Operative Text
No owner or occupant shall cause any service, facility, equipment or utility which is required to be made available under these minimum standards to be removed from or shut off from any occupied dwelling, except for such temporary period as may be necessary during actual repairs or alterations, or during temporary emergencies when curtailment of service is approved by the board of health. If any such service or facility that a person has agreed to supply by a letting agreement becomes curtailed, that person shall take immediate steps to cause its restoration.
Lawrence Code of Ordinances ch. 15.12 § 15.12.230 establishes that required services, facilities, equipment, and utilities in occupied dwellings must remain continuously available, with only narrow exceptions for active repair work or board-of-health-approved emergencies. The rule treats any curtailment outside those exceptions as a violation. When a service covered by a rental agreement is interrupted, the responsible party is obligated to move promptly toward restoring it.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Lawrence Code of Ordinances ch. 15.12 § 15.12.230, compliant property operators maintain all code-required services and utilities without interruption, limiting shutoffs strictly to the duration of active repairs or emergencies that have received board of health approval. Operators who have contractually agreed to supply a particular service treat any interruption as a matter requiring immediate corrective action rather than a deferred maintenance item. Documenting the scope and timeline of any repair-related curtailment helps demonstrate that the temporary exception was applied narrowly and in good faith.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Lawrence Code of Ordinances ch. 15.12 § 15.12.230 gives occupants a basis to expect that required services and utilities will not be removed or shut off outside of narrow, approved circumstances. If a service covered by a rental agreement is curtailed, tenants may raise the violation with the Lawrence Board of Health, which has authority over approvals under this provision, or consult a local tenant-rights organization to understand available remedies. A record of when the curtailment began, any communications with the owner, and the nature of the affected service can be useful when pursuing a complaint or raising the issue as a defense in a housing proceeding.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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