P
powerpadman
Guest
- Jurisdiction
- Washington
Seattle area: We have had a pervasive ant infestation for months. The exterminator (provided by landlord) has been here numerous times to do a variety of treatments, but the ants keep coming back by the hundreds and thousands. They are in every room of our house. The root of the problem is a couple feet of standing water in the crawl space underneath our unit due to broken pipes. This has forced the ants into our walls. The landlord has tried to flush the standing water by using a sump pump, but it has been ineffective so far.
We are now at the point (months later) where we want immediate relocation to another unit. We are willing to move ourselves ASAP. However, our landlord insists on charging us a $500 transfer fee in addition to making us reapply, have another background check, etc. In all, it would cost us over $1000 to relocate. The landlord says that, legally, if they allowed us to transfer without paying the fees, they would need to make an exception for all tenants who complain of ants. Our argument is that our ant infestation has been more extreme, never-ending, and the standing water situation makes our issue the exception rather than the norm. In addition, the standing water might be creating a mold situation and health hazard. Strong sewage-like odors have recently penetrated our unit.
We just want a livable space. It's something for which we've paid, yet haven't received. Do we have a legitimate argument here? Thank you for any advice!
We are now at the point (months later) where we want immediate relocation to another unit. We are willing to move ourselves ASAP. However, our landlord insists on charging us a $500 transfer fee in addition to making us reapply, have another background check, etc. In all, it would cost us over $1000 to relocate. The landlord says that, legally, if they allowed us to transfer without paying the fees, they would need to make an exception for all tenants who complain of ants. Our argument is that our ant infestation has been more extreme, never-ending, and the standing water situation makes our issue the exception rather than the norm. In addition, the standing water might be creating a mold situation and health hazard. Strong sewage-like odors have recently penetrated our unit.
We just want a livable space. It's something for which we've paid, yet haven't received. Do we have a legitimate argument here? Thank you for any advice!