I rent in a half house which was recently red tagged in three areas by RG&E and our furnace was shut off. The landlord has a "friend" doing the repairs although little has been done so far. My lease was up last month and I've continued paying the rent on time. The landlord wants me to sign the new lease with a large increase in rent. I told her that I didn't want to sign until repairs were completed. She's insisting I sign immediately. Can I legally refuse to sign until repairs are done?

Yes, you can refuse to sign a new lease. And the landlord then has the right to terminate your month-to-month tenancy with 30 days written notice. (Well, in some states it is 60 days notice and in other states it is 15 days notice.)

How badly do you want to live there? If you really want to stay then you can sign a new lease and then pay your rent into an escrow account at the court house until the repairs are completed. Or you may be able to pay for the repairs yourself and then deduct the cost from your rent. Your options depend on the laws in your state.

I have to wonder why you would want to stay, though. If the place is in bad enough shape to get red-tagged and have the furnace turned off, and if the landlord isn't getting it repaired, do you really think things would improve after you sign a new lease obligating you to stay for another year and pay a lot more rent? I'd start looking for a new place immediately.

Do you want to go on living there or are you ready to move? Even if the repairs are completed and completed to your satisfaction, if your having trouble is it possible that it is time to move to another location? Easier said than done and I haven't answered your question, just wondering if you want to continue to live there. Because you are not currently under a lease you are in a position to move on after giving the proper notice.