only)

Florida

Fla. Stat. Ann. § 83.60

No statute

Georgia

No statute

No statute

Hawaii

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-78

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-64

Idaho

No statute

No statute

Illinois

765 Ill. Comp. Stat. § § 735/2, 735 /2.2

765 Ill. comp. Stat. § 742/5

Indiana

No statute

No statute

Iowa

Iowa Code Ann. § 562A.24

Iowa Code Ann. § 562A.23

Kansas

Kan. Stat. Ann. § 58-2561

No statute

Kentucky

Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 383.645

Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § § 383.635, 383.640

Louisiana

No statute

La. Civ. Code Ann. art. 2694

Maine

Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, § 6021

Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, § 6026

Maryland

Md. Code Ann. [Real Prop.] § § 8-211, 8-211.1

No statute

Massachusetts

Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 239, § 8A

Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 111, § 127L

Michigan

Mich. Comp. Laws § 125.530

Rome v. Walker, 198 N.W.2d 458 (1972); Mich. Comp Laws § 554.139

Minnesota

Minn. Stat. Ann. § § 504B.215(3)(d), 504B.385

Minn. Stat. Ann § 504B.425

Mississippi

No statute

Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-15

Missouri

Mo. Ann. Stat. § § 441.570, 441.580

Mo. Ann. Stat. § 441.234

Montana

Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-421

Mont. Code Ann. § § 70-24-406 to -408

Nebraska

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1428

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1427

Nevada

Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 118A.490

Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § § 118A.360, 118A.380

New Hampshire

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:13-d

No statute

New Jersey

N.J. Stat. Ann. 2A:42-88

Marini v. Ireland, 265 A.2d 526 (1970)

New Mexico

N.M. Stat. Ann. § 47-8-27.2

No statute

New York

N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-b, Semans Family Ltd. Partnership v. Kennedy, 675 N.Y.S.2d 489 (N.Y.City Civ.Ct.,1998)

N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-a; Jangla Realty Co. v. Gravagna, 447 N.Y.S. 2d 338 (Civ. Ct., Queens County, 1981)

North Carolina

No statute

No statute

North Dakota

No statute

N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-13

Ohio

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5321.07 (does not apply to student tenants; or when landlord owns three or fewer rental units, as long as landlord has given written notice to tenant)

No statute

Oklahoma

Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 41, § 121

Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 41, § 121

Oregon

Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.365

Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.365

Pennsylvania

68 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 250.206; 35 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 1700-1

Pugh v. Holmes, 405 A.2d 897 (1979)

Rhode Island

R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-32

R.I. Gen. Laws § § 34-18-30 to -31

South Carolina

S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-640

S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-630

South Dakota

S.D. Codified Laws Ann. § 43-32-9

S.D. Codified Laws Ann. § 43-32-9

Tennessee

Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-111-104

Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-502

Texas

No statute

Tex. Prop. Code Ann. § § 92.056, 92.0561

Utah

No statute

Utah Code Ann. § 57-22-6

Vermont

Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 9, § 4458

Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 9, § 4459

Virginia

Va. Code Ann. § § 54-248.25, 54-248.25.1, 54-248-27

No statute

Washington

Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § § 59.18.110, 59.18.115

Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § § 59.18.100, .110

West Virginia

No statute

No statute

Wisconsin

Wis. Stat. Ann. § 704.07(4)

No statute

Wyoming

Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1206

No statute

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