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DRAFT FOR ATTORNEY REVIEW — NOT FINAL

Boston Housing Authority v. Hemingway, 293 N.E.2d 831 (1973)

Citation
Boston Housing Authority v. Hemingway, 293 N.E.2d 831 (1973)
Parent Document
Boston Housing Authority v. Hemingway, 293 N.E.2d 831 (1973)
Jurisdiction
Massachusetts (state)
Effective Date
1973-03-05

Other Sections in This Document (181)

Full Text

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However, as we noted in Appelstein v. Quinn, 361 Mass. 861, these remedial statutes do not have any substantive effect on the tenant's rental obligations under *202 the common law. Therefore, if the tenant's § 8A defence prevails, any withheld rent that had been paid into court must be returned to the tenant because the tenant's rental obligation depended on the landlord's warranty of habitability which has been broken. In these circumstances, the landlord's breach, since it goes to the essence of the contract, renders the lease voidable at the tenant's election.[19] If the tenant elects to stay on for the rest of the term and the landlord promptly cures his breach by remedying the defective conditions, the tenant's rental obligation for the remainder of the term will be revived when the dwelling becomes habitable. If the tenant elects to stay on until the end of the term and the landlord makes no repairs, the tenant will be liable for the reasonable value, if any, of his use of the premises for the time he remains in possession. See Lemle v. Breeden, 51 Hawaii 426; Pines v. Perssion, 14 Wis.2d 590, 597.