Can my landlord record our conversation without my consent?

I rent a home. My landlord has left us without hot water for approximately 3 months. There is a gas water heater, but we cannot have the gas turned on. We bought an electric water heater to fix the problem, but he has been stringing us along. The house also has black mold, that he denies, and unsealed walls, among many other problems. We decided to withhold rent, until he installed the hot water heater, or until all problems were fixed. Upon sending the letter, he came by without warning, and had his phone in his pocket recording us in our back yard. He never said he was recording, but later admitted it halfway through the conversation, and never asked for nor received consent. Was any of this against the law?