Delaware Landlord Repair Duties & Habitability Rights (2026)

What a landlord must fix, and your options when they do not

At a glance

• Core duty: 25 Del. C. § 5305 — 房东义务：符合健康安全建筑/住房法规、维持 fit and habitable、维护电气/管道/卫生/供热/通风/空调（URLTA）。
• Notice before acting: 健康安全违约：书面通知后 **合理时间**修复（5306/5307，URLTA 标准）。
• Governing authority: 25 Del. C. § 5305

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the landlord's duty to maintain a habitable home in Delaware, and what you can do when repairs go unmade.

It does not cover commercial leases, or conditions you caused yourself (which are treated differently).

The landlord's duty

25 Del. C. § 5305 — 房东义务：符合健康安全建筑/住房法规、维持 fit and habitable、维护电气/管道/卫生/供热/通风/空调（URLTA）。

供热：10月1日-5月15日；冷热水；烟雾 + CO 探测器。

25 Del. C. § 5305 ↗

What the duty covers in practice

Notice and time to cure

健康安全违约：书面通知后 **合理时间**修复（5306/5307，URLTA 标准）。

25 Del. C. § 5307 ↗

Your remedies when repairs go unmade

Landlord entry rules

25 Del. C. § 5509/5510 — **48 小时通知**（一般）；紧急情况无通知；租客缺席超 7 天可进入保护财产。

25 Del. C. § 5509 ↗

When the duty does not apply

条件系租客、家人或经其同意者造成 → 房东无修复义务（5305/5307）。

25 Del. C. § 5305 ↗

Sources and how to verify them

Every figure on this page comes from the official text or a state court opinion, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked.

Statute	Last verified	Source
25 Del. C. § 5305	2026-10-16	official text ↗
25 Del. C. § 5307	2026-10-16	official text ↗
25 Del. C. § 5509	2026-10-16	official text ↗

Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Where a provision admits of more than one reading, that is flagged rather than smoothed over.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

A self-help guide is the right starting point for understanding your position. Get legal help if:

• You have received an eviction notice — the timeline is now court-driven
• The dispute involves discrimination, unsafe conditions or retaliation
• Your landlord has filed anything in court already
• You are unsure whether a local ordinance changes the state rule

Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.

More Delaware guides

Delaware Security Deposit Return · Delaware Security Deposit Rules · Delaware Eviction Process · Delaware Rent Increase Rules · Delaware Landlord Retaliation

→ All Delaware tenant rights topics

Common questions