I signed a lease here in Florida only a month ago. It has come to my attention that there was work done on this home that was NOT permitted and done legally. (bathroom expansion, wall, partial roof, used indoor french doors vs the outside wall types/ and a screened porch not permitted either. Can I legally break this lease for these reasons? Being it wasn't done by a contractor and could be unsafe?

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Originally Posted by rpmike

... Can I legally break this lease for these reasons? Being it wasn't done by a contractor and could be unsafe?

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It is doubtful that you could get out of the lease for these reasons. If you have evidence (more than conjecture) that the house is unsafe, notify your landlord in writing and demand that he get the unsafe conditions remedied.

How do you know it was not permitted or done illegally? Even if was, that doesn't mean it was done unsafely. If you are sure the work was done without permits, then report it to the building department and have them inspect the work. If they deem it is unsafe, then you may be able to get out of the lease.

I for one am concerned that conversions done without permits or licenced contractors could result in faulty wiring and problems like fires. Why would I want to risk living in the *potential* of danger being they didn't have it properly done?

I know it was done without permits because my neighbor told me he helped to do it. There is a leak already. They were already fined for not doing a permit on the garage conversion. If I have an inspector come from the city, won't I have to pay him for that?

Not necessarily. If the inspector is coming to check on code violations, there shouldn't be a cost to the whistleblower. And, if the property owner already has a record of code violations, there is a greater likelihood they will inspect.

Your neighbor is not a good enough source. He may not know what permits were filed. The problem here is you have no justification for breaking the lease without proof of substandard construction.

I did a permit search through the city. They pulled no permits for this