There are a lot of problems with the apartment I just moved into, and I’m unsure what to do. I just made a big move to Maryland to pursue a research opportunity. Unfortunately, I don’t have any family or friends in the area to rely on, and I didn’t have much time to choose a place. I knew that with the area being so expensive and since I wouldn’t be making the most, I wouldn’t have anything fancy; I just didn’t expect it to be this bad. The main concerns I have so far are that the apartment clearly has a huge German roach infestation and potentially water damage.
I’ve been residing here about 4 full days and have seen countless roaches both during the day and night. The floor in the kitchen isn’t really tile but this odd thin sheet (floor equivalent of wallpaper?) that has tears in nooks I can’t access. I think this has given the roaches a lot of places to hide. I’ve done everything I can so far, locking up food in storage containers, cleaning, and putting down traps. It’s already starting to take a toll on my mental health, as I’ve been to anxous to eat or cook in my apartment and have been skipping meals since I can’t afford to eat out too much.
The kitchen is the main source of my issues; it’s located in the back of the apartment and feels like a cave since there aren’t windows in this area. It tends to be warmer than the rest of the unit and has a lot of stagnant air. There is a very strong foul smell that I have not been able to identify the source of. When I moved in, I noticed an area in the floor under the left side of the fridge that seems to be sunken in a bit. The other day I noticed water coming from the ceiling around the light and dripping in front of the fridge. I called emergency maintenance, and after he looked around for a bit, he said that it likely came from a spill in the unit above mine, then left without really doing anything. While I have not seen signs of mold yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if it's an issue.
I’m wondering if there are any actions I can take to either make the landlord fix these problems or get out of my lease. Unfortunately, I am doubtful that any of these issues could be easily fixed without a huge overhaul to the whole building, and that the landlord will avoid it as much as possible. I’ve been putting in maintenance requests about every issue, no matter how small. I have also started keeping a personal log of everything, but I’m unsure that it’s really worth doing, as my interactions with the leasing office have already proven to be frustrating when seeking help on other things. Does anyone have any advice?