If you’re one of the more than 44 million Americans who rent their homes, you likely have a landlord to call when things go wrong. Unfortunately, some landlords are more attentive than others in addressing their tenants’ problems, sometimes leading to uncomfortable, or even dangerous, living situations. If your landlord fails to make necessary repairs in a timely manner, a legal arrangement called rent escrow could allow you to withhold your monthly payments until the work is completed. Here is what you need to know.

What Is Rent Escrow?

Rent escrow is a legal process that allows tenants to temporarily make their rent payments to a third-party rather than to their landlord. After providing proper notice to the landlord and receiving approval from a judge, the renter begins withholding their rent by depositing it into a court-ordered escrow account.

This process, also commonly known as rent withholding, can address many different issues that could arise with a rental property. Though laws differ from state to state, the one common factor is whether the landlord has been able to maintain a habitable property. Issues like exposed wiring, mold formation on the walls, or a pest infestation could affect your living conditions enough to warrant withholding rent.

While you are withholding your rent, the landlord is given time to fix the problem. Occasionally, the landlord can ask the judge for access to some of the withheld funds to pay for repairs. Eventually, a judge will hear your case and make a determination based on the particular issue, whether your requests were warranted, and whether the landlord reasonably fulfilled your request for repairs.

Depending on the severity of the situation and how long it took for the issue to be resolved, the judge could rule in your favor and award you some or all of the withheld rent. In most cases, the withheld funds are remitted to the landlord once the repairs are complete, minus any court or inspection fees.

Still, there are some instances where a judge can side with the landlord. If that happens, you could end up being evicted.

How Does Rent Escrow Work?

As a renter in the U.S., you’re typically afforded certain protections against predatory actions or negligence by your landlord. Though these tenant’s rights vary based on where you live, rent escrow hinges on the notion that you deserve to live in a habitable property. As such, landlords are required to keep their properties in line with local structural, health, and safety regulations. If your landlord fails to meet those requirements, rent escrow can help you force the issue.

If the rental property you’re living in requires any immediate repairs or a health concern crops up, it’s up to you to notify your landlord of the situation. You should also document exactly what’s wrong with the property, since that evidence, or testimony from an expert, could be used in the eventual court hearing.

After receiving notice from a tenant about any major issues on a property, a landlord has anywhere from 14 and 30 days to address the problem, depending on local regulations. Failure to do so within the allotted time effectively opens the doors to beginning the rent escrow process at your local court. If your application is approved by a judge, you will then begin making your payments into an escrow account.

While your landlord works on the repairs, you should continue making your monthly rent payments into the escrow account. That shows both your landlord and the court that you are upholding your end of the lease.

Eventually, the court will finish its investigation into the issues that prompted you to begin withholding rent. After considering any evidence either side has presented, the judge will determine how the escrow will be disbursed and what will happen to your lease.

What’s Required to Withhold Rent in Escrow

Just because you’re experiencing a problem, that doesn’t mean you will qualify for rent withholding. Along with having to reach out to your landlord about the problem in writing, most municipalities require that the issue be serious enough that it could negatively affect your health or make your home uninhabitable.

Though the process differs by state, these are some common requirements for your case to be successful:

• You can’t be responsible for the damage. If you or a guest caused the damage that’s made your home unlivable, you can’t withhold your rent. Your lease should explain what your responsibilities are in that case.
• Your rent must be up to date. You’ll have to be current with your rent payments when you file your application to withhold your rent if you want to be approved by the court. Failing to pay on time can also lead to eviction.
• You’ll need to provide paperwork. In most instances, the court will require a completed rent withholding application, as well as a number of supporting documents, such as the lease, copies of your identification, and any bills you’ve paid related to the situation.
• Your landlord must know you’re withholding rent. If you’re approved to begin the rent escrow process, you’re required to inform your landlord in writing. That should include the reason you initiated the process, where the money is being held in escrow, and how much is in the account.

Rent Escrow vs. Repair and Deduct and Other Methods

Fewer than a dozen states in the U.S. lack a rent withholding statute. If you’re in a state like Idaho, Georgia, or Texas, that doesn’t have one, or if you don’t want to go the rent escrow route for other reasons, you may have an alternative course of action called “repair and deduct.”

In this case, you would arrange for the repairs yourself and deduct the amount you paid to complete them from your monthly rent. In some states you can make the repairs yourself, while paying your rent as usual, and then sue the landlord for your repair costs.

To learn more about the law where you live, a good place to start is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s state-by-state guide to tenant rights.