Is it illegal to rent an apartment without proper electrical grounding?

Question

I just talked to my father and told him that the three-prong outlet in my apartment that I'm using isn't grounded. He told me he believes that to be illegal, practically everywhere. Is this true? Is my landlord obligated to re-wire the electrical system to provide proper grounding? And if so, is there any documentation somewhere I can point to in order to prove this point with him?

Answer 1

You actually have several different questions here -

(1) Is a non-grounded 3 prong plug (in your specific building) legal according to local building/safety codes? (yes or no question)

(2) If the above answer is "Yes" does that violate local Landlord/Tenant Laws (also yes or no question)

(3) If the answer to 2 is "Yes" then you have to look at what your options are.



Here one possible resolution to talk with your dad about -



Let's say that Q1 is true. Now what? You report to the Building Code Enforecment. They find a violation, "red tag" your apartment and you will have to leave immediatly and stay out until the landlord fixes it.



The landlord at that point has several options - most of which involve you moving - as he does not have to fix it, he only has to fix it IF he is renting it out. He could sell the building, change it to condos, or lots of other options. He may also be able to just remove that outlet (assuming it's only one).



So much depends on your local laws - you have to find out the answers to Q1 & Q2 before you do anything.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

How do you even know that they are illegally in the U.S.? Mexicans rent an apartment the same way Americans do: they fill out an application, and once accepted, sign the rental contract or lease, leave a security deposit, and pay for the first month upfront. Nothing mysterious about it. If you don't like to live with Mexicans, it's probably a good idea not to move to an apartment complex where the leasing staff is all Mexican and most tenants are Mexican. I don't blame you for not wanting to listen to Mexican music 24/7, so that best you can do is move as you can't expect anybody else to move.

Answer 4

It's possible. There may be a "grandfather" clause if the dwelling is over a certain age. It may also depend if you are renting from a private individual or from an agency. Read your lease agreement and check with your local courthouse for direction to current housing codes in rental properties. In the meanwhile, invest in a regular renter's insurance, the premiums are VERY cheap (ours is about $6 per month since we combine it with our car insurance) and you can't afford NOT to have it wherever you are living. We found that out after we lost half our stuff when the pipes in our older (newly remodeled) home burst.

Answer 5

Whether or not there is a "grandfather clause" as was mentioned, it is still a violation of electrical code to connect a 3 wire grounding device to a 2 wire system. I also believe that it is a requirement of a landlord to maintain his properties to current codes. This would be for fire protection. Contact your local building codes dept and/or fire dept. inspection division for further information.

Answer 6

comes under of duty of care also. very dangerous!

Answer 7

YES IT HAS TO BE UP TO CODE IF NOT CONTACT SOMEONE