As a working mom, most of Linda’s afternoons followed the same routine — leave work, pick up the kids from school, put dinner in the oven, eat, get ready for bed, repeat. It wasn’t until her oven stopped working that she realized how vital one appliance could be to her family’s evenings. What was once mundane, became burdensome, and expensive.
“It was hard, and it was even worse that my landlord would put my family through that. I’m a good tenant. I’m always on time with my rent. I always make sure things are up to par around here, she should too,” Linda said.
When one day without an oven turned into two months because her landlord refused to replace it, she knew she needed help. She started researching her options and came across Rentervention.com, LCBH’s free online renter resource. Through chatting with the Rentervention chatbot, Renny, she learned more about her rights and connected with LCBH Staff Attorney Conor Malloy.
As Conor’s client, Linda saw his passion for solving housing issues firsthand. He reviewed her documentation thoroughly and actively listened to her needs. “He told me from point A to Z, what my rights were, and what options I had,” she said.
After sending a 14-Day Letter to her landlord, Conor informed Linda that she could withhold rent until her oven was fixed. When her landlord still refused to make repairs and threatened to evict her, Conor offered to step in to speak to Linda’s landlord. Not even two days after their conversation, her landlord had a new oven delivered. “Conor was very open and knowledgeable. I know I will turn to him if I have any problems in the future, and if I don’t get him, hopefully, I will get somebody like him,” she said.
Today, Linda is back to her normal afternoon routine. To her, working with Conor was about so much more than her stove — it gave her the tools to advocate for her family in the future. “LCBH helped me to understand my rights. Going forward, I’ll know exactly what to do or where to look for information if something else happens.”