Can I break a rental lease?

The plumbing in the bathroom doesn't work. We moved into the house on May 1st, the water hasn't ran in the tub, and the knobs fell off after the first attempt the maintenance man had at fixing it. He promised to return and I have written letters and made numerous calls. Whatever is flushed down the toilet comes up into the yard. Should I call the city and report this or the better business bureau, what can I do, I really want to move, but do not want to be paying rent for a piece of house that is not worth a dime.Can I break a rental lease?
SURE you can, but be prepared to pay the consequences for so doing.


READ your lease, carefully.


Consider consulting a local real estate attorney, initial consultation cheap or free.


Find out if your state/locality has a rent abatement scheme.


Sounds like you have a paper trail of problems with the housing being reported to him and him not resolving them. Send him a letter (two, first class and certified mail, return receipt), summarizing everything, when you reported each problem first, subsequent reports, and his failure to remedy the problems. Give him two weeks (NO, 1 week) from letter to address the problems, and tell him that if he has not that you will consider he has breached the lease and failed to fulfill his responsibilities and obligations. Further state that the plumbing problems and dysfunctions are a health hazard and make housing Uninhabitable. Report it to housing, to zoning, to health in your community at that point, and move out.


Be prepared to have to sue to get back your security and that he might sue for you breaking lease and you have to countersue.Can I break a rental lease?
Under those conditions you CAN break the lease, however there's a procedure. Notify the owner by certified mail of all the discrepancies, give him a certain amount of time (prob 30 days) to make all the corrections or else you will seek to terminate the lease, in that case he might be liable for your moving expenses and other incurred expenses like attorneys fees if this ends up in court.


Good luck~
Your local free help cemtre like citizens advice. They will more than likely tell you to write a letter or a solicitor to write and say if its not repaired etc he has broken the contract he had with you and you are therefore left with no option for hygeine reasons but to leave. YOu could also ring you local authority about the water leak, they should come out (drains sewer department!!) probably blocked drain and fixed in a jiffy
Contact Legal Aid and ask them about breaking your lease. I would NOT live in an apt. that is in such disrepair you have a slumlord for a landlord. Look for another place to live and give your 30 days notice to move if repairs are not done correctly. If not done then time to move. Do document the repairs needing to be done and take pictures as proof. Best Wishes.
call the city and get a report made so you don't break the lease without ruining your credit
you cannot break a lease.