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Put your complaint in writing if your owner does not do what is in your rental or lease agreement. If you can, take shots of what is wrong.
If your owner does not do what is in your rental or lease agreement, you should file a written report and, if you can, take pictures of the problem. Make sure to keep copies for your records. If your owner does not react to your complaints, you will need all this paperwork to show that you tried to solve the problem. Most of the time, your owner will answer your first set of issues. If your landlord does make fixes, make sure they are done right by carefully inspecting and writing down the process.
If your owner does not answer your complaint within 24 to 48 hours, you should send another official complaint by certified mail. In the worst event, if your owner still does not respond, you can take formal action against him or her. If the problem is bad enough, you may have to move out or pay for the fixes yourself (you can remove the cost of repairs from your rent). Constructive eviction is a legal term that lets you get out of a house that you can not live in.
