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Tenant Repair Laws in North Dakota

In North Dakota, if the landlord does not make needed repairs within a reasonable time after the tenant's notice, the tenant may repair and deduct the cost from rent, or move out.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

North Dakota at a glance

Repair and deduct
Yes
After notice and a reasonable time, the tenant may repair and deduct the expense from rent. The statute sets no dollar cap.
Landlord repair deadline
Reasonable time
The statute does not set a fixed number of days.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in North Dakota

Can a tenant repair and deduct the cost from rent in North Dakota?

Yes. Repair and deduct in North Dakota: yes. After notice and a reasonable time, the tenant may repair and deduct the expense from rent. The statute sets no dollar cap.

How long does a landlord have to make repairs after notice in North Dakota?

Landlord repair deadline in North Dakota: Reasonable time. The statute does not set a fixed number of days.

Where do the North Dakota tenant repair laws come from?

The rules above come from N.D.C.C. 47-16-13. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

As alternatives to repair and deduct, the tenant may recover the cost from the landlord in any other lawful way, or vacate and stop owing further rent.

What this means in practice

Give notice in writing and keep a copy. Tenant repair remedies usually start running only after the landlord has received notice of the problem, and a dated letter or email is the easiest way to prove when that happened.

Document the condition before and after. Photos, videos, inspection reports from a local code office and receipts for any repair work help show that the problem was serious and that any amount deducted or withheld matches the actual cost.

Stay current on everything else. Repair remedies generally protect only tenants who are not otherwise behind on rent and who did not cause the damage, and using a remedy the state does not allow can be treated as nonpayment of rent and lead to an eviction case.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.