Cane v. EZ Rentals

The General Assembly has provided a residential tenant who experiences serious conditions or defects in a rental unit with legal remedies in what is known as the rent escrow statute. That statute places “an obligation upon landlords to repair and eliminate conditions and defects which constitute, or if not promptly corrected will constitute, a fire hazard or a serious and substantial threat to the life, health, or safety of occupants.” 1 That statute creates both a cause of action for the tenant and an affirmative defense that may be asserted by the tenant in certain types of actions that may…