What is the Law on rent with utilities included, and no electric heaters permitted either?

I recently asked the question of " What is the law on having utilities included in the rent and not having any control of what the temperature is. I failed to mention that my landlord prohibits the use of electric heaters. I purchased some thermometers and have been placing them around my home. The temperature is averaging between 58 and 62 degrees and I am freezing my tail off.

There is a certain degrees your landlord has to provide for you.It varies from state to state. You can call your board of health and they will help you. Or if you know a landlord, ask them.

Kat, in Calif all items of concern re: plumbing, ele, roofs, windows & doors must be in adaquite condition and that goes double for heating. The heater must keep the homes in adaquite comfort or the LL is in violation of Federal & state laws.

Whether the LL includes it in the rent, or you pay additionally for that service such as water, you must be in control of the temperature you desire...the LL has to factor in that cost if they control the temps 'to your liking' !

There are no ifs, ands or buts about it, you are entitled to reasonable heat and if you're not getting it, file a federal case against the LL.

There are attornies that will take this on as 'pro-bono'...when they win they get 40% plus costs.

Log your temperatures and get witnesses to that effect, then use your heaters for warm'th during your suit and you'll see how fast they buckle at the knees and increase your temperature to your liking...not to mention a consolation of gratuity for your inconveince.

There might be a local law, particularly if you are in a large city. You will have to check with the local health or building department on that. You should document the information. Just keep a log with date, time, and temperature and write it down on a pad or notebook regularly. This may serve as evidence of "uninhabitability" and could be a defense against eviction. Many states have evolved a doctrine through case law, court decisions, requiring that basic human comfort be provided in a residential setting. That would include heat. You might be able to withhold rent until you get sufficient heat, get permission to use electric heaters, or even require your landlord to install better heat. But you should not take action unless you have consulted an attorney. You should also consult with any local tenant's rights group, and review the articles provided by Nolo Press on their web site and in their many helpful books.

You still have to be given control of your thermostat.

The only thing they can control is saying that you need [in my apt] to have the temp above 55 or you're responsible for frozen pipe damage or when I was in AZ they had to supply a/c.

Your landlord has the right to regulate the use of heaters that were not originally installed in the rental unit. This would be considered an outside heat source and they can say yes or no to them. However, the heating system "installed" in the rental unit should be sufficient to keep you warm in bad weather. Sometimes the only alternative to an uncaring landlord would be to look for a new residence. Sometimes the landlord just doesn't care whether your "freezing your tail off" or not.

There is no law. Speak to your landlord, ask him to raise the temp. If he doesn't, tell him that the living environment is untolerable - you will be forced to move elsewhere if they cannot accomodate you.