Write a Complaint Letter to Your Landlord
Property disputes need to be settled in writing. A letter is the most professional way to get your point across. When you want to write a complaint letter to your landlord, you can learn to make your written case as strong as possible.
Contents
Steps
Making Your Case
- Only pick a few applicable items per complaint. If something is bothering you enough to write to your landlord about it, it needs to be important. Choose the most important issue to write about. Try to choose between annoying things and serious issues that make your place unlivable. Important maintenance your landlord needs to address include:
- Waterproofing the roof and exterior walls
- Providing unbroken windows and doors
- Plumbing, electricity and gas upkeep
- Sewage, trash, water, and heat upkeep
- Keeping electrical wiring to code
- Keeping floors, stairways and railings in working order
- Removal of rodents and other pests
- Document the problem. Before you write, it's important to back up your claims with specific evidence. Keep a detailed account of the problem, including dates. Take pictures of the problem so that you can provide the landlord with evidence. Writing that you've "Seen some roaches from time to time" is vague. Instead, you want to write, "The first cockroach was seen on May 7th at 4 pm under the stairwell."
- Keep a notebook handy and write down the date, time, and content of the problem when it occurs. If you see roaches, write down where, when, and how many. Keep this as up-to-date as possible.
- If some part of the property needs fixed, take several high-quality pictures. Keep track of them by date.
- Cite specific items in the lease agreement. Before writing your complaint letter, it's a good idea to read over your legal lease agreement. See how your contract applies to the issue in question. If your lease addresses your issue, your complaint will be much stronger.
- Check for any vague language that could be interpreted in your favor. There's a lot of legalese in lease agreements, some of which is debatable.
- Research local renters' laws. Many local, state or province and federal laws may apply to your particular grievance. Reference these in your letter to help give it some weight.
- Look up noise ordinances. Look up trash burning ordinances. Depending on the problem, you want to find something be applicable. Attach this legal text to your complaint.
- Renters' rights and laws vary widely, state-by-state. To learn more about regulations in your state, click here.
- Consider your options for responding. What will you do, if your landlord doesn't fix the situation in the amount of time you're calling for it to be fixed? If you withhold rent in reaction, state this up front. Make sure your landlord gets the message.
- Only choose responses that you can back up. Don't say you'll sue unless you've talked to an attorney. It's important to understand the legal costs for which you may be responsible. The landlord may choose to call your bluff, putting you in a tough position.
Writing the Letter
- Use a professional tone. It's important for your letter to come across and calm and professional, but as stern as is necessary. You can be tactful and kind while still being firm about what you want. This is a serious matter, and your writing should reflect that.
- Avoid four-letter words and jargon. Keep it calm and avoid inflammatory language. Instead of writing something like "We're freaking tired of all the construction noise," a good tone for a formal complaint letter might read like this: "The constant noise level has negatively affected the tenant's quality of life."
- Introduce the issue clearly. Address the letter to your landlord simply, and then explain why you're writing. Explain that you have a problem with the property and that you'd like it fixed immediately, or you'll be forced to take action. Get to it in the first 2-3 sentences.
- An intro like this works well: "A problem with the property has arisen which needs your immediate attention. This is outlined in our lease agreement. We hope the problem can be fixed quickly, so further action won't be required on our part."
- Don't worry too much about including pleasantries and small-talk in the writing. It's not necessary for this kind of letter.
- Detail the problem. The most important part of the complaint letter is obviously the complaint itself. Explain in detail what the problem is. Provide the evidence necessary to make your case, or to make your request clear.
- Just get into the details: "On August 1st, we noticed the first of the cockroaches. You were initially contacted the afternoon of August 2nd, and required three phone-calls to get you to come address our concerns. Cockroaches have been found in the kitchen, under the stairwell floorboards, and can be heard in the walls. As of September 1st, the cockroaches are still present. Here is a detailed list of all occasions we have had food ruined by roaches, and photographs of the infestation."
- Make a specific request. Make it clear how you want the situation to be handled in accordance with your rights as a tenant. If you want something to be fixed, express this demand clearly and professionally. Write, "The stairs need to be fixed immediately so that the property can be considered tenable."
- Depending on the issue, you may get as specific as you want. What do you want done about the cockroaches, exactly? If the landlord has set out some cheap dollar-store traps, is that enough? The job may legally be taken care of, even if there are still roaches present. Demand a professional exterminator be hired, if necessary. Make your request clear.
- Explain what your response will be if nothing is done. If your landlord ignores your request, what action have you decided to take? Make it clear in your letter. Cite your lease agreement and local regulations.
- One option lots of renters have is to withhold rent payments until the problem is rectified. If you deem the property unlivable according to your lease, you may withhold rent until it is fixed.
- Another option you have will be contacting local housing authorities, who can come down hard on landlords. Give your landlord an opportunity to fix the issue before you do this.
- Provide a timetable for a response. Once you've made your specific request and explained what you'll be forced to do, give the landlord an opportunity to respond to the letter. Usually no more than two weeks is necessary to expect a response, but usually less will be required.
- Mandatory response times for landlords responding to tenants can vary by state or jurisdiction. Some U.S. states refer to a reasonable standard of 5 to 10 days. Be sure to include a call for a timely response according to local law.
- Revise the letter for clarity and usage errors. Dumb typos and spelling mistakes could doom your case. Go back through the letter and clear it up as much as possible, to present your complaint in the best possible light.
- Your letter needs to be crystal clear and concise, not only in spelling and grammar, but in sentence structure and logic. Read through your draft to make sure that what you say makes sense, as it would if you said it out loud.
- Don't Try to write in too much legalese to make it "sound smart." Use the same type of language you'd use in any professional letter, and keep it as clear as possible.
- Format the letter appropriately. Complaint letters should always be word processed and printed, or faxed. Make the letter look as professional as the content included.
- Include your contact information in the top right-hand corner of the letter. Include your phone number, e-mail address, and the address of the rental property in question at the top.
- Sign the letter and date it, to provide a reference point for the time-agreement. Deliver the letter yourself, personally, so it doesn't get lost in the mail.
- Generally, letters don't need to be longer than a single page, one-sided. If you need to go on much longer, consider breaking it up into multiple requests. If you've got that much to complain about, don't do it all at once.
Sample Letters
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