If a landlord turns off the hot water heater for over a week…

However, under the law, tenants don’t have the right simply to stop paying rent, though. There is a process to go through and a procedure to follow if they remain in the property. If the tenant has told the landlord of the problem and the landlord hasn’t repaired or corrected it in a timely manner, the tenant has the right to have the city or municipality’s housing inspector come out to investigate.

same process in a house

if the landlord fails to refund the money, you can take them to small claims court

What happens next depends on the inspector’s decision. If the inspector declares the home to be uninhabitable, the tenant does not need to keep paying rent on the property. Should the tenant decide to remain in the property, then they will pay rent, but not to the landlord. Instead, their monthly rental payments will go into an escrow account. If the landlord makes the needed repairs within six months, they will get the money in the escrow account.

please read very carefully what I said

you DO have to pay rent...

but you are entitled to not have to pay the rent during the time you "cannot occupy" the house

or better said.. you will be entitled to a refund for that time. but you have to vacate in order to not be eligible for a refund

I'm sorry... this sounds like so many landlords... since the landlord already knows what has happened, call the health department and have a housing inspector come.. they can fine the landlord and force the quick repair