Right to Safe and Functional Utilities

The Right to Safe and Functional Utilities is a legal protection that ensures tenants have access to essential services such as water, electricity, gas, and heat in their rental units. This right is based on the principle that landlords must provide and maintain habitable living conditions for their tenants. In most states, landlords are responsible for ensuring that utility systems are properly installed, connected, and in good working order. If a utility service is disrupted due to the landlord’s negligence or failure to make necessary repairs, the tenant may have the right to withhold rent, make the repairs themselves and deduct the cost from rent, or terminate the lease without penalty. Landlords cannot intentionally shut off or interfere with a tenant’s utility services as a means of retaliation or to force the tenant to vacate the rental unit.