Older Oklahoma landlord-tenant guides still cite the former $100 repair-and-deduct limit. That limit is no longer current.

Since 1 November 2022, 41 O.S. § 121(B) has allowed a qualifying tenant to deduct actual and reasonable repair costs up to an amount equal to or less than one month's rent. The change was made by Laws 2022, c. 230, § 1, replacing a ceiling that had stood unchanged since the Act was passed in 1978.

For property managers, the amendment makes timely response to qualifying repair notices substantially more important, because the potential statutory deduction is now tied to the tenant's monthly rent rather than a fixed $100 ceiling.

This guide covers the landlord's duties under 41 O.S. § 118, the four statutory remedy paths under § 121, the written notice that is a prerequisite to those remedies, the strict rules on shifting repair duties to a tenant, entry rights while work is pending, and the mirror-image remedy that lets a landlord repair and bill.

Oklahoma Repair Obligations and Remedies at a Glance

What § 118 Actually Requires

The Oklahoma Residential Landlord and Tenant Act states the repair duty as five obligations owed at all times during the tenancy. Three carry exceptions, and the exception often decides the dispute.

Common areas, § 118(A)(1). Keep all common areas of the building, grounds, facilities and appurtenances in a clean, safe and sanitary condition. Except in the case of a single-family residence.

Fit and habitable, § 118(A)(2). Make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the tenant's dwelling unit and premises in a fit and habitable condition. No exception, and this is the broadest of the five.

Systems and appliances, § 118(A)(3). Maintain in good and safe working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and other facilities and appliances, including elevators, supplied or required to be supplied by him. That qualifier matters, because the duty attaches to facilities and appliances supplied or required to be supplied by the landlord. Whether a particular appliance falls within it therefore depends on the property's obligations and the rental arrangement.

Waste, § 118(A)(4). Provide and maintain appropriate receptacles and conveniences for removal of ashes, garbage, rubbish and other waste, and arrange for frequent removal. Except in one- or two-family residences, or where provided by a governmental entity. Where waste service is provided by a governmental entity, the statutory exception applies, so the property's actual service arrangement should be verified rather than assumed.

Water and heat, § 118(A)(5). Supply running water and reasonable amounts of hot water at all times and reasonable heat. Except in a single-family residence, or where the service is supplied by direct and independently metered utility connections to the dwelling unit.

That last exception is the one to understand before responding to a winter complaint. Where the unit has its own direct, independently metered connection, the § 118(A)(5) supply duty is drafted not to apply. The § 118(A)(3) duty to maintain the heating equipment in good and safe working order is separate and unaffected. Which side of the line a property falls on depends on how the utilities are actually configured, which is a reason to hold meter and service configuration on the property record through utility and asset management rather than relying on memory during a cold snap.

Two supporting provisions are worth knowing. Section 102(1) defines "building and housing codes" as any law, ordinance or governmental regulation concerning fitness for habitation or the construction, maintenance, operation, occupancy, use or appearance of any premises or dwelling unit, so local code obligations sit alongside § 118 rather than inside it. And § 108 provides that any agreement, assignment, conveyance, trust deed or security instrument authorising a person other than the beneficial owner to act as landlord shall not relieve the beneficial owner of the duty to conform with the act and any other law, code, ordinance or regulation concerning the maintenance and operation of the premises. Appointing a management company reallocates the work, not the statutory duty.

Written Notice Is a Prerequisite to the § 121 Remedies

Section 121(E) provides that "all rights of the tenant under this section do not arise until he or she has given written notice to the landlord or if the condition complained of was caused by the deliberate or negligent act or omission of the tenant, a member of his or her family, his or her animal or pet or other person or animal on the premises with his or her consent."

The subsection does two things in one sentence. Written notice to the landlord is a prerequisite to the remedies in § 121. And those rights are also unavailable where the condition was caused by the tenant, a family member, a pet, or another person or animal on the premises with the tenant's consent.

Alongside it, § 125 places a duty on the tenant: any defective condition of the premises which comes to the tenant's attention, and which the tenant has reason to believe is unknown to the landlord, shall be reported by the tenant to the landlord as soon as practicable.

Two practical consequences. Because written notice is a prerequisite to the § 121 remedies, the date and content of the tenant's notice should be preserved as a dated record. And where you have grounds to believe the tenant caused the condition, that evidence needs gathering contemporaneously, because § 121(E) is one of the few complete answers to a repair-and-deduct claim.

Four Statutory Remedy Paths Under § 121

Section 121 gives an Oklahoma tenant four remedies. They are not interchangeable options; each has its own triggering conditions, and the differences between them are where most confusion arises.

Terminate on the 14/30 notice, § 121(A)

Where there is material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement, or noncompliance with any provision of § 118, which noncompliance materially affects health or safety, the tenant may deliver written notice specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach and stating that the rental agreement will terminate on a date not less than 30 days after receipt of the notice if the breach is not remedied within 14 days.

The agreement then terminates as stated unless the landlord adequately remedies the breach within the time specified. One notice, two dates: fourteen days to cure, termination no sooner than thirty days from receipt. The standard is that the landlord "adequately remedies," so a partial or cosmetic fix inside fourteen days may not stop the termination.

Repair and deduct, § 121(B)

This is the path the 2022 amendment reshaped, and its conditions are cumulative.

The threshold differs from subsection (A). Subsection (A) applies where the noncompliance materially affects "health or safety." Subsection (B) is written to apply where the noncompliance materially affects health. A tenant relying on repair and deduct is relying on the narrower formulation.

The breach must be remediable by repairs whose reasonable cost is equal to or less than one month's rent.

The sequence is unusually worded, and worth reading before assuming how it runs. Section 121(B) provides that the tenant may notify the landlord in writing of the intention to correct the condition at the landlord's expense after the expiration of fourteen (14) days, and then provides that if the landlord fails to comply within "said fourteen (14) days," or as promptly as conditions require in the case of an emergency, the tenant may cause the work to be done. The first clause appears to place the notice after a fourteen-day period, while the second refers back to that period as though it is already running. Because the subsection's wording is not explicit about how the notice and the fourteen-day period interact, managers should not assume a notice sequence different from what the statute or controlling Oklahoma authority requires, and should take Oklahoma advice where the timing of a particular claim is in dispute. In an emergency, the period compresses to whatever the conditions require.

Then the mechanics. The tenant may cause the work to be done in a workmanlike manner and, after submitting to the landlord an itemized statement, deduct from rent the actual and reasonable cost or the fair and reasonable value of the work, not exceeding the amount specified in this subsection.

And one provision that favours the landlord. Where the tenant uses this path, the rental agreement shall not terminate by reason of that breach. Repair and deduct preserves the tenancy rather than ending it.

What the ceiling actually means. For a unit with monthly rent of $1,200, the statutory ceiling under § 121(B) is $1,200, assuming all other requirements of the subsection are satisfied. Those requirements are cumulative: material noncompliance, materially affecting health, remediable by repairs, reasonable cost within the ceiling, the written notice, failure to comply in time, workmanlike performance, an itemized statement, and a deduction limited to actual and reasonable cost or fair and reasonable value. The ceiling is not a spending allowance.

The tenant may arrange for the qualifying work to be performed, subject to the statute's requirements concerning workmanlike performance and reasonable cost. Two things the subsection does not state are also worth noting precisely: it does not set an express aggregate or annual limit on repeated use, and it does not require the landlord's approval of the contractor or the price.

The operational consequence for your ledger. A lawful deduction under § 121(B) arrives looking exactly like a partial rent payment. Unless the itemized statement is matched to the rental period and recorded against it, an office can mistake a statutory deduction for an arrear and start a nonpayment process against a tenant who complied with the statute. Tying every payment and adjustment to a specific rental period through rent collection and payment records is what prevents that.

A University of Tulsa law review analysis traces the history of the former $100 ceiling and the 2022 change, and is worth reading for the background.

Essential services, § 121(C)

Where, contrary to the rental agreement or § 118, the landlord willfully or negligently fails to supply heat, running water, hot water, electric, gas or other essential service, the tenant may give written notice specifying the breach and thereafter may:

1. Upon written notice, immediately terminate the rental agreement;

2. Procure reasonable amounts of heat, hot water, running water, electric, gas or other essential service during the period of the landlord's noncompliance and deduct their actual and reasonable cost from the rent;

3. Recover damages based upon the diminution of the fair rental value of the dwelling unit; or

4. Upon written notice, procure reasonable substitute housing during the period of the landlord's noncompliance, in which case the tenant is excused from paying rent for the period of the landlord's noncompliance.

Option four deserves attention. The tenant may procure reasonable substitute housing during the period of noncompliance and is excused from paying rent for that period. There is no dollar ceiling in subsection (C) equivalent to the one-month limit in subsection (B), and the deduction in option two is measured by the actual and reasonable cost of procuring the service.

Note the mental element: the landlord's failure must be willful or negligent under § 121(C).

Immediate termination, § 121(D)

Where noncompliance with the rental agreement or § 118 renders the dwelling unit uninhabitable or poses an imminent threat to the health and safety of any occupant, and is not remedied as promptly as conditions require, the tenant may immediately terminate on written notice specifying the noncompliance. No fourteen days, no thirty days. The only timing standard is as promptly as conditions require.

Legislative Watch: HB 2015

Section 121 has been amended only once since 1978, by the 2022 change to the repair-and-deduct ceiling. It has been the subject of further legislative attention.

House Bill 2015, authored by Rep. Daniel Pae, would rewrite parts of § 121, including a more structured process for withholding rent where repairs cost more than one month's rent. The Oklahoma House of Representatives announced that the bill passed the House on 26 March 2026 and advanced to the Senate. Reporting at the time indicated that, if it were enacted, the changes would take effect 1 November 2026.

Two points for a property manager. Nothing in HB 2015 changes the law as it stands today, and even on the timetable reported at House passage the earliest possible effective date would be 1 November 2026. And because that date falls shortly after publication, anyone relying on this article should check the bill's final status and the current text of § 121 with the Oklahoma Legislature before acting in late 2026 or beyond.

Shifting Repair Duties to a Tenant: § 118(B) Is Strict

Oklahoma permits duty-shifting, but the formal requirement is stricter than most managers assume.

Section 118(B) provides that the landlord and tenant of a dwelling unit may agree "by a conspicuous writing independent of the rental agreement" that the tenant is to perform specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations or remodeling.

Three requirements sit in that sentence. The agreement must be in writing, it must be conspicuous, and it must be independent of the rental agreement. Because § 118(B) specifically requires a conspicuous writing independent of the rental agreement, a repair-duty provision contained only within the lease does not satisfy that statutory formulation.

The tasks must also be specified. A general provision making the tenant responsible for "all maintenance" is not a specified repair, maintenance task, alteration or remodeling. And § 108 remains in the background: an arrangement authorising someone else to act does not relieve the beneficial owner of the statutory duty.

Because these documents have to exist separately from the lease and be produced years later, they belong on the tenancy record alongside the lease, which is what contracts and renewals is for.

Getting In to Do the Work

Having a duty to repair is not the same as having a right to enter whenever you like.

Section 128(A) provides that a tenant shall not unreasonably withhold consent for the landlord, agents and employees to enter to inspect the premises, make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations or improvements, supply necessary or agreed services, or exhibit the unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workmen or contractors. Section 128(B) permits entry without consent in case of emergency.

Section 128(C) is the operative limit. The landlord shall not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant, and except in case of emergency or unless it is impracticable to do so, shall give the tenant at least one day's notice of intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times.

One day, not twenty-four hours as a defined statutory term, and only at reasonable times. Section 128(D) adds that unless the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the premises, the landlord has no other right of access during a tenancy except as provided in the act or pursuant to a court order.

Consequences run both ways. Under § 128(E), if the tenant refuses lawful access the landlord may obtain injunctive relief to compel access or terminate the rental agreement. Under § 124(A), if the landlord makes an unlawful entry, a lawful entry in an unreasonable manner, or harasses the tenant by repeated unreasonable demands for entry, the tenant may obtain injunctive relief or, upon written notice, terminate, and in either case recover actual damages. Section 124(B) carves out landlord action that is execution of a writ under 12 O.S. § 1148.10A.

There is a practical tension worth planning around. Section 121(B) contemplates a fourteen-day period, while § 128(C) requires a day's notice before entry unless there is an emergency. Building the entry notice into the response workflow from the moment a complaint is logged is how you use the available time rather than losing days to scheduling.

The Mirror Image: When the Tenant Causes the Damage

Oklahoma gives the landlord a repair-and-bill remedy that parallels the tenant's.

Under § 132(A), where there is noncompliance by the tenant with the rental agreement or with § 127 which can be remedied by repair, replacement of a damaged item, or cleaning, and the tenant fails to comply as promptly as conditions require in an emergency, or within ten days after written notice served as provided in § 111(E) specifying the breach and requiring the tenant to remedy it, the landlord may enter the dwelling unit and cause the work to be done in a workmanlike manner and then submit the itemized bill for the actual and reasonable cost or the fair and reasonable value as rent on the next date rent is due, or, if the rental agreement has terminated, for immediate payment.

Note the trade-off in the last sentence of that subsection: if the landlord remedies the breach this way, the landlord may not terminate the rental agreement by reason of the tenant's failure to remedy. Repair and bill preserves the tenancy, exactly as repair and deduct does on the other side.

The tenant duties this attaches to are in § 127: keeping the occupied part of the premises as safe, clean and sanitary as its condition permits; disposing of waste safely; keeping plumbing fixtures clean; using facilities and appliances safely and non-destructively; not deliberately or negligently destroying, defacing, damaging, impairing or removing any part of the premises or permitting any person, animal or pet to do so; not disturbing other tenants' quiet enjoyment; complying with valid rules under § 126; and not engaging in specified criminal or drug-related activity.

Where the breach is material rather than remediable by repair, § 132(B) applies instead: written notice specifying the acts and omissions, terminating on a date not less than fifteen days after receipt unless remedied within ten days, with any subsequent breach grounds for immediate termination on written notice. For the full possession framework, see our overview of what Title 41 requires of Oklahoma property managers.

Disclosures and Casualty

Methamphetamine, § 118(C). Prior to the commencement of a rental agreement, if a landlord knows or has reason to know that the dwelling unit or any part of the premises was used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, the landlord shall disclose this information to a prospective tenant. One exception: if the landlord has had the level of contamination assessed and it has been determined not to exceed one-tenth of one microgram per one hundred square centimeters of surface materials, no disclosure is required.

Flooding, § 113a. If the premises has been flooded within the past five years and that fact is known to the landlord, the landlord shall include such information prominently and in writing as part of any written rental agreements. Failure entitles any tenant who is a party to the agreement to sue and recover the personal property damages sustained by the tenant from flooding of the premises.

Fire or casualty, § 122. Where the dwelling unit or premises are damaged or destroyed by fire or other casualty to an extent that enjoyment is substantially impaired, and the impairment was not caused by the deliberate or negligent act or omission of the tenant, a family member, a pet or another person or animal on the premises with the tenant's consent, the tenant may either immediately vacate and notify the landlord in writing within one week of the intention to terminate, in which case the agreement terminates as of the date of vacating; or, if continued occupancy is possible, vacate any part rendered unusable, in which case liability for rent is reduced in proportion to the diminution in the fair rental value. On termination under § 122, the landlord must return all deposits recoverable under § 115 and all prepaid and unearned rent, with accounting as of the date of the casualty. Those returns follow the framework in our guide to Oklahoma security deposit rules and the 45-day return deadline.

Failure to deliver possession, § 120(A). If the landlord fails to deliver possession at the commencement of the term, rent abates until possession is delivered, and the tenant may terminate by written notice, whereupon the landlord returns all prepaid rent and deposit, or may demand performance and maintain an action for possession plus actual damages.

What You Cannot Put in the Lease

• Section 113(A) provides that a rental agreement may not provide that either party agrees to waive or forego rights or remedies under the act; authorises anyone to confess judgment; agrees to pay the other party's attorney's fees; agrees to exculpation, limitation or indemnification of any liability arising under law for damages or injuries to persons or property caused by or resulting from the acts or omissions of either party, their agents, servants or employees in the operation or maintenance of the dwelling unit or the premises; or agrees to establish a lien except as allowed by the act. Section 113(B) makes any such provision unenforceable. That fourth item is aimed squarely at maintenance.

• Section 103(B) provides that a rental-agreement provision is unenforceable to the extent it conflicts with the act. A provision purporting to impose a repair-and-deduct limit or notice period that conflicts with § 121 would therefore be subject to that rule.

• Section 105(B) provides that any right, obligation or remedy under the act is enforceable in any court of appropriate jurisdiction including small claims court, and that in any action for breach of a rental agreement or to enforce any right or obligation under the act, the prevailing party shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys' fees. Combined with § 113(A)(3), fee-shifting comes from the statute and cannot be redesigned by the lease.

• Section 105(A) adds a duty to mitigate damages, § 107 imposes an obligation of good faith in performance or enforcement of every duty under the act, and § 135 directs that the act be liberally construed.

Common Mistakes Property Managers Make in Oklahoma

1. Relying on the former $100 repair-and-deduct limit. Since 1 November 2022 the ceiling has been equal to or less than one month's rent.

2. Not dating the tenant's written notice. No § 121 right arises until written notice is given.

3. Not reading a notice carefully enough to see what it is. A report of a condition under § 125 is different from a § 121(B) notice concerning the intention to correct the condition at the landlord's expense, and § 121(B)'s wording on how that notice and the fourteen-day period interact is not explicit.

4. Assuming a fixed fourteen days always applies. Both § 121(B) and § 121(D) require action as promptly as conditions require in an emergency or where the unit is uninhabitable.

5. Missing the difference between subsections (A) and (B). Subsection (A) is written around noncompliance materially affecting health or safety; subsection (B) around noncompliance materially affecting health.

6. Overlooking § 121(C)(4). A tenant who procures reasonable substitute housing during the noncompliance is excused from paying rent for that period.

7. Ignoring the willful or negligent element in § 121(C).

8. Failing to gather evidence of tenant causation. Section 121(E) removes the § 121 rights where the condition was caused by the tenant, family, pet or a person on the premises with consent.

9. Putting a repair-shifting clause in the lease. Section 118(B) requires a conspicuous writing independent of the rental agreement.

10. Shifting duties in general terms. The tasks must be specified.

11. Assuming a management agreement transfers the duty. Section 108 says it does not relieve the beneficial owner.

12. Misreading the § 118(A)(5) exception. It turns on a single-family residence or direct, independently metered connections, and it does not affect the § 118(A)(3) duty to maintain supplied equipment.

13. Assuming the § 118(A)(4) waste duty always applies. It excepts one- or two-family residences and where a governmental entity provides the service, so verify the actual arrangement.

14. Entering without a day's notice. Section 128(C) requires it except in an emergency or where impracticable, and only at reasonable times.

15. Treating a lawful § 121(B) deduction as an arrear and starting a nonpayment process against a compliant tenant.

16. Not using § 132(A) where a tenant's qualifying noncompliance can be remedied through repair, replacement of a damaged item or cleaning and the statutory notice requirements are satisfied.

17. Forgetting that § 132(A) says the landlord may not terminate the rental agreement by reason of that failure to remedy once the landlord uses the statutory repair-and-bill remedy.

18. Omitting the § 118(C) methamphetamine disclosure where the landlord knows or has reason to know, absent a qualifying assessment.

19. Omitting the § 113a flood disclosure where the premises flooded within the past five years and the landlord knows.

20. Including an exculpation or indemnity clause for maintenance liability, contrary to § 113(A)(4).

21. Putting an attorney fee clause in the lease. Section 113(A)(3) prohibits it; § 105(B) supplies prevailing-party fees anyway.

22. Working from a superseded copy of Title 41. Section 121 changed in 2022 and has drawn further legislative attention since, so confirm the current text before relying on it.

Building a Repair Record That Holds Up

For a property manager, six records are especially valuable when a repair dispute later turns on dates, notice, causation, or the amount of a deduction.

• The date and content of every written notice from a tenant, distinguishing a report of a condition under § 125 from a § 121(B) notice concerning the intention to correct at the landlord's expense, because they have different consequences.

• The date and substance of your response, since § 121(A) asks whether the landlord adequately remedied and §§ 121(B) and (D) ask whether the response was as prompt as conditions required.

• Entry notices given, showing the day's notice under § 128(C) and the time of entry, since unlawful or unreasonable entry can support actual damages under § 124.

• Property configuration, particularly whether a unit is a single-family residence and whether utilities run through direct, independently metered connections, because three of the five § 118 duties turn on those facts.

• Any § 118(B) duty-shifting agreement, held as a separate conspicuous writing rather than a lease clause.

• A period-by-period rent ledger that records statutory deductions against the itemized statement supporting them, so a lawful deduction never reads as an arrear.

Because the notice sequence has steps that must happen in order and cannot be reconstructed later, this is a strong case for running repair notices through workflow customization rather than as ad hoc tickets, and for surfacing pending repair deadlines through dashboards and reports. Dated condition evidence captured at both ends of the tenancy through move-in and move-out management also supports a § 121(E) argument that the tenant caused the condition.

The difference from a possession-focused workflow becomes important when a repair dispute turns into one. Unlike an eviction-driven process such as Ohio's eviction procedure or Georgia's dispossessory process, Oklahoma's § 121 remedies can affect the rent ledger before any possession action is filed. A property manager therefore needs to be able to distinguish a statutory repair deduction from an ordinary rent delinquency.

Conclusion

The duties are five, and three carry exceptions. Common areas, fit and habitable condition, systems and appliances including elevators, waste removal, and running water, hot water and reasonable heat. Single-family residences, one- and two-family residences, governmental provision of waste service, and direct independently metered connections each switch off a specific duty, and none of them affects the duty to maintain supplied equipment in good and safe working order.

Written notice is a prerequisite to the § 121 remedies, and § 121(E) also removes them where the condition was caused by the tenant, a family member, a pet or a person on the premises with consent.

Four remedy paths follow, each with its own trigger. A 14/30 termination notice under § 121(A) where health or safety is materially affected. Repair and deduct under § 121(B) where health is materially affected and the reasonable cost is equal to or less than one month's rent. A four-option menu under § 121(C) where the landlord willfully or negligently fails to supply an essential service, including substitute housing with rent excused. And immediate termination under § 121(D) where the unit is uninhabitable or there is an imminent threat and the response is not as prompt as conditions require.

The operating discipline is short. Date every written complaint the day it arrives, and read it closely enough to know which provision it engages. Treat any repair notice as time-sensitive rather than assuming a particular number of days is available, because § 121(B)'s wording on timing is not explicit and the emergency standard can compress it to nothing. Send the entry notice immediately so scheduling does not consume whatever time you have. Document tenant causation where it exists. Keep duty-shifting agreements as separate conspicuous writings. Use § 132(A) where a tenant's qualifying noncompliance can be remedied by repair, replacement or cleaning. And record any deduction against its itemized statement so it never reads as unpaid rent.

This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It states the law as at September 2026. The Oklahoma Residential Landlord and Tenant Act at 41 O.S. §§ 101 to 136 is amended from time to time. Section 121 was amended by Laws 2022, c. 230, § 1, effective 1 November 2022, and § 118 was last amended by Laws 2010, c. 282. House Bill 2015, which would further amend § 121, passed the Oklahoma House on 26 March 2026 and advanced to the Senate; readers should confirm its final status and the current text of § 121 before relying on this article. The wording of § 121(B) concerning the tenant's notice and the fourteen-day period is not explicit, and this article does not attempt to resolve it. Manufactured and mobile home sites, spaces and lots fall within the definition of dwelling unit in § 102(3), and § 104 excludes certain arrangements from the act entirely. Verify the current statutory text with the Oklahoma Legislature or the Oklahoma State Courts Network before acting, and consult a licensed Oklahoma attorney on a specific matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What repairs is an Oklahoma landlord required to make?
Section 41-118(A) requires the landlord to keep common areas clean and safe, keep the unit fit and habitable, maintain supplied electrical, plumbing, heating, air-conditioning and other facilities including elevators, provide waste removal, and supply running water, hot water and reasonable heat. Three of those five duties carry exceptions for single-family residences, one- or two-family residences, governmental waste service, or independently metered utilities.

Q2. How much can an Oklahoma tenant deduct for repairs?
Since November 1, 2022, § 41-121(B) allows repair and deduct where the reasonable repair cost is equal to or less than one month's rent. Before that amendment the ceiling was under $100, and many older guides still quote the outdated figure.

Q3. How long does an Oklahoma landlord have to respond to a repair notice?
It depends on the subsection. Section 41-121(A) gives 14 days to remedy before a stated 30-day termination date takes effect, § 41-121(B) refers to a 14-day period for repair and deduct, and § 41-121(D) requires action as promptly as conditions require where the unit is uninhabitable.

Q4. Does the tenant have to give written notice first?
Yes, for the remedies in § 41-121. Section 41-121(E) states that the tenant's rights under that section do not arise until written notice has been given to the landlord.

Q5. What if the tenant caused the problem?
Section 41-121(E) removes those rights where the condition was caused by the deliberate or negligent act or omission of the tenant, a family member, the tenant's pet, or another person or animal on the premises with the tenant's consent. Contemporaneous evidence of causation is what makes that defence usable.

Q6. What can a tenant do if the landlord will not restore heat or water?
Under § 41-121(C), after written notice the tenant may terminate immediately, procure the service and deduct its actual and reasonable cost, recover damages for the diminished rental value, or procure reasonable substitute housing and be excused from paying rent for the period of noncompliance.

Q7. Can a lease make the tenant responsible for repairs in Oklahoma?
Only under § 41-118(B), which requires a conspicuous writing independent of the rental agreement covering specified tasks. A repair-duty clause contained only within the lease does not satisfy that requirement, and § 41-108 keeps the duty with the beneficial owner regardless.

Q8. How much notice must a landlord give before entering to repair?
At least one day's notice of intent to enter, at reasonable times, under § 41-128(C). No notice is required in an emergency or where giving it is impracticable.