Surprisingly I've read that in parts of the US tenants can withhold part of the rent if LLs don't meet their legal responsibility to do essential repairs. Is that true in your state?
In the UK it's completely illegal for a tenant to withhold rent, say if a LL ignores requests to fix a leak, front door, toilet, supplied washing machine or whatever else. The tenant has to just keep asking or eventually can ask the local council's Environmental Health department to tell the landlord to do the repairs (most people probably aren't aware of this pathway though). Withholding the rent is grounds for a Section 8 eviction (as opposed to a no-fault eviction).