In this heat not having A/C is not just miserable, it could be dangerous. We are hearing daily from apartment renters who have issues with broken and busted air conditioners. This is something we’ve helped with before - but we’ve had so many complaints we wanted to share what you can do if you are in this situation right now.
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How long can a landlord take to repair an issue like a broken A/C?
Eric Kwartler from Lone Star Legal Aid joined me for an episode of Ask Amy. We talked about how long a landlord can take to repair an issue like a broken A/C.
“With a repair request the landlord does have some leeway as long as they’re making a diligent effort to repair the situation,” said Eric Kwartler, Lone Star Legal Aid.
What if you feel like your landlord is not making a diligent effort? Like if it’s been two or three days with no A/C during the hot summer months?
“They can call us. You know, we do take some of these cases where a landlord is not doing what they’re supposed to do or has thoughts on how to legally or, you know, things like that,” said Kwartler. “But my first thing piece of advice is to send a letter to your landlord via certified mail, return receipt requested, telling him or her or that they need to make whatever repair it is it has to be by certified mail.”
Certified mail + repair request
You should send that certified letter even if you have already made the repair request through the apartment’s website or in person in the office. Sending the certified letter is required if you decide later to go to court to ask a judge to let you out of your lease or force the landlord to do something.
This is not as difficult as it might sound. You can learn more about the steps here. We also have other renter FAQs that may be helpful to you.
Are you driving a car that needs an anti-theft fix?
If you drive a Kia or Hyundai made anytime between 2011 through 2022 you’ve probably seen those Tik Tok videos that show just how easy it is to steal the vehicles. It’s been such a big issue across the country Kia and Hyundai came up with a free fix. But there are still millions of car owners that haven’t taken their vehicles in for repair.
There are STILL nearly five million Hyundai and Kias on the road today that can be started and stolen using nothing more than a simple USB cable. Criminals are showing others how to do it on social media. The problem is the car manufacturers built the vehicles without engine mobilizers.
See if your car is on the list and what you can do about it.
Solar panel company complaints!
In today’s Ask Amy episode that aired on KPRC 2 + channel another topic a lot of you are asking about = is solar panels. You may remember, I introduced you to a couple who said they were tricked by a solar panel salesperson.
I eventually helped them get their money back, but since then a lot of you reached out saying you are having similar issues with solar panel companies.
In today’s episode, learn what to look for when shopping for solar panels. I also fact check some of those sales claims like, you will get your panels paid for by the government or you will never have an electricity bill again. Watch the full episode and see the show notes here.