What can I do about electric code violations in a rental unit?

Question

My fiance and I are currently renting an apartment in Baltimore, MD and recently we have become alarmed by much of the house's wiring. Things we have seen included:

• countless wires that are spliced together outside of electrical boxes
• wires spliced together with only electrical tape inside electrical boxes
• wires spliced together with only electrical tape outside of an electrical box
• wires that are black spliced to wires that are white
• single wires running from one electrical box to another (i.e. only hot or only neutral)
• loose wires laying in the back of our cabinets
• wires pinned (and chafed) between our oven and sharp corners of the cabinetry
• lighting fixtures that are wired in series instead of parallel
• twisted pairs without any sort of jacket running from one fixture to another

A lot of this was here when we arrived but we have personally observed a couple fixes entailing several of the bullet points above within the last few months.

I don't think that there is any combination of grandfathering in and loopholes that could result in this setup being up to code but are things like this common in older(early 1900's) houses? We've brought it up with our land lord but he hasn't taken any significant action to correct the issues. Would it be excessively paranoid to insist that someone inspect the place? If not what type of inspection should we ask for?

Answer 1

I had this same situation. I made a (written) list of issues (with pictures) and gave it to the landlord. When it became clear that the landlord would not fix them, I called an inspector. It turned out that there was a completely different department overseeing residential safety inspection vs. building code inspection, but after getting that sorted, they gave the home a free inspection and gave the landlord a fine and deadline to fix the issues. The landlord was understandably upset and asked us to leave, and we happily signed the lease-termination. I maybe should have told the landlord that I was going to refer the issues to the city by such-and-such a date and this may have avoided involving the city and angering the landlord. We probably would have been let out of lease under better terms, but there would have been no incentive for the landlord to fix anything and the cycle would have begun again with the next tenants.

I recommend you give the landlord every opportunity to fix your concerns, and seek a mutual lease-termination agreement if/when this fails. Pay your rent! If you don't and this goes to court, then It'll just end up looking like the you wanted out all along and used the safety issues as an excuse. If the inspector condemns the place, and you are forced to move, then you can stop paying your rent.

Answer 2

You should read up on what your legal rights (and responsibilities) are. Most landlord/tenant law in the US is at the state level, but your city and county may have additional rules. Most states have an easy-to-read summary of rental housing laws, and many major cities (including Baltimore, it seems) provide additional protection for tenants. You should also carefully re-read your lease, of course, to find out what the provisions are for breaking the lease, if any. Without a court order or mutual agreement with the landlord, you probably cannot just walk away.

Do not stop paying rent, although it appears MD law may let you deposit the money into an escrow account under certain circumstances. Knowing what the law is will make this process a lot easier. I don't think you necessarily need to get a lawyer at this point. Just do some research and let the landlord know what their specific legal obligations are (i.e. maintaining a safe residence) and what your specific legal rights are (i.e. reporting to Baltimore's housing authority).

I have made several maintenance/safety requests of landlords over the years and find it's helpful to be as specific as possible about what the problem is and why they're obligated to fix it. Just complaining that you don't like something or saying "the wiring is bad" makes it hard. I also find that being confrontational right off the bat is not helpful, although I realize that with some landlords you might have to get a little pushy.

Answer 3

Two long for a comment , Several items listed are not code issues at all. Wires can be twisted together and covered with electrical tape no solder is required. Black to white in a switch loop can be found in every house I have ever looked at the wiring. the white would be totally legal if fingernail polish, paint or colored tape in a color other than white or green is applied at the ends , Pined and chafed if it is the cord for the range is not a code issue it may be a fire department inspection item in a commercial kitchen but no enforceable code issues there. Fixtures in series still not a code issue. I am not sure what good 1 wire to a box would do other than an antenna for a radio but where is the code issue or concern here? Unless there are 2 single insulated wires? Depending on the date of install this was legal to replace knob and tube wiring. The only issue that I see that would be a code violation since I have been an electrician (70's) and repair work prior to my work would be the splices were required to be in a box. Yes I believe there was a lot of bootleg work done but as far as code issues not so many. Having worked on the side for a friend that owned 30_40 rentals many built in the 40's I did testify about wiring that did not meet current code but since the wiring exceeded code when built I don't remember him loosening but I was only directly involved in a few that I had done repair work on. I do live on the opposite side of the U.S. and would urge caution my friend had a lawyer on retainer that all he did was rental disputes and the rental contracts covered just about anything in his favor.

Answer 4

Move. Soon. Like this week. And stop May's rent cheque if it hasn't cleared already.

Some of the things on your list are actually ok, like the taped connections inside the box (IF they are also soldered) and black-to-white splices (standard with switches). Some of the rest sounds like a fire waiting to happen, and as someone commented will likely be throughout the building.

If your landlord gives you any grief about breaking the lease, tell him you will be happy to stay if the city electrical inspector gives the place a pass. Then call the inspector. After you leave and settle the deposit, call the inspector anyway so the next tenants don't burn up.

(In the extremely unlikely event that the wiring is actually ok, man up and pay for the inspection. Possible if the wiring is actually low voltage.)