New Mexico Landlord Repair Duties & Habitability Rights (2026)

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

At a glance

• Core duty: NMSA 1978 § 47-8-20 — 房东义务：遵守最低住房法规、保持 safe condition、维护 plumbing/electrical/heat/AC、供水/热水/供暖、common area、垃圾容器。
• Notice before acting: 47-8-27.1：租客书面通知后，房东须 7 天内 reasonable attempt 修复；未修则租约在通知后不少于 7 天终止。
• Governing authority: NMSA 1978 § 47-8-20

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the landlord's duty to maintain a habitable home in New Mexico, 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

NMSA 1978 § 47-8-20 — 房东义务：遵守最低住房法规、保持 safe condition、维护 plumbing/electrical/heat/AC、供水/热水/供暖、common area、垃圾容器。

新墨西哥适居性标准是「safe condition」而非「fit and habitable」（landlordatlas 核验）。

NMSA 1978 § 47-8-20 ↗

What the duty covers in practice

Notice and time to cure

47-8-27.1：租客书面通知后，房东须 7 天内 reasonable attempt 修复；未修则租约在通知后不少于 7 天终止。

NMSA 1978 § 47-8-27.1 ↗

Your remedies when repairs go unmade

Landlord entry rules

NMSA 1978 § 47-8-24 — **24 小时书面通知**（含目的/日期/时段）；3 个例外（紧急/租客 7 天内请求的维修/公职人员检查）。

NMSA 1978 § 47-8-24 ↗

When the duty does not apply

缺陷系租客或经其同意的他人造成的，房东无义务（47-8-20）。

NMSA 1978 § 47-8-20 ↗

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
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-20	2026-10-16	official text ↗
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-27.1	2026-10-16	official text ↗
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-27.2	2026-10-16	official text ↗
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-36	2026-10-16	official text ↗
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-24	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 New Mexico guides

New Mexico Security Deposit Return · New Mexico Security Deposit Rules · New Mexico Eviction Process · New Mexico Rent Increase Rules · New Mexico Landlord Retaliation

→ All New Mexico tenant rights topics

Common questions