Does a landlord have to renovate a rental unit before a new tenant moves in? Or, renovate it after the tenant has lived there a couple of years?
No, the landlord is not required by law to ‘update’ a rental unit with renovations like carpeting and painting when a tenant moves in, or after a tenant has lived there for a certain number of years. The landlord is, however, responsible for providing and maintaining a residential complex and the rental units in it in “a good state of repair and fit for habitation”. The landlord must also comply with any health, safety, housing and maintenance standards that apply to their property. So, for example, if the carpeting is unsafe because it is badly ripped and might cause someone to fall, the landlord may have to replace or repair it, no matter how old or new it is.