What must a landlord provide to ensure habitability in their rental units?

A landlord has a legal obligation to provide a rental unit that is habitable for tenants, which encompasses a range of necessary features that ensure safe and healthy living conditions. This includes adequate plumbing, heating, electricity, and proper sanitation facilities. These necessities are critical to maintaining a basic standard of living and are part of the habitability requirements mandated by landlord-tenant laws.

While heated living spaces and adequate roofing or structural integrity are important components of a livable property, they fall under the broader category of ensuring safe and healthy conditions rather than being standalone requirements. Affordable rents, while a significant aspect of housing equity, do not directly pertain to the physical condition and habitability of the rental unit itself. Therefore, providing all the essential features for safe and healthy living, as outlined, is what fully aligns with the concept of habitability in rental properties.