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I wish to break my lease. What are my legal options?
I live in Birmingham, AL. I signed a year lease on October 2, 2009. Since then many problems have occurred that I was told had been taken care of beforehand. The bathtub is clogged up for the second time. The first time my father came and fixed it. My father does not live here in Birmingham. He lives over an hour and a half away. Besides it is not our responsibility to fix what should have been fixed. The stove does not work. The burners on top work, but the oven does not heat up. Before I moved in I requested that they clean out both the stove and refrigerator. They did not want to clean it so they swapped it with ones from another unit. The air conditioner plug sparks when I try to plug it in. It gets terribly hot in here. There are no ceiling fans. The light in the kitchen does not work. They claim they are new bulbs which very well may be possible but it should be their responsibility. They are a special kind of U shaped type bulb. I don't know. Now there is water leaking from the bathroom ceiling. And it sounds like water is dripping onto the air conditioner. I didn't think this would be a premiere place, but I didn't expect this. I don't feel safe in here. I'm afraid I'll wake up to a fire or a flood or something. The landlord is not picking up calls from myself or my father. In fact, I believe she is outright ignoring them. When I call it may ring once or twice before going to voice mail, like she is rejecting it. Is there someway to break the lease legally. Like maybe the Alabama Landlord Tenant Act? I don't understand what the law entails, so if someone could explain it further.
2 months ago - 2 answers
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Here are some sites with information about your rights, and they could tell you more about breaking your lease legally. I would start filing complaints, because if the landlord does not respond to the Attorney General or other authorities, she will be forced to let you break your lease. Attorney General's Office: www ... Greater Birmingham Apartment Association: www ... Alabama Apartment Assocation: www ... www ... www ... (this one has a few different agencies that might help you - HOME, CAFHC, Alabama Rental Association) I would even try to get OSHA (www ... involved if you could - sounds like some serious stuff your landlord is ignoring! In Texas, there are certain things that a landlord MUST respond to within 30 days, I believe, or the tenant is legally allowed to break the lease. And I believe a malfunctioning air conditioning unit is one of them. Have you seen anything like this on your lease? See if you can find an attorney who will offer you a free consultation - tell them everything you mentioned here and ask how you can legally break your lease. And Richoned is right, if you feel your health/life is in danger, just leave. Most likely your landlord will put it on your credit report, but you can dispute it later. And it's unlikely she would sue you. I feel for you, I have lived in some really crappy apartments. You do have rights, and she is violating them by not responding to your complaints. Good luck!!!
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by tpirate2001
2 months ago
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Other Answers
YOU SHOULD MOVE IF YOU DO NT FEEL SAFE. I WOULD CARE ABOUT MY LIFE NOT A LEASE, GIVE PROPER NOTICE AND IF YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE AND MOVE ON, HE CANT GARNISH YOUR CHECKS OR EVEN SUE YOU TH ATS WHAT THE SECURITY DEPOSIT IS FOR
by Richoneday- 2 months ago