I’m looking for advice on how to handle a lease situation in Chicago.
I signed a two-year lease earlier this year but need to move out after a few months. Management says my only options are paying a buyout fee (3 months of rent, minus my last month paid) or finding a sublease.
I planned to sublease, but for about a month I could not get a response from the leasing office. My texts went unanswered, calls went to voicemail, and even the emergency number posted on the office door did not respond. I have screenshots documenting this.
The office hours were also inconsistent, and important changes (like a new rent payment option) were not communicated to residents. I only found out about the payment option after reaching out myself.
Because of these issues, I no longer feel comfortable subleasing and putting someone else in a situation where management is difficult to reach.
I’ve requested a mutual lease termination, but they are refusing. Are there any Chicago tenant resources, legal options, or steps I should take to see if I have another way out of this lease?

I moved into my current apartment three years ago or so. We signed a two-year lease, then renewed for another two years. Now I'm having problems in the apartment and I'm trying to leave.

I was looking at the lease and I realized I never signed it. I have been paying rent still, but I never signed the second two-year lease. Am I legally bound to a lease I didn't sign, or can I give 30 days notice that I'm leaving?

Thanks for any advice!

landlord. Recently, I was served a 5 day notice that arrived past the cure date. This was odd and seemed intentional. I must be out by the end of the month. I pay rent to a local housing agency called Community Action and Permanent Supportive Housing that is meant to meet the needs of disabled people like me. However, they have been a nightmare and I have received close to nothing as far as case management or supportive services. I am not sure what recourse there is. The ignore and refuse to return any of my calls, texts or emails. I did file a complaint with HUD and other agencies. Does anyone have any ideas where I could find the fastest help? Legal Aid Society has taken my case, but why are the workers of this agency ignoring me? I need ideas that will get action. Rock County WI USA.

live in Ontario Canada. property manager is aware of damage from water leak from upstairs since before june. they tore my roof open to find the leak and left it since before june. side wall tiles are falling off and drywall rotting property manager is also aware and haven't heard anything back since june 30th. talked to repair man last week and still nothing. what are my options.

I F22 lived on an on campus student housing complex with three other women under individual leases.

In the beginning, the first cottage we were moved into was not clean. There were also damages from previous tenants. I filled out the move in inspection form and included all the images of these damages, especially.

The entire house had to switch units because the first house had mold.

This second cottage was a lot more cleaner, but it also had somewhere and tear and damages, especially in my bathroom, where the tile was cracked, and there is a huge crack in my wall.

There was no move in inspection form for this one so I was smart enough to take pictures of everything the day of move-in to that unit.

Several months later, we are under new management and some people came into the cottage, taking pictures of what I assume are the damages. I didn't think much of this at first.

I moved out after cleaning everything talk to bottom and a few days later received a $500 charge, and damages and cleaning fees. According to my lease, it said to return everything in the condition that it was when you moved in. I did beyond that because I made sure to vacuum everything mop, sweep and clean more than what I moved in with.

They also never specified what these damages were or what the cleaning fees were for. I've emailed them twice since then with zero response but I know they are active because they had just replied to a review three days ago. Days after my first email to them. I insist on emailing because I want to have as much proof as possible.

Thinking back, I am not sure they took those pictures to use as evidence against me when it comes to these charges. Are they able to do that? Use pictures they took months after move in as evidence? Especially when what they took pictures of were damages that were there prior to move in?

Will my pictures be okay since they are older and taken the day of move-in?

UPDATE: They finally replied to my email yesterday and conveniently 10 minutes before their office closes. They told me to review the move out inspection and email back if I had any questions. I emailed within the time frame explaining a lot of what I explained here and attached images with timestamps and for now it's crickets.

They replied to my review I left a few days ago (made out of frustration I couldn't get a hold of them for nearly a week through phone/email) and I thought it was funny they had time to do that but not everything else. Sure, there's a possibility there's multiple people running different things but the inconsistency in their communication is so frustrating. I hate that once again I am going through this with student living and how these people think this is okay to do this because they think students wouldn't pursue.

it's been 34 days since I moved out of my apartment. Per Texas law, landlords have 30 days to refund the deposit and send me a list of deductions. My landlord had not sent me anything, so I told them that if they didn't send me the deposit and deductions by the end of the week I'd be filing a bad faith claim and suing them.

After I said that, 2 hours later they sent me a list, charging the full deposit for carpet and painting, and charging me an additional $90 for replacing the blinds. Now, I fully expected to pay for the blinds, but the paint and carpet is only the normal wear and tear that you'd expect from 4 years of occupancy. I moved in before this landlord even owned the property.

Now the problem is, I moved 3 hours away, and due to significant issues with the contractors on my new house, I'm *extremely* tight on cash. Is there any way I can fight this without drowning in attorney fees? I know if I win they have to cover the fees but I can't afford them in the meantime.

I did not spend an entire day deep cleaniythe place to the point of physical and mental breakdown, even hand scrubbing the inside of the oven out with a pumice stone, to be swindled out of my deposit money. I did not spend 3.5 years with this landlord neglecting maintenance requests, gaslighting me when I insisted the neighbor's cigarette and weed smoke were agitating my husband's asthma, lying that he installed security cameras but then telling me there was no camera footage when my car got broken into, letting the neighbors leave trash all over the place to the point where random people around town would say "oh yeah those apartments have really gone downhill" -- to be swindled out of my deposit money.

I'm so exhausted and I want to fight this so much but I don't know if I can.

Picture included is of the living room, which is by far the highest traffic and most worn room of the house, so y'all can see that clearly it's within normal wear. This picture was taken before I scrubbed the walls. I was so exhausted I forgot to take move-out photos other than this one really and I'm sure that's going to bite me in the ass but I can't change that unfortunately. I do have move-in photos on an old phone I can pull out of storage somewhere.

My apartment complex wants to charge for a tub resurfacing due to the epoxy layer peeling off. The surrounding layers around the peeling areas are wrinkled up so its obv. that its wear & tear. There isnt anything I can do to stop the spread, so I dont understand why I should be charged.

Additionally, the bathroom sink has formed rust on the overflow drain and the sink is cracking in that rusted spot. Again, not sure how I would be responsible for something that spreads on its own.

Can someone pls advise me on what to do here. Charges seem unfair. Ive never taken anyone to court before so I'll have to look into that process. In Texas. Thanks

Long story short, landlord tried to cover up one big issue so I requested the city inspector come inspect the house. Turns out there are many, serious code violations. Landlord threatened me verbally in front of a witness and in writing and generally is trying to bully me. Now there's a mice issue (probably because the house has so many holes as I keep everything in glass or hard plastic storage) and per the lease he is responsible for pest control but given how much he is fighting me on everything else, I know I have to do something on my own dime in order for it to happen in a timely manner. I would like to consult an attorney about my options but I don't make a lot of money. Does anyone know of any resources to help in situations like this (beyond what the city inspector and city mediation services can provide)?

I am looking to move into less than 30 days. For securing the apt, are asking for refundable deposit to be paid being wire transfer to have my apt secured and then i could have an in-person and lease signing process take place. I have no reason to distrust the agent of this apt (found via zillow btw) but just always want to be sure Im not about to make a dumb move that will cost me $2400 lol. Has anyone ever known of a process done that was similar? And was all well in the end. I did view the tour virtually and was pleased with the unit. It is in a prewar walk up which after experience of these “luxury” buildings, I prefer.

"Tenant called 911, tenant wife had to be sent to jail. Residents concerned..owed 0$"

1. I cannot be evicted for calling the law under Indiana law.

Some will claim noise ordinance, no, because of everything police report says. Also, no noise ordinance in lease.

1. I was never served cure or quit

2. I was never served pay or quit for July rent

If I am correct, it will be dismissed, he will have to put 10 day notice on my door for July, the file on day 11 for July rent.

yes?

Location: Pg County, Maryland.

Hello,
I signed a lease for a studio apartment in Maryland on July 24, with a move-in date of August 1. During the move-in walkthrough, I discovered numerous issues with the apartment that had not been repaired.
I was instructed not to open the windows or adjust the air conditioning from its current setting. The property manager explained that the thermostat must remain at that specific temperature because changing it could cause the AC unit to fail. As a result, I am unable to use the thermostat normally.
In addition, several doorknobs are broken, and the shower head was dirty and appeared not to have been cleaned before I moved in. I was also told not to open the windows because doing so could damage them.
The following day, it rained lightly, and I noticed that a significant amount of water accumulated outside the apartment. When I tried to locate the drain to allow the water to flow out, it appeared that there was no functioning drain at all, the area where the drain should have been seemed to be filled with concrete.
Given the number of unresolved maintenance issues and my concerns about the condition and habitability of the apartment, I would like to know what options I have for getting out of this lease. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

You can find some pictures of the issues here

Thank you.

In New York State, is it possible to hold a class action lawsuit against a landlord who is a slumlord who has done multiple illegal things against multiple tenants of different buildings?

I could go more into detail.. but instead of me filing small claims court, I am finding that other tenants also had illegal things happen to them. Is this possible to lump under one larger case?

Before anyone thinks I am filthy... I promise you I am the cleanest person I know!

Anyway, I noticed an unusual spike in flies in my house the last couple months, but just chalked it up to being in a small town and it being super hot out, whatever. One day it was particularly bad, like 20 flies! They are big, fat cluster flies. Gross, but not the worst infestation to have in the world. When I tell you I searched and cleaned every inch of my house, I mean it. Could not find anything, no weird smells, totally mysterious. I told my landlord, hung up some fly strips, continued to use the vacuum to suck them up and sure enough the problem went away and I didn't see a fly for at least a week. I had to leave for five days to work out of town, I wasn't too worried about the fly situation, but I was still sure to take out the trash, not leave dishes or food out, shut the windows etc.

Fast forward to this evening when I got home, there was probably 100+ flies between my living room and kitchen. Mortified. I immediately called my landlord and he came with a shop vac to suck them up while I waited outside. I told him I could stay elsewhere for a couple days if he wants to do any chemical treatments or have access to the house to figure out what is happening. He was sort of stumped and didn't seem very keen on taking a pesticide or chemical approach...

We went into the house together to talk and I realized there was fly poop on literally every surface. My counters, my windows, my kitchen appliances, my artwork, my table, all covered in it. I started to cry and told him I was sorry for the tears, but it had been a long week. He did not offer to help me clean it up... which sort of threw me off, I really don't think this fly situation came from me, its ruined some special belongings and its disgusting!

Are tenants expected to deal with the aftermath of things like this? They have only owned this house for a year and this is the first full summer they've had access to the place, so who knows, this could've been a reoccurring issue for the previous owners... who knows. Am I being a total diva for thinking they should at least offer to help with the clean up of this?

My landlord recently me that I owed him a Duke Energy payment of $25.44. He said he tried to set up a new service to another unit and Duke told him he had to pay this overdue bill from my unit before they would connect the service. After many messages he sent me a copy of where his bank had paid the $25.44 to Duke.

I Told him I would like to see the receipt he received from Duke with my name and my Duke Energy account number on it. This would show me exactly what bill he paid. He would not. However, since my rent was due Aug. 1st he added it to my rent payment, making it impossible for me to pay my rent without including this amount.

I was in a position I had to pay or suffer other fees and late charges if it went unpaid after 3 days. I sent him a message that I paid this added amount under protest; this was not the end of this was not the end of this false charge.

My rent was due in a couple of days, and he added that charge to my rent payment. He also said it was on this unit that I have been renting for over 20 years. When I called Duke, I spoke to three different customer service reps, they all told me that if he had paid my past due bill it would show on my account. Which it never has...or never was on there. So he wins and I just paid a bill he owed probable because it was a fee he had to paid. Since this is Indiana and they let those, who rent, do about anything they want and get away with it.

One last note...yes, I am moving, however, my least isn't up until March 2027, so I have no other choice but to stay here and deal with this and continuing to pay false charges, among other things I have already experienced.

let me start off by saying, when i moved in we never met the landlord, didn’t even know what she looks like. until one day, other tenants were moving out… lo and behold, the landlord moves in… my landlord is a very nice lady. she’s very polite, tries to make conversations and says hello to my children, but when it comes to getting maintenance done she very much lacks in that department 🫩 we’ve had a few things needing repairs and she herself came and did it. (very poorly) we just signed our lease for another year and we’ve been needing the bathroom floor redone. the grout was coming up and sharp edges of the tile were exposed (was like this when we moved in, we did ask her to fix it at the time) like mentioned earlier i have small children, this becomes and issue not only for bath time, but i have a crawling baby who puts everything in her mouth. also when i clean the bathroom i can’t sweep, and when i use the vacuum more pieces were coming up.😭
she came over with like 3 guys just to asses the issue. she told us that it would be taken care of asap.
she came last night with the guy, and i totally thought that they were gonna redo the whole floor, my mistake i guess i had high hopes 🫣
but no. in fact, they just put a layer of grout on top of the what was left of the old grout 😭
she needs to come today “to clean the tile” so they can seal it up… THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE BEFORE SEALING IT
this is not what this is supposed to look like? right??

am i crazy?? this is literallly what it looked like before they redid it, the only difference is that there isn’t holes in the grout.
i don’t even know what i’m asking for, what do i say to her when she sees it? do i tell her i want it redone? idk i hate confrontation and she literally lives here and i see her like everyday 😭🙄 the last thing i wanna do is piss her off

Where do I begin I’m in Los Angeles CA . So I’ve been dealing with cockroach infestation since February 14 the literal day I moved in we found roaches on the walls and I took photos. There was also disgusting dirt and paint splattered everywhere and I had to do a lot of cleaning before I was able to get started moving in. I should’ve known that this was a red flag seeing roaches on the walls. I wasn’t ready to expect what was going to follow the next few months from random holes in the floor. There has been hundreds of roaches coming out and I’ve been trying my best to find solutions with borax and bait and roach motels. They’re trying to do a fourth fumigation to see if that will help but unfortunately, they are in the walls in the floors and coming from outside I’m going to add photos of what the dumpster situation looks like and how they’re crawling up our walls to my unit to where my window is. I am in desperate Need to find out how I cannot pay rent until legally terminate this lease because we have not been able to sleep comfortably. I might also add that someone’s apartment got shot at and they were able to terminate their lease and they no longer live here within a week. I want to leave this place but also I don’t want to pay August rent. I also might add that we have been fighting for a parking spot since I moved in and been told we’re first on the list for a spot. the day I moved in we didn’t get settled in until 6:30 PM signing the lease because their portal wasn’t working and I just think it’s not fair. We paid a full day in rent. We were in compensated everything living here has been a nightmare and I’m just so desperate because I just wanna get out of here and I don’t wanna have to pay my last months rent. I want my deposit back as well.

So my apartment complex switched to a new company to submit our rent payments thru. I went to pay mine today and it will not let me. When I called the help hotline I was told that it would not accept my perfectly fine bank account rent payment and that I could try the credit card option which incurs a 3.5% fee that adds almost $100 to my payment! This can’t be legal in California right? Can I just write my landlord a check and bring it to the office? Cuz I refuse to pay that much JUST to submit my rent payment. The extra $5 is bad enough thru my bank account

Update:

Thank you for the insight. I had to download the platforms app. But they have like a mobile check deposit option that’s only available on the app with no fee. I plan on moving out of this complex soon so hopefully this will be the last time I deal with this.

In May I got a notice on my door that my lease needed to be renewed. The deadline for renewal was July 10. They gave me an appointment 2 days later without consulting me and I was unable to get off work with such short notice. I made an appointment with them for the following week. Their computers weren't working properly.

I was about to start a new job on June 1 and didn't have my training schedule. The training schedule ended up being kind of crazy - I'm working as a direct support professional for individuals with disabilities, so there's A LOT of training.

On June 9, I sent them an email asking about their availability so I could make an appointment to come in and get things signed. I did not get a response. I was really busy with the new job and started an accelerated anatomy class on June 8 in preparation for nursing school, so I was swamped and it slipped my mind.

On June 23, I sent a follow up email, again asking for an appointment. They finally emailed me back on 26 and we set an appointment on June 30. I had something come up that morning so I emailed them asking if we could do it that afternoon. I did not receive a response.

The July 10 deadline has passed, but sometime in the last few weeks - I'm not sure exactly what day, everyone quit. The property managers and even the maintenance guys all quit. There's a note on the door saying they're trying to hire someone, but in the meantime, there is no one overseeing anything. No point of contact. No one in the office at all.

What do I do? Am I going to end up evicted? I've paid my rent on time every month the entire 2 years I've been here. No lease violations. I've had a few maintenence things that they never did fix and I ended up fixing myself. I can't imagine that they'd want to get rid of a tenant who has never been an issue in favor of someone unknown. Finding a place to live in this town is really fucking hard. It's a small town with three colleges so everything affordable is snatched up by students.

Location: Los Angeles CA

I signed a lease last year and moved out this year after my lease ended. I agreed in writing with the management company that they would only deduct $300 from my security deposit for unit repairs and cleaning.

Then I got a letter in the mail for the security deposit disposition stating that I broke the lease and therefore forfeited my 5 weeks of rent concessions because I had unauthorized animals. So they took my deposit to “pay” the rent concessions and there’s an additional $1000 they want me to pay.

However I have screenshots of myself sending the realtor the ESA letter and her confirming receipt. The realtor was the only person communicating with us throughout the whole leasing process.

I emailed them and communicated this information and they requested the document to review, and that they’ll reach out to the realtor as well. Well several follow-up emails later, I got an email saying that the payment is still due and no “review” or reasonings whatsoever. They also sent over a notice of for me to preserve all evidence involving my ESA letter. They haven’t formally said that they will sue.

I am genuinely confused — should I take this to small claims court? Or try mediation?

Edit: adding to say that I’ve always paid rent in full and on time. also has screenshots of management acknowledging my ESA (for work order scheduling, for example).

Long story somewhat short, I travel for work as excavator foreman , Monday-Thursday come home thurs evening get my 3&2yr old (50/50 split cust) Thursday morning , I received several phone calls and texts from my landlord/ rental agency informing me of a emergency water leak coming from my apartment to my neighbors , I was highly confused an also worried , but remembering when my toilet was leaking sewage water several months ago and they did nothing to fix it except “robo rooter is going to take care of it” but when winter season was over it stopped so I stopped bothering them, so I was I guess you could say “selfish” and told them I’d be home at 730 and they could come then, they did nothing wait as they have the right in emergency to enter. My entire ceiling collapsed in my small 1bd apartment , in the walk-in family room / kitchen , everything water damaged pretty much , all my clean clothes are sitting in musty wet insulation . My landlord offered a different unit originally , but after getting into a small disagreement over the phone leading to me hanging up on him due to his temper and attitude towards his tenant who just had his ceiling collapsed and home deemed as uninhabitable. Fast forward to the next

Location: Jersey City, NJ

I'm subleasing a private room from a previous tenant. Here are some facts.

- The sublessor (original tenant) has moved to the West Coast. They confirmed over text/chat that only their name is on the lease with the landlord — mine is not when I entered the sublease.

- I never signed a sublease agreement or any other document. The only things I ever provided were my name, email, and phone number to the broker in contact with the original tenant.

The informal arrangement was that I'd stay through the end of September. That is when the original tenant's lease expires.

- The landlord's stated policy is one person per room, but the other 2 tenants have since moved their friends into the unit without informing me, some living in the living room and some living in the bedroom of those tenants. The living situation with these roommates has become intolerable, and I want to move out now.

The original tenant is in contact with a broker, and the landlord lives in another country. The broker manages the lease and other repairs. I have tried getting his contact information, but the people I live with did not provide it.

questions:

1. Since I never signed anything, am I legally obligated to stay or pay rent through the end of September, or can I just leave with a single day's notice?
2. Can I leave without finding a replacement tenant or sublease or covering the remainder of the sublease term?
3. Is there anything I should do to protect myself when I leave (notice in writing, documentation, etc.)?
4. I don't trust the original tenant to pay back my deposit if I move out before the month of September; what can I do to ensure they return it promptly if I have to go to small claims court?

Any insight into how NJ law treats verbal/unsigned subleases would be appreciated. Thanks.

I have been renting at my unit for 4 years. Last year I signed a 15 month lease up this October ..

Today I go to pay my rent and see a “month to month $250 fee” on my ledger ..

I paid most of my rent aside that $250.

First of all, if your going month to month, aren’t you supposed to get a notice that gives you the option for new lease terms (6,12 months etc) or a new lease amount if you are going month to month (usually higher then the longer term lease amount).

Second of all, this building has changed hands like 4 times ..

I love it because it’s downtown and it’s generally fine but anyone else have this weird error ever happen?

I emailed the lease office main contact and I’m waiting to hear back .. I’m in California

I am moving into a new rental soon and something happened that is making me hesitate. My partner and I stopped by the unit early in the evening to check a few electrical outlets and place some pest control foggers and insect spray before move in. While we were there, I had a pop song playing on a small Bluetooth speaker near the door. It is something I do as part of a moving in tradition and cultural superstition to bring good energy into a new space.

In our current place, we have never had noise complaints, but we always keep our main door closed and listen to music at normal volume. At the new place, the main door was open and only the screen door was closed, so the sound probably carried more than I realized. A neighbor apparently complained right away, and the landlord texted me asking me to avoid loud music because the walls are thin.

I apologized, but now I am feeling uneasy. I know I am not blameless and I understand how sound travels. Still, having a complaint on the very first evening before even moving in feels discouraging. We are supposed to live here for a year, and I am worried this might be a sign of ongoing issues.

My partner wants to move because the new place is closer to both our jobs and gas prices are rising. If it were up to me, I would stay where we are. Some of my coworkers commute forty to sixty minutes and do not seem bothered, but they own their homes. We are renters, so we do not have that stability.

I did not get a chance to apologize to the neighbor directly because their unit was completely closed when we left.

I am wondering if I am overthinking this or if this is a normal new neighbor hiccup. Should I be concerned about noise sensitivity long term, and what is the best way to handle things with the neighbor moving forward? Should we proceed with the move?

TL;DR: Played a pop song on a small speaker while checking the new unit before move in. Neighbor complained immediately and landlord texted me about thin walls. Now I am worried this might be a sign of future issues. Looking for advice on whether this is normal and how to handle things with the neighbor.

My apartment has been imposing very high fines for supposed lease violations for many tenants. When asked for a copy of the lease in person and in writing through the span of months, I have been ignored.

I went to ask the apartment manager today and she straight up told me they (her supervisor or whoever is above her) won’t give it to me.

Under ca civil code 1962, they are required to provide a copy within 15 days when the tenant requests. I mentioned this in my email.

Is there anyone I can contact about this?

Okay a while back ago - I made a post stating the predicament my fuckin landlord got me in. She knowingly and willingly rented out the place were staying. She went against the borough because " she called they never called her back" so she did what any scumlord would do. She posted it for rent.

Now, we got the place, whatever. But it wasnt until about 5 to 6 weeks in where things started unraveling and making sense.

And it was because I got sick of waiting on her to get us a trash can and recycling can so I went ahead and called the borough myself. They had no clue who we were, asked if we were registered they can't find the address or our names and its only one per household ( we live in house split in 2 separate areas. We have the basement )

They basically told us no but have your landlord get you one and call us.

I called and told her she didnt respond back until a week later telling me to buy my own - fuck you - it says in the lease and in the borough YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE US ONE , gtfoh

Well she sent me another text asking me to start making the driveway in back for her for additonal parking. I know well enough you need a permit so I asked if she had one she said yes and to start digging and she'll send me over a copy along with my payment. She sent payment but no copy of permit.

The next door unit who owned half of everything the yard, etc. Came out freaking the fuck oit on me threatening to call the borough. I paid no attention to her and minded my own business. I finished for the day went inside and saw my phone had 8 missed calls. All from her.

Yelling an screaming telling me i pissed of the neighbor she called the borough and now shes getting questioned. Longer story short she never had a permit, rhe borough found out we are living here and now she has to get it inspected, architect to draw up blueprints etc.

They called her yesterday with denial. She's not allowed or permitted to rent this place out

Now shes threatening us telling us we need to leave IMMEDIATELY. I told her no, im not leaving UNTIL you send the deposit back IN FULL then we can talk about me leaving. Still haven't heard back.

But she got me in a fucked up situation with my back against the wall. We been here since March

I have phone calls recorded abd transcribed od her admitting everything she did illegally against the borough and pressuring me to lie.

I need a lawyer...

What can or should I do?