# North Carolina Renters: Who Pays for Repairs? (Landlord vs Tenant) | Who Pays the Repair?

> N.C. General Statutes Section 42-42 requires landlords to keep rentals fit, habitable, and repair imminently dangerous conditions.

**Who pays:** landlord

In North Carolina, the landlord must keep rental premises fit and habitable and repair imminently dangerous conditions within a reasonable time of notice under N.C. General Statutes Section 42-42, though the cost can be billed back to a tenant who caused the damage.

**Boundary:** North Carolina landlords must make all repairs necessary to keep the premises fit and habitable and keep common areas safe, under N.C. General Statutes Section 42-42.

**Exceptions:** The landlord may recover from the tenant the actual and reasonable costs of repairs that are the fault of the tenant, even though the landlord must still repair or remedy an imminently dangerous condition within a reasonable period of time.

## Sources
- [N.C. General Statutes Section 42-42 - "Landlord to provide fit premises"](https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_42/gs_42-42.html) — "(2) Make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition. (3) Keep all common areas of the premises in safe condition." (accessed 2026-10-23)
- [G.S. 42-42 - Landlord to provide fit premises](https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_42/gs_42-42.html) — "(4) Maintain in good and safe working order and promptly repair all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and other facilities and appliances supplied or required to be supplied by the landlord" (accessed 2026-10-23)
- [N.C. General Statutes Section 42-42 - "Landlord to provide fit premises"](https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_42/gs_42-42.html) — "(8) Within a reasonable period of time based upon the severity of the condition, repair or remedy any imminently dangerous condition on the premises after acquiring actual knowledge or receiving notice of the condition. Notwithstanding the landlord's repair or remedy of any imminently dangerous condition, the landlord may recover from the tenant the actual and reasonable costs of repairs that are the fault of the tenant." (accessed 2026-10-23)

_Last verified 2026-10-23. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/north-carolina-landlord-tenant-repair-responsibility/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._