Landlord won't fix dryer, what should I do?
I recently moved in to a house with two other roommates, and all three of us are on the lease. Recently, the dryer sprouted a gas leak. We called the gas company, they identified the source and shut off the gas to the dryer. We called the landlord and she told us, in so many words, that she isn't going to do anything about it, and here's why:
When we signed our initial lease, there was a clause that said if an appliance breaks, we (the tenants) owe a 100 dollar deductible. We decided this was silly, so we had the realtor remove that clause and we initialed it. Now, the landlord is saying that the clause was later added back as an addendum, and that somebody signed it. I know for a fact that I did not sign the addendum, and my other roommates told me that they don't remember signing it either.
So, my question is threefold:
1. Assuming this ridiculous clause has been removed from the lease (which is the case according to my copy of the lease), how should I go about getting the dryer fixed if the landlord refuses to do it?
2. Assuming one of my roommates signed the clause, but the other two didn't, is it even valid if all three names on the lease did not sign it?
3. Assuming the clause was signed and is valid, wouldn't the landlord have to initiate repairs anyway?
The landlord also said that she wants us to pay the $100 deductible for repairs that were made to the property when we moved in (pre-existing conditions)- she's being outrageous. I would love to find a way out of the lease, but I'm sure it won't happen.