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Breaking lease advice in Florida!

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posted on May, 7 2012 @ 06:08 PM
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I have been renting since October from what I thought was a cute place, well looks ARE very deceiving.

Since I have moved in I have dealt with mice, roaches, ants, no water for days at a time. I even had a week in February where I had NO water and the landlord ignored all my calls. It took my fiancee calling from overseas for them to get my water turned back on. This has been on going and I'm over it. I have no heat, she told me the heat worked when I moved in. I found out it hasn't worked in 6 yrs!

The people I rent from use a sleazy roofing company who has now completely destroyed my garden in the back on my porch. Two week ago they came to put a tarp on the roof because it was LEAKING in my room. I had called previously about the leaky roof only to be ignored like every thing else I call about. The roofers then tossed all trimmed branches on top of my garden and then tossed a huge wooden beam on top of my hanging herb plants. I trimmed all the broken pieces back, well I go out back today to water my plants and it's completely destroyed now. All my pots were knocked over. It looked like they tossed everything over it and knocked my pots over and just carelessly tossed the dirt and plant back in the pots. My hanging herbs are all busted. My tomato plants, which were about to sprout tomatoes, are all bent over. Then this past Friday one of the roofers was ON MY ROOF at 9:30pm!!! I heard a loud noise which woke me up from a dead sleep! I thought it was the neighbors down stairs fixing their plumbing since the plumbers havent' shown up to do it. I look out back and see the ladder and see this guy above MY room on the roof IN the dark smoking a cigarette! I asked him to get down immediately and that I was sleeping and it was night! He said "oh they called me" and I said no they didn't. It's night time and no work needs to be done and for him to leave or I was calling the cops. He only left when I threatened the cops. I called the non emergency number and reported it. I was completely freaked out! I went to my fiancees moms to sleep because I could not go back to sleep after that. WHY was this creepy guy on my roof IN the dark at night?!!! How do I know he wasn't there waiting til later to break in or something??! He had NO reason to be up there at that time! I called my landlord and reported it and she still hasn't returned my calls.

I have been looking the last few days because I am OVER all of this. My fiancee is worried about my safety with some guy on my roof late at night just sitting there smoking a cigarette! I have pictures of everything, including one of the mice we caught. I have mice in my room and in my kitchen. Mice are UNACCEPTABLE and carry disease. I opened my drawer and there was a mouse right there staring at me! They get in my kitchen under the sink and into my silverware drawer. Mice poo in my kitchen is unacceptable. When I showed my landlord the mice poo she said and I quote, "Are you sure it's not lizard poo." I looked at her and said ARE YOU SERIOUS!!

We paid a month in advance for this place so they could fix things and when I moved in those things STILL weren't fixed. I had to call every day for the first week to get the broken duct tapped window fixed in my bedroom! We pay rent on time so we are holding up our end of the contract, she is NOT! I also found that BOTH fire extinguishers out in the halls are out of date by 6mths. I took pics of that....It's just one thing after another and it's weekly. I'm drained from all of this. I really liked this place but once I moved in it turned out to be a complete nightmare. My stove leaks gas because the regulator needs replacing, they haven't replaced that either. I am just over all of it....

I have looked online and it's very confusing to find lease information for breaking a lease. All I find is eviction information for landlords, not tenants. I was told I could do a forceful eviction of myself because of the conditions. I would like to be out of here June 1st and I want my deposits back. I dont feel they should be allowed to keep my initial deposit or my cat deposit. This place should be condemned based on the mice infestation and the rusty water that comes thru the ancient pipes. The plumber told me not to drink the water because it's not safe!

Im just so frustrated right now. I dont feel safe here esp after this Friday with the roofer on my roof late at night.

I have documented everything including when I was without water and when I would call the landlord and how long it took for the to return my calls. When you mention my real estate company or the owners name to any other real estate company they LAUGH and say oh we know all about that company. I will say she is good at sweet talking to get you in and once you are in GOOD LUCK getting them to return your calls. Every tenant in this building complains about the SAME thing. My neighbor said her cat has caught 3 mice in her kitchen already. I'm sorry but i dont want my cat messing with diseased mice!

So for those who know rental laws please help!! Do I go thru the court house or should I just type up a letter stating why we are breaking the lease and attach pics for the reasons why?? I'm not sure but I know we will not pay another month here. I can't deal with it. It's just too much. I want to be comfortable in my surroundings and I'm not.



posted on May, 7 2012 @ 06:20 PM
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Renters have rights. Go online and look up the specific laws regarding leasing and the responsibilities of the lessee and lessor. I had a crappy landlord situation once, but not quite as bad as yours.
After doing your research, write a letter addressing all the issues and how the lessor broke their part of the deal, in legal terms. Make multiple copies. Send one to the lessor via registered mail so they, or their office, has to sign for it.

Also threaten to contact the National Realtor's Association as well as your local government for code violations (if applicable).

If you have the resources, hire a lawyer.

landlords can be such major &*^%&^%$%s!!!!

Good luck and be safe



posted on May, 7 2012 @ 06:42 PM
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It really depends on how long your lease is.If it's monthly you are only requiered to give the landlord 15 days notice.I know this because that's what I did recently.If it's yearly it's 60 days.This site has some good info

www2.fiu.edu... You could try talking to them and tell them why you want to move.They may allow you out of the lease.They also might not,they may want you to pay the remainder of the lease.I wouldn't just move without telling them.That's just asking to be sued. Good luck!
edit on 7-5-2012 by nightstalker78 because: (no reason given)

edit on 7-5-2012 by nightstalker78 because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 7 2012 @ 09:37 PM
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from my personal experience, individuals won't press charges if you vacate early. The reason for this is becasue it will ultimately cost them up to $200ish to file the paper work and complaints. Then even if the courts decide in their favor, there is no certainty that the defendants actually pay.

However companies (with employees other than husband and wife) will go through the extra work and spend the extra money. For these companies, I am refering to apartment complexes and the such.

I am assuming since this house has all these problems, the owners are not going to spend the extra time and money taking you to court. Especially since you have all those photos and justified reason for moving.

This isn't legal aid, just a fellow ATSer's opinion.



posted on May, 7 2012 @ 10:13 PM
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Try looking up "constructive eviction." Here's the wiki site www.ask.com...

If it's a lease, then you are ordinarily bound for the term of the lease (with certain exceptions). A rental agreement often requires one period's notice, one month for a month-to-month rental, for example. The advice to get help from a renter's rights organization is good. You may also be able to get free help from your Bar Association.



posted on May, 8 2012 @ 03:50 PM
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reply to post by charles1952
 


Awesome!!

Thanks. I knew there had to be something I could do. I actually looked this term up in a Florida law book today and it explains everything I need! I have all the documentation to prove to her and whoever else why I am leaving. I refuse to live with mice and every other critter that is in the apt. I found out via this book that when I went without water for a week I could have done the same thing. I have been without water multiple times for days and she just ignores the phone calls. She shouldn't even be allowed to rent to people, she doesn't care!

Thank you



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