Dishwasher Repairs - Who covers cost?

[user1]

Hi,

We have been living at our address for 1 year now and 9 months ago we reported to our property manager that the dishwasher isn’t functioning well, it isn’t cleaning our dishes and needed someone to repair it.

Our property manager spoke with the landlord and she does not want to pay for any repairs or a new dishwasher. I raised this with our PM several times but it hasn’t been addressed and we have been washing dishes by hand for the past 9 months.

Do I have the right to call a dishwasher repairman myself and deduct the cost from the monthly rent ?

[SettlementOrgMod]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us.

We can appreciate that you would be concerned about this situation.

It is best if you contact the nearest Community Legal Clinic for legal advice and some assistance regarding this issue.

In terms of withholding rent, you can find some information in the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) - Maintenance and Repairs document.

Here is an excerpt,

A tenant should not withhold any part of the rent, even if the tenant feels that maintenance is poor or a necessary repair has not been done. A tenant should
file a Tenant Application about Maintenance with the Board (T6).

A tenant can be evicted if they withhold rent without getting approval from the Board.

If a tenant files a maintenance application with the Board, the tenant may ask the Board to allow them to pay some or all of their rent into the Board until their application has been decided. It will be up to the Board to determine
whether or not to grant the tenant’s request.

I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions and if there is any follow up to your question/situation.

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Anna
Settlement.Org Content and Information/Referral Specialist, CIRS
Settlement.Org