View Full Version : Terminating rental lease early IN FLORIDA?
jennbegood
Nov 4, 2010, 10:06 AM
I am in one year lease I signed in June with my boyfriend.The day we were to move in and have electric and cable turned on we found out that the prior tenants gutted all the copper and AC unit the whole house had to be rewired, finally got in there and tried taking a shower that night the smell was unbearable (well water) water people came and took care of the cold water but said because the house has been sitting for so long the hot water tank has to be flushed and if that doesn't work needs to be treated, the management asked my boyfriend to flush it and he did but didn't get better, we were told to keep calling the water treatment company, they told us that they explained to the management company that it needs to be treated no one has been getting back to us, it is undrinkable, the smell is in our clothes, hair skin and smells the house up. Then the sewer starts backing up. The toilet bowel tank is black as night with stuff floating in it, the sewage is coming back up in the tubs, dishwasher doesn't work and washer barely works, the cracked tile(prior to move in) is coming up, then we find out that after a month of us renting they put the house up for sale, with out our knowledge and supposibly showing the house, but we didn't know any of this. I have sent picures, emails with barely any response. I help the rent and then they finally fixed the sewage back up.once that was fixed I release the rent. We are so over it and done
smoothy
Nov 4, 2010, 10:14 AM
For one thing... they don't have to tell you the house is going up for sale... any buyer has to honor any existing lease for its remaining duration. They do have to notify you if they plan to show it... and you can't refuse but can negotiate on hours it can be shown, they can't simply walk in unannounced..
Grossly unsafe or unsanitary conditions are conditions that can be used to get a lease terminated.
They are required to provide a habitible residence by contract.
Exactly what steps you have to take I will leave to someone familiar with Florida code.
jennbegood
Nov 4, 2010, 10:26 AM
I have sent emails, requarding the conditions, it wasn't until I held the rent that they got the sewage people out to pump the tank, I have taken pictures of everything.
jennbegood
Nov 4, 2010, 10:27 AM
I understand that they don't have to tell me they put the house up forsale but the do have to schedule with me before showing the house, and they didn't
ballengerb1
Nov 4, 2010, 10:32 AM
Glad I don't own this property. If they had to pump the septic to get rid of your sewage problem the septic system has failed, pumping will only be short term and not a fix. Place needs a new septic which can run $25K. What does your lease say about shwoings, most leases have this clause. If they are supposed to give your fair notice and you have that clause in the lease just refuse entry. Smoothy is corrrect, I'd call the Health Dept