Your landlord has to keep the place livable, and that duty cannot be signed away in a lease. Heat, hot water, working plumbing and no serious mold are requirements, not extras.
- 70°SF units need a permanent heat source able to hold this, three feet above the floor, in habitable rooms.SF Housing Code § 701
- 2xrepair and deduct is usable twice in any 12 months, capped at one month's rent.Civ. Code § 1942
- 30days is the general presumption of a reasonable time to fix, and it is rebuttable.Civ. Code § 1942
- 180days of protection from eviction, rent hikes or cut services after a complaint.Civ. Code § 1942.5
- 311SF sends housing inspectors on complaints. A notice of violation is the useful document.SF DBI
Official sources
This is a plain-language starting point, not legal advice. Rules change and every situation is different. Check the official sources above or talk to a tenant counselor before you act. Last checked 2026-07-23.