Interesting topic
I searched and found some information online. If your home is made un-livable by a freak storm/act of God.
It is enough that it is not livable regardless of the cause.
So if a hurricane blows a hole in the roof you can just vacate and abandon the property and break the lease.
A dwelling has to have 4 walls, roof, a door that can be locked, windows, electricity and plumbing and water.
As long as there is one bathroom, it is habitable.
But major problems with mold, rat infestation, etc etc. That is not the fault of the tenant, is enough reason.

If you want to stay, you can always negotiate a reduced rent, otherwise leave

You totally deserve a break on the rent. You can even get reduced rent if your electricity gets turned off because you didn't pay the bill.

What's that you say? The landlord had nothing to do with the interruption of service in that situation, so you're not entitled a reduction in rent? Good point.

Wait a minute . . .

probably another entitled x-gen..

I can't speak directly to electricity loss but we have a rental unit in our house and this issue came up due to flooding from a broken water main in a nearby street. As a landlord, we were responsible for taking care of repairs in a timely manner, but not to a break on the rent. Most of the homes on our street had damage (including our own living areas) but it was not due to our own negligence. Just like a homeowner who is inconvenienced by a disaster, a renter will be inconvenienced. That is just part of life. As a renter, you are lucky that any damage is not your problem and the fix will be up to the landlord, but the regular inconveniences of life do not go away just because you rent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The rental company isn't depriving you of the ability to have electricity.

But the unit is not livable

is perfectly livable. stop whining for a few days (at most) with no AC and no refrigerator.

Anonymous wrote:Let me guess , you voted for obama

like most people here....

This is the dumbest post ever. I typically do not like landlords but not having electricity is not the landlords fault. It's the fault of the storm.

OP, please read your lease. And if you have renter's insurance, maybe it covers something like this. But as PPs said, do you really think you can sue the landlord when the lack of power/water is not due to his failure to maintain the property?

If you have questions, call the DC office of the tenant advocate, 941 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 9500, (202) 442-8359.

Anonymous wrote:The rental company isn't depriving you of the ability to have electricity.

But the unit is not livable