Okla. Stat. tit. 41 § 121

Landlord's Breach of Rental Agreement - Deductions from Rent for Repairs - Failure to Supply Heat, Water or Other Essential Services - Habitability of Dwelling Unit

In Force
Verified 10/17/2026 · Next check 10/18/2026
effective 11/1/2022OklahomaHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

Okla. Stat. tit. 41 § 121
A. Except as otherwise provided in this act, if there is a material noncompliance by the landlord with the terms of the rental agreement or a noncompliance with any of the provisions of Section 118 of this title which noncompliance materially affects health or safety, the tenant may deliver to the landlord a written notice specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach and that the rental agreement will terminate upon a date not less than thirty (30) days after receipt of the notice if the breach is not remedied within fourteen (14) days, and thereafter the rental agreement shall so terminate as provided in the notice unless the landlord adequately remedies the breach within the time specified.

B. Except as otherwise provided in this act, if there is a material noncompliance by the landlord with any of the terms of the rental agreement or any of the provisions of Section 118 of this title which noncompliance materially affects health and the breach is remediable by repairs, the reasonable cost of which is equal to or less than one month's rent, the tenant may notify the landlord in writing of his or her intention to correct the condition at the landlord's expense after the expiration of fourteen (14) days. If the landlord fails to comply within said fourteen (14) days, or as promptly as conditions require in the case of an emergency, the tenant may thereafter cause the work to be done in a workmanlike manner and, after submitting to the landlord an itemized statement, deduct from his or her rent the actual and reasonable cost or the fair and reasonable value of the work, not exceeding the amount specified in this subsection, in which event the rental agreement shall not terminate by reason of that breach.

C. Except as otherwise provided in this act, if, contrary to the rental agreement or Section 118 of this title, the landlord willfully or negligently fails to supply heat, running water, hot water, electric, gas or other essential service, the tenant may give written notice to the landlord specifying the breach and thereafter may:

1. Upon written notice, immediately terminate the rental agreement; or

2. Procure reasonable amounts of heat, hot water, running water, electric, gas or other essential service during the period of the landlord's noncompliance and deduct their actual and reasonable cost from the rent; or

3. Recover damages based upon the diminution of the fair rental value of the dwelling unit; or

4. Upon written notice, procure reasonable substitute housing during the period of the landlord's noncompliance, in which case the tenant is excused from paying rent for the period of the landlord's noncompliance.

D. Except as otherwise provided in this act, if there is a noncompliance by the landlord with the terms of the rental agreement or Section 118 of this title, which noncompliance renders the dwelling unit uninhabitable or poses an imminent threat to the health and safety of any occupant of the dwelling unit and which noncompliance is not remedied as promptly as conditions require, the tenant may immediately terminate the rental agreement upon written notice to the landlord which notice specifies the noncompliance.

E. All rights of the tenant under this section do not arise until he or she has given written notice to the landlord or if the condition complained of was caused by the deliberate or negligent act or omission of the tenant, a member of his or her family, his or her animal or pet or other person or animal on the premises with his or her consent.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Oklahoma law under 41 O.S. § 121 establishes several remedies available when a landlord materially fails to comply with a rental agreement or the habitability standards set out in Section 118. Depending on the nature and severity of the breach, the law permits tenants to terminate the rental agreement, arrange and deduct the cost of certain repairs, recover damages reflecting reduced rental value, or secure substitute housing. These remedies are triggered only after the tenant provides written notice to the landlord specifying the problem, and they do not apply when the condition was caused by the tenant, a household member, or a guest.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 18, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under 41 O.S. § 121, compliant landlords generally respond promptly to written notices from tenants that identify health, safety, or habitability concerns, addressing remediable issues within the fourteen-day window the statute provides. When an emergency arises, operators typically act as quickly as conditions require rather than waiting for the full notice period to expire. Landlords who fail to supply essential services such as heat, running water, or electricity risk tenants exercising any of several statutory remedies, including lease termination, repair-and-deduct, or rent abatement for substitute housing.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

41 O.S. § 121 outlines multiple paths available to tenants when a landlord's failure to meet rental-agreement terms or habitability standards materially affects health or safety. Depending on the situation, options can include delivering written notice and allowing the landlord fourteen days to cure, arranging qualifying repairs and deducting their reasonable cost from rent, recovering damages for diminished rental value, or terminating the lease immediately when conditions are uninhabitable or pose an imminent threat. Because all rights under this section depend on first providing proper written notice to the landlord, tenants generally document that notice carefully; tenant-rights organizations in Oklahoma can help explain how these options apply to different circumstances.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Nov 1, 2022
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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

41 O.S. § 132
41 O.S. § 115
41 O.S. § 121
41 O.S. § 116
41 O.S. § 126
41 O.S. § 116
41 O.S. § 132
41 O.S. § 118
41 O.S. § 118
41 O.S. § 126
41 O.S. § 127
41 O.S. § 111

Related Rules

§ 244.260
Compliance required
§ 14.567
ADOPTED BY REFERENCE
§ 244.340
Sewer and water connections

Source Information

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