How Long Does a Landlord Have to Make Repairs? Deadlines by State
Repair deadlines after a tenant’s notice in Washington, Texas, Arizona, Oregon, California and Florida, and what a tenant may do if the landlord misses one.
By Seayora Editorial Team · Published · Facts checked · 5 min read
Short answer: It depends on the state and the problem. Washington sets the clearest clock: work must begin within 24 hours when there is no heat, water or electricity, 72 hours for a broken refrigerator, range or major plumbing fixture, and 10 days for anything else. Texas presumes seven days is a reasonable time, Arizona and Oregon let a tenant end the lease if a breach is not fixed after notice, and California presumes 30 days before a tenant may repair and deduct.
Key takeaways
- Washington: remedial action must begin within 24 hours, 72 hours or 10 days depending on the defect (RCW 59.18.070).
- Texas: seven days is presumed reasonable, and a tenant may repair and deduct up to one month’s rent or $500, whichever is greater (Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.056, 92.0561).
- Arizona: a tenant may give notice ending the lease if a health-and-safety breach is not fixed in five days, or another material breach in ten (A.R.S. § 33-1361).
- Oregon: seven days for an essential service and 30 days for other breaches before a tenant’s termination notice takes effect (ORS 90.360).
- California: a tenant may repair and deduct up to one month’s rent, no more than twice a year, and acting after 30 days is presumed reasonable (Civ. Code § 1942).
Is there a legal deadline for landlord repairs?
Every state requires a landlord to keep a rental fit to live in, but only some put a number of days on it, and the clock almost always starts with the tenant’s notice, which some states require in writing. Where a statute is silent the test is a “reasonable time,” judged by how serious the problem is. The states below are the ones whose statutes are most specific; others set their own rules or leave it to the courts.
| State | Deadline after notice | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | Begin within 24 hours for no heat, water or electricity or an imminent hazard; 72 hours for a refrigerator, range and oven or major plumbing fixture; 10 days otherwise | RCW 59.18.070 |
| Texas | A reasonable time, presumed to be seven days | Tex. Prop. Code § 92.056(d) |
| Arizona | Five days for a breach materially affecting health and safety; ten days for other material breaches | A.R.S. § 33-1361(A) |
| Oregon | Seven days for an essential service; 30 days for other breaches | ORS 90.360(1)(a) |
| California | A reasonable time; acting after the 30th day is presumed reasonable | Civ. Code § 1942(b) |
| Florida | Seven days after the tenant’s written notice before rent may be withheld | Fla. Stat. § 83.60(1)(b) |
What are Washington’s repair deadlines?
After written notice, a Washington landlord must begin remedial action “as soon as possible but not later than” 24 hours where the defect “deprives the tenant of hot or cold water, heat, or electricity, or is imminently hazardous to life”; 72 hours where it deprives the tenant of a refrigerator, range and oven, or a major plumbing fixture the landlord supplied; and ten days in all other cases, except where circumstances are beyond the landlord’s control (RCW 59.18.070).
How long does a Texas landlord have to make repairs?
Texas makes a landlord liable only after a specific sequence: notice to the person or place where rent is normally paid, a condition that materially affects the health or safety of an ordinary tenant, a second written notice (or a first notice sent by certified or tracked mail), a reasonable time to repair, no diligent effort by the landlord, and a tenant who was not behind on rent when notice was given. “There is a rebuttable presumption that seven days is a reasonable time,” weighed against the severity of the problem and the availability of materials, labor and utilities (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.056).
If the landlord is liable, the tenant may end the lease, sue, or in listed situations repair the problem and deduct the cost, up to “one month’s rent under the lease or $500, whichever is greater” in any one month (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.0561). The lease itself must describe these remedies in underlined or bold print.
What can a tenant do in Arizona and Oregon?
Arizona lets the tenant deliver a written notice naming the breach and saying the lease will end on a date at least ten days later if it is not remedied in ten days, or five days for a breach materially affecting health and safety; if the landlord fixes it in time, the lease continues (A.R.S. § 33-1361). Oregon works the same way with longer periods: the termination date must be at least 30 days after the notice, and the lease ends unless the breach is remedied “in seven days in the case of an essential service or 30 days in all other cases” (ORS 90.360).
When can a California tenant repair and deduct?
If a landlord neglects, within a reasonable time after notice, to repair conditions that make the home untenantable, the tenant may make the repair and deduct its cost from the rent if it is no more than one month’s rent, or move out and owe no further rent. The remedy is available “not … more than twice in any 12-month period,” and a tenant who acts after the 30th day following notice “is presumed to have acted after a reasonable time” (Cal. Civ. Code § 1942). It is not available if the tenant caused the condition.
Can a Florida tenant withhold rent for repairs?
Only after giving the landlord written notice of the problem and of the intention to withhold rent, and waiting seven days. In a case for nonpayment, the landlord’s material failure to maintain the premises is then a defense, and the court decides how much the rent should be reduced. A tenant who raises any defense other than payment must also pay the rent into the court registry, or within five business days ask the court to set the amount, or lose every defense but payment (Fla. Stat. § 83.60).
How should a landlord handle repair requests to stay within the rules?
- Give tenants one written channel for requests, so the date notice arrived is never in doubt.
- Triage by the categories your state uses: loss of heat, water or electricity is a 24-hour problem in Washington and an essential service in Oregon.
- Record when work began, not only when it finished; Washington’s clock is about beginning remedial action.
- Write down why a delay was outside your control, such as parts or a utility outage, because several statutes excuse those delays.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a landlord have to fix no heat?
In Washington, remedial action must begin within 24 hours of notice. Oregon treats heat as an essential service with a seven-day cure period before a tenant’s termination notice can take effect. Many cities also set heat rules of their own, such as New York City’s heat season.
Can a tenant repair something and deduct it from rent?
Only where state law allows and only by following its steps. California allows up to one month’s rent twice a year; Texas allows up to the greater of one month’s rent or $500 in listed situations after the required notices.
Does the deadline start when the tenant calls?
Usually when the landlord receives notice, and several states require it in writing. Texas counts the landlord as having received a mailed notice when the Postal Service attempted delivery.
State-by-state rules
- Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent? — compared across 19 states
Sources
- RCW 59.18.070, Landlord to remedy defective conditions, Washington State Legislature
- Texas Property Code Chapter 92, Residential Tenancies, Texas Legislature
- A.R.S. § 33-1361, Noncompliance by the landlord, Arizona Legislature
- ORS Chapter 90, Residential Landlord and Tenant (§ 90.360), Oregon Legislature
- California Civil Code § 1942, California Legislative Information
- Florida Statutes § 83.60, Florida Legislature
How Seayora helps
Maintenance requests: Tenants submit requests with photos from their phone, and every request is tracked from the day it arrived until it is resolved.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Landlord-tenant law varies by state and city and changes often, so check the current rule for your property and talk to an attorney before acting on a dispute.
How we write and check these guides: editorial standards.
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