Condition of Rental Unit

Wyoming law provides that landlords are required to maintain rental units in "a safe and sanitary condition fit for human habitation," such that the unit has functional electrical, heating and plumbing, including hot and cold running water. However, the state law permits private parties to contract around these rules. As a result, a written lease agreement could change these standards if a landlord and tenant chose to agree to different ones.

If a renter finds that their rental does not meet the standards described above and they are current on their rental payments, then they can notify the landlord in writing about the problem(s) and specify the repairs needed to correct it. The landlord can either make the repairs requested or, if the cost to fix the items is not reasonable, choose not to make the repairs and terminate the lease. If the landlord does not reply in a reasonable time to the renter's request for repairs, then the renter can take the landlord to court after 1)sending a second notice 2)that restates the problems and the repairs requested, 3) that says why the time elapsed is unreasonable, 4) that states the number of days since the first notice of the problems was sent, and 5) that states the renter intends to take the case to circuit court if the problems are not corrected within three days before the court date. The circuit court judge then hears the case and decides whether the landlord violated the law and if any damages should be awarded to the renter, whether the landlord should be ordered to fix the problem, and/or whether the lease should be terminated.

The state law on the general duties of owners and renters can be found by clicking here.W.S.§ 1-21-1202