My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Massachusetts
I live in a 16 unit apartment building in Cambridge. Five days ago I received an email from my landlord stating that the boiler broke and that there was no heat and hot water. He had a repair person come the next day and determined that a new boiler was needed. The day after that he signed a proposal for a new boiler. Two days ago he apparently had two temporary hot water heaters installed to provide a limited amount of hot water in the interim, though I have not been able to access any hot water. At that time he said the new boiler would be up and running by tomorrow. Today he sent another email stating that the boiler was supposed to be up and running by noon tomorrow but the installation company was unable to obtain certain permits (because it is Veteran's Day), and therefore the boiler will not be installed until Monday.
In the meantime, it has gotten significantly colder this week and our apartment, which is not very insulated to begin with, is frigid. I am wondering if I have any rights regarding staying in a hotel, purchasing space heaters, etc. and having the costs deducted from my rent. I read a little online about rent withholding that seemed to imply that I would need some kind of certification from the city, which I probably wouldn't be able to obtain until Monday at this point, when the boiler will allegedly be installed. It also seems that rent withholding might be more of a tool to force a repair, after which the rent is paid - but do I have any recourse here?
My landlord has been somewhat diligent about updating us about repairs, but it does seem the repairs certainly could have been done with more urgency (especially given the time of year). I don't want to cause unnecessary problems but my apartment is quickly becoming uninhabitable. Any advice is much appreciated!
I live in a 16 unit apartment building in Cambridge. Five days ago I received an email from my landlord stating that the boiler broke and that there was no heat and hot water. He had a repair person come the next day and determined that a new boiler was needed. The day after that he signed a proposal for a new boiler. Two days ago he apparently had two temporary hot water heaters installed to provide a limited amount of hot water in the interim, though I have not been able to access any hot water. At that time he said the new boiler would be up and running by tomorrow. Today he sent another email stating that the boiler was supposed to be up and running by noon tomorrow but the installation company was unable to obtain certain permits (because it is Veteran's Day), and therefore the boiler will not be installed until Monday.
In the meantime, it has gotten significantly colder this week and our apartment, which is not very insulated to begin with, is frigid. I am wondering if I have any rights regarding staying in a hotel, purchasing space heaters, etc. and having the costs deducted from my rent. I read a little online about rent withholding that seemed to imply that I would need some kind of certification from the city, which I probably wouldn't be able to obtain until Monday at this point, when the boiler will allegedly be installed. It also seems that rent withholding might be more of a tool to force a repair, after which the rent is paid - but do I have any recourse here?
My landlord has been somewhat diligent about updating us about repairs, but it does seem the repairs certainly could have been done with more urgency (especially given the time of year). I don't want to cause unnecessary problems but my apartment is quickly becoming uninhabitable. Any advice is much appreciated!
Rent and Utilities: No Heat and Hot Water - What Are My Remedies
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