Tenant Wins Eviction?

[Ben Rahlf]

Under what circumstances would an evictions court side with the tenant? Seems pretty black and white to me. You either paid or didn't pay.

[Karl B.]

The only exception I can think off offhand (and I'm sure there are other examples) would be a landlord doesn't fix something that should be fixed (non-working furnace), the tenant pays to have the repair done, subtracts the repair amount from the rent check and the landlord demands full rent claiming he didn't OK the repair or repair cost. 

Totally hypothetical but I can see the judge siding with the tenant (as long as the repair bill is realistic) as a heated home during the winter is a basic human need.

Or perhaps the landlord doesn't fill the paperwork out correctly or botches something during the process and the judge sides with the tenant and the landlord has to resubmit paperwork - I can see that happening too.

These are random hypotheticals, of course.