How do you break a rental lease due to bug infestment?

If there are tics, roaches and bed bugs in the apartment and a request have been given to the rental office numerous times to come spray and no response, what do i do?


Two little children live there as well!How do you break a rental lease due to bug infestment?
There are rules that are specific to each STATE.





Your State's Housing Division has information about the tenant-landlord rules concerning canceling a lease for Health-Safety concerns like yours.





The most important thing is that you MUST maintain a paper trail. Write to the Landlord explaining the problem in detail and ask them to fix it in 30 days. Keep a copy for yourself and send it with PROOF OF DELIVERY!!!





Then contact your local housing dept. for help if they do not remedy the situation.





You can never win if you just called the landlord on the phone. You have no proof that you notified them formally.





Also, keep copies of any doctor reports that you received for treatment of bedbug bites, etc.





You may call in an exterminator for an ';evaluation'; to identify what infestations you have and the report will be considered an expert opinion that is from a neutral party.





In some States, if the problem is an emergency health problem you can pay for the treatment yourself and then hold it out of your rent payment with a copy of the receipt with it.


But, check with your State first.How do you break a rental lease due to bug infestment?
Is there a clause in the lease that states that they have to spray for bugs? Or a general statement of how to report maintenance issues? If there's a section on how report maintenance issues, they usually include information on how long they have to respond. You should be allowed to get a copy of the agreement from your leasing office.





For me, I've had to send a certified letter to my leasing office. I include the problem, and state that they have seven calendar days from the date of the letter to resolve the issue. I also tell them that if the problem isn't resolved by the end of the seventh day, I'll fix it myself and deduct the cost of repairs from the next rent check. Be sure to quote the section of your leasing agreement dealing with repairs and maintenance.





Keep a copy of the letter, and a receipt of sending the certified letter. If they fail to resolve the problem, get an outside company to spray for bugs in your aparment. Once you pay, get a receipt. When you pay your next month's rent, deduct the cost of the pest control company's bill, and include a copy of the receipt. Be sure to remind them that you have done this because they failed in their contractual legal obligation to fulfill their leasing agreement by not remedying your pest issue.
Talk to the other tenants... do they know about the problem?





And, call the health department, bedbugs take more than a spray to cure; and you need to be prepared to buy all new home furnishings, and to move, if it is found they may shut them down entirely and you will need to find alternative living arrangements anyway.





My next call would be to my renters insurance company to see if any part of this situation is covered.





Do you know that if nothing is done you can actually risk loosing your children to social services....??
simply, if the home is not HABITABLE, (key word), you can walk!!!


but prove your case 1st and have doc's in hand!
have you given written complaints to your land Lord?


(Can you prove it by the registered letter recites?)


What does your land Lord say?


have you discussed leaving with him?


can you finds a local tenant help group


Try yellow pages, or even your library


what does your city/Town hall say about the standers that have to be met?


do other people in the building have this problem';


Are you clean?????????//


do you keep your food in containers?


you should have the who building sprayed
check out your state website and search for tenant's right guide, that might guide you on the right path.
Contact the Housing Authority in the County or City where you live as well as the Health Department and file a complaint.





This is a serious health hazard all the way around. if the rental office and the county departments do nothing it's best to move.





You can always give 30 days notice to vacate and move. The risk factors are too great to sit this one out if the authorities do not respond immediately.