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lazy-but-talented t1_j15b4ym wrote

Reply to comment by Quinnlos in Shitty landlord, what do we do? by Quinnlos

absolutely do not withhold rent no matter what anyone else tells you, your landlord will have better standing to evict you for withholding rent . you do have the right to withhold rent but it's not as easy as just not paying there is a whole legal process for it where you might file a complaint and pay the court the rent that is owed while your landlord completes repairs. There is greater chance of you getting evicted for breaching your end of the contract by not paying rent versus the chance of your landlord getting repairs done because you stopped paying rent. Keep paying rent until you're directed otherwise by legal professionals not redditors

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suz_gard t1_j16mt8z wrote

This is true, the local news has been publishing a series on evictions in CT and in almost every case the tenants stopped paying rent because the house was legitimately falling apart, and the judge ruled against the tenant every single time. The stupid line they kept using was, We're at court over rent payments, not landlord maintenance. None of the documented maintenance issues were permissable evidence for the eviction hearing. I think CT has a law where you can pay your rent to the court instead of the landlord if you think they aren't abiding by the contract and the court holds your money until the case against the landlord is settled. Such a pain, but that's the legal way to approach it

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buried_lede t1_j1gzo73 wrote

Right, and there are also procedures for paying for repairs out of rent if your landlord fails miserably to do them. Following the procedures makes all the difference for the tenant- you want them to have the poor standing, not you. Always follow the rules. Lots of guides online for CT landlord tenant law that are easy to understand and follow.

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