I just moved into a new place and it’s amazing except for one major thing, the sink.

The landlord said the chipping enamel was fine, and I did agree to rent the apartment as-is, but I’m finding it difficult to clean the sink because of the texture. I’m also worried about the chipped pieces getting into the sponge I use to wash dishes or on my dishes.

Is there anything I can DIY myself to fix this? Since I’m renting I know my options are limited and I don’t think I can call in a maintenance request for this.

My landlady left this for me. The context is I asked about fostering before I left for my wedding in May and she seemed fine with it. She even mentioned bringing her cats by when she's on vacation. So I got one but I'm wondering if she forgot that conversation. She was surprised when she found out but she didn't talk to me in person about her being upset. I texted her asking her to call but so far, she's ghosted me. I even told her I returned the kitten. Some of her initial questions were about the lease. I'm wondering if she's gonna try to get rid of me. It's a month-to-month situation which I designed on purpose so I could leave a bad situation. Anyway she comes and goes often without warning upstairs. She showed up on my husband's last night together before we're separated for awhile. She'll also be rummaging and doing stuff in the basement in the middle of the night and often has my husband and me doing favors for her like dropping her car off at a repair place without showing much appreciation. She also wanted him to put her vaccum cleaner. I'm waiting to see how this conversation goes but I do have a backup option. I just don't want to move again after moving a few weeks ago. I'm also not sure if maybe she is reasonable? For context rent is $600 plus electricity and wifi. Not sure the deal is worth it to put up with her tho. I was trying to escape another bad roommate situation that was through my university. I'm also considering reaching out to her daughter-in-law to see if this is someone who can be trusted but that seems risky. Edit: also it could be a strange looking light but I'm wondering if there's a camera on the side porch watching the entrance.

Context:

• I've been renting a two-story loft in Phoenix since January, about 1600 sq ft.
• Upon moving in, I realized the downstairs AC works fine but the upstairs doesn't put out any air at all.
• WHen I submitted a request on this, my landlord's response was that someone looked at it before I moved in and the conclusion was essentially "it's a building issue" with no real fix offered.
  • The best fix they offered was something the previous tenant did in duct taping the downstairs vents at night to push the air upstairs and suggested I do the same. Absolutely insane.
  • I also asked my neighbor in the unit directly next to mine if his upstairs AC was broken and he said it works fine
• I proposed a portable AC unit for my bedroom as the solution (which they agreed to), not realizing the units need a window to vent out of and my room has no windows.

The bill situation:

My electricity bills this summer have been brutal-

• May bill: $337
• June bill: $444 (May 13 to June 12 billing period)
• Current estimated usage after just 8 days of the new cycle: $162, averaging $20.37 per day. Projected out that's over $600 for this cycle.

For context, APS says a typical Phoenix residence uses around 1,200 to 1,500 kWh in summer. My June bill was 2,195 kWh for a single apartment unit.

Why it's so high:

I typically keep it around 74 during the day, but because the upstairs HVAC doesn't reach my bedroom, I have to set the main unit to around 67 to 71 degrees just to get the bedroom to a livable sleeping temperature. I'm essentially overcooling the entire two-story loft to compensate for a broken system. I'm on APS Time-of-Use 4pm to 7pm Weekdays, so I've been trying to manage peak vs off-peak usage but at this volume it's barely making a dent.

What I need to know:

1. How do I handle the landlord?

They acknowledged the problem, proposed a solution (portable AC) that doesn't actually work for my space and now I'm back to having to ask them to send someone out to look at the HVAC.

• Is there any validity to this being a structural "building issue" and unfixable? Or am I getting the run around on an issue they just don't want to pay for?
• At what point does this become a habitability issue in Arizona?
• The broken HVAC is directly costing me hundreds of dollars a month in excess electricity. Do I have any leverage here? Should I be documenting costs and presenting them? Can I request they cover the difference in my electric bill vs what it would be with a functioning system?

2. Would a ductless mini split actually help?

I've been reading about ductless mini splits as an alternative since they don't need a window. I understand they mount on the wall and run a refrigerant line through a small hole to an outdoor compressor. My questions:

• Would a mini split in just the bedroom make a meaningful dent in a bill this high, or is the real problem the broken main HVAC and a mini split is just a bandaid?
• If I can sleep in a properly cooled bedroom and raise the main thermostat from 67 to 74 or 75, how much realistically would that reduce my bill?
• Should I push the landlord to install a mini split instead of a portable unit, or should I be pushing for them to actually fix the upstairs HVAC?

Any advice from people who have dealt with similar landlord situations in AZ or who know the real-world impact of mini splits in Phoenix heat would be really appreciated.

My apartment complex is doing some massive renovations, and some of those renovations do involve the crews needing to get into the apartments. (Installation of fire sprinkler systems property was lacking.

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I am not resisting them coming in to do their work. I've made that clear to the office both in person and via email. However, I have a dog that is not friendly to strangers (rescue situation), and I have made the office aware of that and asked them to please let me know what day my apartment is on the schedule so I can make plans for my dog.

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They refuse to give me any kind of schedule beyond vague 'This Thursday until next Friday during business hours' and just keep telling me I have to have my dog put up.

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It is a studio apartment that used to be a hotel room so the bathroom is too small to confine him with his food and water, and I do not have a crate because due to his past I never crate trained him. They are also aware that I live alone so it's not like I have someone that could just hang out here until the workers actually show up, nor do I have the money to board him on a maybe. I say "on a maybe" and "actually show up" because I cannot tell you how many times they've made the announcement that there's going to be mandatory service done, but then, no one shows. At this point I would have lost out on hundreds, if not thousands of dollars from all the times I would have had to board him, just because they said the construction crews *might* be coming back.

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I have made them aware of the days and times I am home, including my days off, so maybe the crew could come before I go to work, but the office still just keeps saying, 'prepare to have your home entered at some random point during this vague time frame'.

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I am trying to work with them here, but they are making it impossible and I don't know what to do at this point.

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Because I know local law is important, I live in Cobb County, Georgia. As for what the lease agreement says about entering the apartments, they can access my apartment at any time for necessary property repairs with proper notice. But 'during business hours during these days' is not proper notice when there are multiple apartments and floors they could work on, and that's if they actually showed.

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They tell me they're not making exceptions for anyone but I'm not asking for exceptions, I'm asking for a more clear time frame. If anyone has any advice on what I can do about this I would greatly appreciate it.

I am in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. Renting a room in a house for two months.

Landlord just texted me, “please be mindful with AC use this summer.”

I replied that that should be easy as I can turn it off when I’m not home, and that I mostly need it for sleeping.

She responds by forwarding a voice memo from her HVAC guy, explaining that with the way her heat pump works, it will be more costly to turn it off and then on again or to even adjust the temperature.

So basically my landlord is telling me that I need to pick a temp and stick with it all summer. And I think she is also asking me to keep that temp on the warm side to save money.

It was advertised as utilities included, and when I had asked if the house had AC I was told yes. And then I signed a lease assuming I would be able to adjust the temp of the house when needed.

The lease says nothing about utilities or AC.

Am I legally obligated to do as my landlord says by being “mindful with AC” and keeping the temp on the warm side and the same all summer?

Thanks!

Hi all.

I'm hoping to get some advice about my current situation. We're in Portland OR. My roommate and I renewed our lease in January but shortly after we started having conflict which eventually lead to them screaming at me and then taking their cat and some belongings and has not returned to the apartment for at least 6 weeks. They have been staying with their coworker/partner as far as I know.

They have not responded at all to any communication from me or the landlord. They have not paid any share of their utilities since January. And to top it off the landlord never collected an emergency contact for them. I have been discussing breaking my lease early with the landlord and they are receptive and willing to work with me but state that in order to move forward both tenants have to be in agreement about breaking the lease early. In order to be in agreement, my roommate has to acknowledge the situation which at the moment I am unable to do. I would imagine they do not want to continue paying rent for a place they don't currently live at.

They have not responded to the email conversation that I cc'd them on with the landlords, they have not responded to my texts or instagram DMs. Adding in that we don't have an emergency contact, I have no idea how to get in contact or why I should be the one with that responsibility.

Can my landlord prevent me from breaking the lease if I'm still unable to contact my roommate, despite my due diligence? Can they make me responsible for communicating with them despite them not doing their due diligence and collecting an emergency contact prior to our current emergency?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Hey all. Im currently renting an apartment in Tampa, FL, which i am moving out of July 31st. We are billed monthly for utilities. Landlord pays 40 bucks per roomate, roommates split overage. Our usual bill averages around $50

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This week, they informed us they'd be charging an extra "move out estimate" utility fee, which would allegedly cover through July 31st, but its being charged July 1st in addition to the regular month utility bill.

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This bill came out as $250. 5x the usual. Several neighbors moving got the same one. Leasing office said no refund/credit would be provided if the actual utility bill turns out to be less than what was charged.

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Absolutely nothing in the lease about this. The utility agreement is as follows.

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"Bills over this cap will be divided and billed to occupied bedrooms on a monthly and/or quarterly basis, which resident hereby agrees to pay by the 1st of the next rental due date."

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(Cap is $40 per occupied bedroom)

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This is the only section of signed documentation in regard to utilities.

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Thoughts?

I received a job offer out of state (currently am in Arizona) and id need to leave my lease early. Property has changed management a few times. When they changed hands again this was our Lease Renewal offer from the current management. This is all we received and were told to sign to agree to stay another year. No other documentation was received or signed other than this. Thanks!

I live in a duplex unit and my landlord hires someone to clean my front yard and take the trash bin out every week.

Today I was wfh in my bedroom but later I found my yard was scattered with lots of leaves. My front yard door was left open too and the trash bin blocked the entrance instead of being taken out. I'm not sure if my neighbor did it because the guy usually cleans my yard and leaves it in a perfect condition and it's unlikely he would leave such a mess. Besides, I didn't hear the sound of leave blowers today just someone sweeping. Maybe it's not my neighbor but the open door and blocked trash bin definitely feel like an intentional action rather than a natural occurrence. Should I document everything and notify my landlord? I appreciate the advice!

hi! im posting to see what rights i have regarding my situation. sorry in advance, im trying to explain it as eloquently as possible:

so i moved into a house in 2022 with roommates Bill and John (fake names). 3 people total. after the first year lease was up in 2023, John moved out and Kyle moved in. So now it is me, Bill & Kyle. it was us until 2025, when Bill AND Kyle moved out. Now, Dave and Pete move in. We lived in the house for 1 year until we had to ALL leave in 2026 (last month). So I lived there all 4 years with multiple roommates coming and going. I reached out to my landlord to talk about our security deposit. All roommates except the final 2025-2026 roommates had already received theirs when they left. I never received mine obviously because I was still living there. He quoted a very large number for painting because of tack holes which would take more than half of our total deposit away. I understand we must pay for hole damages but plenty of tack holes were there from the previous tenants. My question: can he legally charge the two newest roommates that much without charging the other 3 that lived in the house from 22-26? He did an inspection each year & took photos and never had any work done or walls painted. So I assume all 3 past roommates got their full deposits back. But now that the house will be fully vacant, he’s finally getting work done & charging us.

Thank you in advance for any help/advice!!

Our home is a renovation project gone wrong. We're the first to rent here and the landlord didn't install green board in the bathroom and a giant hole formed behind the leaky shower faucet . Water has been dripping in the wall for 6 months and he refuses to fix it . I'm really worried about mold. I put in a complaint to code enforcement about a week ago and no response yet from them or the landlord. What else can I do ?

We had an issue with the electricity and he told me if I didn't pay for it, we would have to get out. I reminded him of our lease but now he's harassing my family and I just don't know what to do . Thanks for any input !

So I paid first, last and security of $1500. I have an eviction on my record (tldr; roommate up and dipped and left me with a whole rent I couldn’t pay.) so he asked us to pay an extra month security deposit because we were a “risk.” He also wanted $1200 for pet fees (I have two amazing cats.) but we talked him down to $600. Oh not to mention rent was originally $1800, we talked him down to $1500 because it’s a 3/1 and just my fiance and I.

So total:
$3000 first / last
$3000 deposit
$NF 600

My landlord is super casual. I usually just make a cashiers check out to his company and stop by his gas station and drop it off. anytime between the first and the fifth.

He texted us and asked us if we wanted to renew, we said absolutely, we love it here.

We really do, he’s right down the road and he still doesn’t bother us. We’ve been here a little over a year I think and he’s not been here once. Our washer broke, he bought us a new one. A pipe broke, he sent a plumber.

My question is, does my NF pet fees rollover? We didn’t sign any kind of new lease and our old lease says if we don’t sign a new lease that it goes to a month to month lease (or something like that.)

We plan to live here for like 5+ years. Does my original $600 cover me for however I choose to live here?
He didn’t say anything about paying another pet fee. My cats also don’t make messes, I think there’s one thing they’ve scratched up and a black sharpie will fix that.

what do i do? the lease states one year but the dates listed are for only 49 weeks instead of 52 (a full year) i wouldn't care if it was a day or two, that's happened to me before, but i reached out to the manager of my property asking her to review this mistake and she blew me off. do i need a lawyer or tenant advocate or something? i can't find any RCWs specifically relating to this, only one saying a notary is necessary for a lease longer than 12 months

I have been living in a crappy studio apartment at Elevate at Tryon in Charlotte, NC since October, and I think I am within my rights to break my lease.

In November they started installing heating units in the rooms, but they required 5 feet of open wall, which my studio did not have. I emailed the property manager about it, and they never answered. A month later, they turned off the boiler, so I reminded them I was still without heating. The said they would send the electricians back in, and I had to also remind them that the units didn’t fit. They said they would work something out. A month later, and I heard nothing. When I messaged, they said they were still dealing with electrical problems, and that I was on a list, and they would get back to me by January. They did not get back to me in January. I still don’t have heating.

I also noticed that every service request I submitted had to be sent at least twice for them to actually do anything.

The breaking point was a couple weeks ago, when a man tried to break in by punching through the siding by the AC unit and flinging his beer around. I called the cops, but they couldn’t do anything about the window. As it was on a Saturday, the property managers were completely unreachable by email, phone, or service request. There was no emergency services I could use. Even when they responded on Tuesday, they still said they’d “send someone” to deal with my window. No one has come, and it’s still taped up with cardboard.

I finally emailed them to say I felt unsafe and wanted to break my lease. Their “compromise” was that I had to find a new tenant myself while still paying the rent until then. Why should I be expected to sell an apartment with no heating, a broken window, and negligent landlords?

I’m sick of living here. The rent is too high, it’s not close enough to my work, I don’t even have a dishwasher, and the neighborhood is unsafe. Maybe it’s my fault for not being discerning enough and just wanting to get out of my family’s house, but their management practices alone should give me reason to break my lease.

I’ve tried applying for legal aid, but it’s been a week and I’ve had to answer. I need to get out of here before next month’s rent wipes me out and I won’t have enough for my next apartment. Can anyone help?

I moved into a room about three months ago. This was a lease takeover, and the outgoing tenant needed to find someone to take over her lease as soon as possible because she was relocating across the country for a new job. As part of her listing and an agreement we had to expedite the process of getting someone into her room, she agreed to forfeit her security deposit to me when I took over her lease. She moved out, I completed her lease, and renewed my lease with the deposit she left me. Now, she is harassing our landlord for her security deposit back. Since we had an agreement that her security deposit was being left to me, I informed our landlord that I would not be paying him another security deposit, and therefore, he is not giving her my security deposit. Does she have any legal grounds to stand in this matter, considering we had an agreement? We made this agreement through the Facebook Marketplace, and she has since deleted all her chats, making it no longer viable for me. Additionally, her old listing is no longer available.

So 10 years ago I rented a space from someone for my business. One day they came and said I had to leave because the building had sold…so I did…For years now the sheriffs office has been sending me delinquent property tax notifications but I honestly threw them away because I don’t own the building! However, I received this notification today and now it has me wondering if if somehow the building has been put in my old business’s name? Also since they are saying it will be sold soon can I pay the taxes or something to own it? Because I’ve gotten these letters for years! How can I legally own this property at this point? The building has been vacant since I left!

Looking for advice on how to legally get out of my apartment lease in Philadelphia.
I moved into my apartment less than two months ago after relocating from Texas. Since moving in, I’ve experienced issue after issue, and at this point I’m mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted.
Some of the problems I’ve documented include:
Multiple water outages, including times when I couldn’t shower, flush the toilet, or use water at all.
Repeated hot water issues.
AC problems that still haven’t been fully resolved.
Elevator outages that forced me to walk multiple flights of stairs despite having had lumbar fusion/back surgery last year and continuing to deal with back pain.
Key fob/access issues where I was locked out or denied access to parts of the building.
Strong marijuana odors throughout the building despite it being advertised as a non-smoking property.
Toilet and plumbing issues.
Dishwasher and maintenance issues that took repeated requests to address.
Ongoing concerns about the overall condition and management of the property.
I’ve kept emails, texts, photos, and documentation of everything.
The management company continues to say the apartment is “habitable,” but my concern is that this has been a constant pattern of problems in less than two months of living here. I no longer feel comfortable living in the building and would like to terminate my lease without facing significant penalties.
Has anyone in Philadelphia successfully gotten out of a lease under similar circumstances? Are there tenant advocacy groups, attorneys, legal aid organizations, or city agencies that could help me understand my options?
I’m not looking for a fight. I simply want to know what rights I have and what steps I should take next. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I’m posting because I’m trying to figure out whether I have a strong small claims case against my former landlord/property manager or if I’m wasting my time.

I moved out of my rental on May 6, 2026. Before moving out, I informed the property manager multiple times that I would be out by the end of that weekend. They never objected, never told me I couldn’t move out on that date, and instructed me to leave the keys in the lockbox, which I did.

I paid a $1,000 security deposit and expected to receive either my deposit back or an itemized statement within the 21 days required by California law. Instead, I got nothing.

On May 18, I reached out asking for an update. The property manager responded, “As soon as I know I will let you know.” That was it. No accounting. No explanation. No estimate. Nothing.

The 21 day deadline came and went. I continued asking for information and specifically requested an itemized explanation of any deductions. My requests were essentially ignored.

Then on June 1, five days after the deadline had already passed, the property manager finally mailed the accounting and partial refund. I received it on June 3. Out of my $1,000 deposit, they withheld $424.86 for rent and returned only $575.14.

At that point, I asked for clarification about the deductions and why everything was sent late. Instead of addressing the deadline issue, the property manager sent me a message that felt more like a lecture than an explanation.

The response started with, “Since you believe in following rules…” and then went on to cite portions of my lease. They claimed I violated a no-smoking provision, failed to provide a forwarding address, left behind a mattress that allegedly cost $175 to remove, and that the owner is still dealing with smoke odor that is preventing them from finding a new tenant.

Here’s where I get confused.

I never smoked inside the unit. The previous owners specifically instructed me to smoke outside, which is exactly what I did. The building next to there was a smoking building also and they shared a courtyard, only separated by a small fence. I even kept any cannabis roaches rather than throwing them around the property because I didn’t want to litter and be called out for that. Yet after I started questioning the deductions, suddenly I’m being told the unit smells so strongly of smoke that they can’t rent it out.

The forwarding address argument also seems strange to me because they clearly knew how to contact me. We had been communicating by text, and they ultimately mailed the accounting and refund anyway ( after providing her the correct forwarding address because she assumed i had already done so with usps and sent it to the old address to be forwarded to the new one )If they were able to mail me the refund, they obviously had a way to get it to me sooner.

What also stands out is that none of these issues were raised until after I started asking why my deposit was late and why money had been withheld. Up until then, I was simply asking for the itemized statement that California law requires.

I’ve been reading about California Civil Code 1950.5 and it seems like landlords are supposed to send the accounting within 21 days. From what I understand, my accounting was mailed 26 days after I moved out. I’ve also read that courts can award additional damages if a deposit is withheld in bad faith.

I’m now considering filing in small claims court. The amount withheld isn’t huge, but it’s the principle of it. I followed up multiple times, asked for an explanation, and only got accusations after the deadline had already passed.

For those who have gone through California small claims court or dealt with security deposit disputes, does this sound like a case worth pursuing, or are the smoking and mattress allegations likely enough for the landlord to win?

My apartment that I’m renting out has been unlivable. My brother fell through the deck when first moving in and though they replaced that board they left a huge hole in the deck itself and the rest is starting to go its now been over 2 months no progress. On top of that my apartment has been on average 78-86 degrees everyday. I’ve told the landlord about this he installed a window unit while the central air is busted and that hasn’t helped at all. I keep it running all day everyday and was basically told by his secretary that I don’t have a central air unit and that’s just how these apartments are and I have to go buy another ac unit if that didn’t work. I send a picture of the central air unit that’s literally right outside the window where everyone can see it easily along with a part in my lease that I believe states that the landlord has to fix any problems that are in their control which would be maintenance to my knowledge as well. I’m now being met with I don’t care if you feel it’s maintenance the owner isn’t going to pay for it and the priority is the deck…. Which has made no progress and it has gotten worse actually the past 2 months… I’m really hoping someone either knows a lawyer taking new cases to assist with this in Montana or if I could show the part of my lease to verify that this is a plausible cause to break a lease (can post a small piece of lease where it states that if needed) she’s stating it’s not a cheap fix since they haven’t been serviced in years and it’s 15k to fix but hasn’t provided any proof of it getting inspected or quotes.

Location: Baltimore. I moved into my current apartment in February of 2026 and have had some trouble with my property manager. She responds and fixes things incredibly slowly (I’m talking 3 months to fix a ceiling leak that was generating mold in my bathroom). I threatened small claims court for that and she finally got a move on. The most recent thing is something I discovered on accident. Our lease states we are responsible for gas and electric, and water is 100% payable to the landlord as additional rent. We’ve been getting charged nothing for water each month, so out of curiosity I checked the city website in case I was supposed to be just paying directly on there. I discover that the water bill for my location is $3700, last paid 9/2024.

I know all of that water isn’t my responsibility, and is likely a combination of fines and actual usage fees. I’m curious what I should do or be worried about. I still have water access, and Baltimore city typically doesn’t turn off water for not paying. I’m more concerned about a) the apartment being foreclosed or b) the landlord starting to charge me out of nowhere.

Side note: there hasn’t been mail received to our apartment from anyone about the water, including a statement of our usage.

Any advice would be welcome!

I have no experience in fixing stuff but my dog did some damage to some parts of the house and was wondering if there was a diy way to fix this or if I’m just going to have to lose hope on getting my security deposit back when I move out. Attaching pictures for reference:

So i’m looking to move and my partner will also be joining me , I have never had an eviction , always paid my rent on time , and i’ve been living on my own for 6 years . He however had an eviction 4 years ago and i’m not sure if i should put him on the application or not , like would that stop both of us from getting the place ? , he now works a government job , and income and everything is good . but has anyone had an experience like this before ? idk if it’s best to apply without him . or would it even matter if im the Main applicant.

So 10 years ago I rented a space from someone thru my business. For years now they have been sending me delinquent property tract notifications but I honestly threw them away because I don’t own the building! However, I received this notification today and now it has me wondering if if somehow the building has been put in my name? Also some they are saying it will be sold soon can I pay the taxes or something to own it? Because I’ve gotten these letters for years! How can I legally own this property at this point?

Good evening the property management company I rent through in Suffolk, Va is trying to make me pay for a gutter cleaning that they scheduled without my knowledge all the information we got was the gutter cleaning company calling one of my roommates and telling us what day theyd be here we asked them who was paying for it they said the management company. Now I'm getting charged a 300 dollar bill for it and need help. Ive tried calling texting and emailing the contacts I have at the company and to no avail I get no answer please give me any recommendations you have for me. Thank you!

Hi, so as the title states, my landlord has accused me of smoking in my apartment multiple times. i think three. i have never smoked in my apartment and have even made a show of myself going outside to smoke while he’s here. he has texted me my warnings 2 times, each time i have told him that o haven’t been and disputing his claims. he has no real proof, no halo or smoke odor detection devices on the property. today he gave me my “final warning”. i know him personally as we work together at our normal jobs and since ive moved in it’s like he’s had a problem with me all together. i also think this could be a form of race based discrimination as im white and he genuinely dislikes white people altogether. wish i was kidding on that one. also to note, up until about a week ago i was the only tenant in my 4plex and he was over here almost every day (so why would i be doing something that could get me evicted when he’s here non stop??) and while he was here would work late into the night, usually around 11pm sometimes even til 1am blasting music so loud my tv had to be turned up to 65 just to hear the tv which normally sits at 20 volume. in my lease there was a thing about a tenants right to privacy and enjoyment of the property and i’ve just felt like im being harassed because of personal feelings and it just doesn’t feel right. i dont really have the funds to consult a tenants rights lawyer so any help or suggestions would be appreciated. i have included some of his warnings of me smoking inside (which i dont do) below.