Very often, tenants are reluctant to pay rent to landlords who have shown they are unwilling to fix things that are broken. While the landlord does have a legal obligation to keep the premises in good repair, the tenant also has a legal obligation to pay rent, and unfortunately for the tenant, those two obligations are independent of one another. It is very common for the tenant to try and raise repair failures as a defense to a dispossessory action, but the tenant will find out – too late – that this is not a legal defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is not to say there’s nothing the tenant can do. Georgia law has recognized a “repair and deduct” remedy for a long time. This infographic will give the tenant the proper steps to take to ensure he\/she is properly<\/em> taking advantage of this remedy. Of course, contact qualified counsel with more specific questions that you may have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n