In far too many cases of landlord-renter conflict in Maine, the first weapon that many renters use is withholding rent as a way to get leverage. Unfortunately, withholding rent should only be used as an absolute last resort and is often times a lease breaker if the renter uses it in the wrong situation. One of the biggest reasons why renters and landlords argue is over fixing things in the apartment or arguing about who’s job it is to fix things. If the bathroom tap drips or if your windows need to be cleaned, this can be a frustrating and tedious battle to wage, but they aren’t grounds for withholding rent. The only time you can really get away with withholding rent is if your apartment has become unlivable due to things like pest infestation, lack of heat in the wintertime, lack of water or other catastrophic issues like this. The rules when it comes to renters rights vary from state to state so make sure you have a clear understanding of when it is OK to withhold rent where you live. If you end up having to go to court or go in front of an arbitrator and they find out you withheld rent for a less than major reason, you can expect to lose your case hands down.

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