Rent credits are very rare things. So, to get started, let's talk about situations where Revolution is not able to approve rent credits:
- We cannot approve a rent credit for repairs that take a reasonable amount of time to complete. What is "reasonable" depends upon the type of repair. But generally, if the repair doesn't drag on for weeks, then it probably won't be eligible for a credit.
- We cannot approve credits for hotel or Airbnb stays. If your home is not habitable due to a major repair, then we can credit you for the time that you couldn't use the home by pro-rating your rent, but the cost of the hotel stay cannot be credited. You should contact your renter's insurance company for that.
- We cannot approve credits for spoiled food if a refrigerator stops working, for the cost of getting clothes cleaned at the cleaners if a washer/dryer needs repaired, or other similar incidental expenses. Again, you should look to your renter's insurance company for these costs.
- We cannot approve credits for damaged personal property due to a leak, fire, or other "act of god." Once again, this is when you should look to your renter's insurance company for coverage.
Okay, with those items covered, when can we approve a rent credit? Generally we can approve a rent credit if the home or a portion of the home is unusable for an unreasonable period of time. For example, let's say that your air conditioner goes out and it takes two weeks to get it fixed in the middle of the summer. This is usually considered an unreasonable delay, and it renders the home uninhabitable if it's very hot. In this case, we could pro-rate the rent for the two weeks. Another example would be a fire (assuming the fire was not your fault). If a fire renders a portion of the house unusable, then we could pro-rate the rent for the portion of the house that was unusable for the period of time while it is being repaired.
Please note that in all cases, the credit must be based on the percentage of the house that is unusable, and the percentage of the month that it was unusable. We cannot provide additional credit for "inconvenience" or for "pain and suffering" or other intangibles.
If you believe that a rent credit is justified, please submit this form to request the credit and we will review it ASAP and get back to you.
