Tenants and landlords in the housing and real estate industry are entitled to some legal rights and tied by legal responsibilities as they deal with each other. For this relationship to work, each of them needs to understand what the legal outcomes are for their actions. This case scenario between Larry and Roger is a legal dilemma which requires a proper understanding of the legal rights and responsibilities to ensure fairness for both parties.
Tenant Legal Rights and Responsibilities
The primary responsibility of the tenant is to make sure that he or she pays his or her rent on time and preferably by cheque or through the bank and get the receipt (Cornell Law School, nd). The tenant is further obligated to ensure that he does not damage any part of the apartment. This can be done through keeping the house clean and safe, disposing of garbage well, ensuring that plumbing and electrical fixtures are used correctly among other responsibilities (University of Toledo, 2016). On the other hand, a tenant has the right to stay in a safe building that complies with all the housing, construction and health codes. This is also done through that repairs are done on time, water is supplied, and trash cans are availed.
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Rights and responsibilities of landlords
A landlord has the right to gain access to a tenant’s house if he has given 24 hours’ notice to examine the condition of that house. In addition, he has a right to demand that the tenant takes good care of the house and fixtures and in the case of damage can take money from the deposit to make the necessary repairs. On the other hand, a landlord has the legal responsibility of ensuring that his tenants live comfortably in a safe and clean environment. Any repairs should be handled on time in addition to ensuring that the tenants get clean water, electricity and garbage cans (State of Georgia Department of Community Affairs, 2012).
The landlord has the duty to ensure that his client lives comfortably and that is why he was supposed to handle the leaking roof once Roger called him the first time. The fact that Roger pays on time should be a good reason for Larry to hasten the repairs. On the other hand, Roger as the person residing in this apartment has the responsibility of ensuring that all fixtures are maintained well. The damage caused by Roger’s bat was a wrong move on his side, and he should take responsibility for such damage which could be viewed as intentional (State of Georgia Department of Community Affairs, 2012).
Does Larry have legal grounds to evict Roger?
Larry has no legal grounds to evict Roger considering that he has exposed him to deplorable living conditions which are in contravention of the law. His constant refusal to repair the leaking roof has caused Roger a lot of losses and mental agony despite Roger paying his rent on time.
Does Roger has a legal obligation to pay for the damage he caused
Roger has a responsibility of maintaining the apartment’s fixtures, and everything in it and his action of destroying the socket is irresponsibility on his part. Larry can deduct some money from his security deposit and use it to repair the damage caused (University of Toledo, 2016).
References
Cornel Law School (nd). Landlord-Tenant Law: An Overview. Legal Information Institute . Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/landlord-tenant_law.
State of Georgia Department of Community Affairs (2012). Georgia Landlord Tenant Handbook Frequently Asked Questions. Rertireved from https://www.dca.ga.gov/housing/housingdevelopment/programs/downloads/Georgia_Landlord_Tenant_Handbook.pdf.
University of Toledo. (2016). Landlord and Tenant Responsibilities. Student Legal Services, Inc . retrieved from http://www.utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/studentlegalservices/tenant/Landlord_Tenant.html.
