Toilets and Bugs

[beckiemcbooger]

I moved into my new apartment nine days ago. The fourth day I lived there, the toilet ran all day and because the water pressure was so high, the tank filled up and then leaked out all over my apartment. When I got home from work, 90% of the carpet was saturated and there was an inch of water on the kitchen and bathroom floors. I called the maintenance guy and he came out to clean it up quickly, but the next several days were extremely uncomfortable (very humid, all my clothes were damp, carpet was damp all over). The owner has promised to install a new toilet this week.

A few days ago, I noticed a roach crawling on the floor and out of my apartment. The next day, I killed a roach in my living room and this morning I found another dead roach on my kitchen floor.

I am demoralized. I hate my apartment. It disgusts me, and I would really just like to get my security deposit back and find somewhere else to live.

Is this legal? Can the owner be compelled to release me from my lease because of all this grossness?

Neither of these things is my fault and no one mentioned them when I came to look at the apartment.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

IMHO, I would probably say no. Unless the apartment was in a condition that made it uninhabitable, you probably would still be on the hook. It seems that something else has made you change your mind, unfortunately. If you move to a big city, the question is usually "how many" bugs instead of whether you have them. There should be extermination services and you can buy other pest killers to keep them at a manageable level. If you've only seen one or two in a few weeks, while I too hate them, you still aren't doing that badly. Maybe making the best of it is a good idea...

Landlords don't necessarily want to keep tenants around that don't want to be there and perhaps you can work out a deal with the landlord and find a reasonable substitute tenant or permit you to sublease the apartment. Some may more reasonable than others.

Originally posted by beckiemcbooger
I moved into my new apartment nine days ago. The fourth day I lived there, the toilet ran all day and because the water pressure was so high, the tank filled up and then leaked out all over my apartment. When I got home from work, 90% of the carpet was saturated and there was an inch of water on the kitchen and bathroom floors. I called the maintenance guy and he came out to clean it up quickly, but the next several days were extremely uncomfortable (very humid, all my clothes were damp, carpet was damp all over). The owner has promised to install a new toilet this week.

A few days ago, I noticed a roach crawling on the floor and out of my apartment. The next day, I killed a roach in my living room and this morning I found another dead roach on my kitchen floor.

I am demoralized. I hate my apartment. It disgusts me, and I would really just like to get my security deposit back and find somewhere else to live.

Is this legal? Can the owner be compelled to release me from my lease because of all this grossness?

Neither of these things is my fault and no one mentioned them when I came to look at the apartment.

 

[hassledRenter]

Which state do you live in? You should check for your state's laws. However, I would deem these conditions as uninhabitable and think that your state should have a clause where you can leave your current rental in such a case, even under a lease. I am aware California has such a rule.