How should I deal with my landlord?

I was wondering what are the laws for landlords fixing problems in your apartment? I rent and there are countless things wrong with my apartment. I’ve emailed the landlord for the past 6 weeks and he just says he’ll send maintenance but never does. What do I do? Can I stop paying rent until he fixes it?

Hi there...I'm a huge court show buff and was a business law major for a while; also have owned some rental properties and served as a landlord. You can withhold rent, but usually it's not recommended unless the problems in your apartment are either safety issues or something that makes living there unbearable (inhibits your right to peaceful enjoyment of your home). The best thing to do, so as not to get on your landlord's bad side, is to inform the landlord that if he doesn't send someone to do the repairs, you will hire someone in a couple weeks. Then, hire someone to come in an fix the problems, pay the contractor, deduct that amount from the next month's rent and attach a COPY of the receipts. Keep the originals for your own records, so if it ever goes to court you have proof of what you paid for. Also, take PHOTOS of the things that needed repair before they are fixed. And, don't hire anyone to do the work that you know; I.e., a family member who could be accused of inflating the costs. Getting a few estimates is a good idea also, going with the low estimate or mid-range shows you were trying to mitigate the landlord's damages (expenses).