How long is reasonable for repairs after burglary

Parent Cafe
1

My son’s apartment was burglarized over the winter break. Fortunately he did not lose much that can not be replaced - the thieves did take a small fireproof safe he had that contained some irreplaceable personal items. We’re dealing with the renter’s insurance to replace the items that can be replaced such as the TV and some video games. And we also already placed a fraud alert on his credit reports since he found his social security card laying on the floor.

The burglar(s) gained entry by breaking a window at the back of the unit. The police discovered the crime during the winter break and contacted my son before he returned to school. They also mentioned that they had contacted the landlord and the window would be repaired. When my son returned to school he discovered that the window had been covered with a piece of plywood, but it was actually a friend of his who had done that and not the landlord.

The landlord sent someone to look at the issue today and said it may be 2 more weeks before the window can be repaired?

With the ‘implied warranty of habitability’, how long should the landlord have to replace the window? It’s January, and besides the safety issues, that’s also going to impact the heating bills since it’s getting cold overnight and I’m not sure how air tight the piece of plywood is.

2

Two weeks sounds like an awfully long time. I’d have your son call around to several handymen or window repair places and ask when each could repair it and how much, and then have him give that information to the landlord.

3

Is this apartment at all related to a college? If so, have your son contact someone at the college and get their help in pressuring the landlord. Sometimes the college offers lists of off-campus housing, and an implied threat to remove landlord from that “preferred” list might encourage the landlord to work more quickly to repair the window.

Are there any other security measures that your son can take to prevent a future breakin?

4

your son should tell the landlord he will move in to his house until they fix the window

5

Have it repaired and submit the receipt while deducting the amount from the rental payment.

6

Texas has very strict laws about how quickly repairs gave to be made when four and window locks are concerned. Google your issue with your state in the search.