After housing court in a repairs case:
If the landlord agrees to make the repairs or if the housing court orders the landlord to make the repairs, these are your next steps.
If the landlord completes repairs
If the landlord completes the repairs on time and they are done well, then you don’t need to do anything else. Keep a copy of the court documents, in case the issue comes up again.
If the landlord does not complete repairs
If the landlord doesn’t do the repairs on time, or if they are done badly, you can make a contempt motion. A contempt motion asks the judge to penalize the landlord for not obeying a previous order or agreement.
Contempt Motion
Step 1: Get another inspection
Call 311 to report your bad conditions again. Make sure you are home when HPD comes to inspect your apartment.
Step 2: Fill out a Contempt form
Go to the Clerk’s Office at Housing Court (the same place you went to when you first started your case). There is a Pro Se Contempt Form you can get there. Fill it out and file it with the Clerk.
Step 3: Serve HPD and the landlord
Serve a copy of your contempt motion on HPD and the landlord, just like you did when you started your case. Follow the same process for service and make sure you complete affidavits of service to take to court with you.
Step 4: Go to court (again)
When you get to court, follow the same check in process you did on your first court date. (See above.)
- Speak with the HPD attorney
Make sure you speak with the HPD attorney — HPD will have to approve any settlement, because they collect any penalties from your landlord.
- Present evidence
If the landlord says that they made the repairs then you might need to show the judge evidence that the repairs still need to be made (that’s why it is important to call 311 before you go back to court for contempt).
- Negotiate your settlement
You can settle your Contempt Motion with the landlord. You can also ask for a rent credit as part of that settlement.
There are at least four things you can get from a contempt motion:
- A court order forcing the landlord to make repairs.
- Civil Penalties: these are fines that the landlord must pay to the city. Each violation can be a separate fine.
- Civil Imprisonment: the court could order the Landlord imprisoned until repairs are completed. This only happens in extreme cases.
- Payment: if you can prove you have been injured by the landlord’s failure to make repairs.
Last Reviewed: June 22, 2023