I'm really scared of what I have gotten myself into.
I moved into an appartment without thinking. I looked it over and it was cute, but I didn't have enough time to really look. We (my boyfriend and I) had been looking for appartments for 6 months and couldn't find one that fit us. This was the biggest one we had found and we able to make an agreement (verbal) with the lardlord about pets. We have a duck and agreed to keep her out side and the waived the non refundable pet deposit and all make the comment that small caged animals and fish were fine. So my boyfried got me a rat for my birthday. I'm afraid they can use it against us in the future.
Now that we are settle, I've found a huge list of things that make this apartment unlivable. Such as falling ceiling tiles, leaking ceiling, nasty carpets (no amount of cleaning can fix them, I'm sure, I've tried), and just the fact that this apartment is rotting away, inside and out.
I've tried calling the lardlord and after the first month of calls to try and get someone to fix this *stuff* and a water bill (they pay the water and let us know how much, but we have yet to see a bill or find out how much we owe), they stopped answering my calls, so I started calling from the work phone and they figured out the number too. I have found out, from a work man, that the landlord sits at the kitchen table at 8, so I called then and the work man said the landlord new it was me and didn't answer.
So I sent a letter. Two days later a work man was at the apartment and there for 3 hours. He fixed half the list of 9 serious items (fixed the lesser half) and left. He came back the next day, told me that the landlord didn't want him there anymore, but he'd work off the clock for us. It's rediculous. I still have serious (the most serious item) wrong.
The lease says no hang. But theres a sign as you walk in that says keys with three nails below it that was there when we looked at the apartment. There are nails all over the place. I've hung a few pictures on existing nails.
When we moved in I used 2 walmart bottles of bug stray because there were webs lining every inch of the walls. There are stains lining the bathroom which I have bleached repeatedly and we were told that they would clean it all before we moved it. A verbal agreement means nothing to them. We have a gas furnace with burn marks above it, I'm afraid to use it, this was on the list in the letter. The windows are rotting out, the molding is falling off, and there are holes in the wall. Not to mention that the paneling is falling off and that there is no wall in the bathroom cabinet, so there is a hole the leads into the hall closet and into the crawl space.
We've recently found fleas and mice, but this is all just enough to make me cry. We've been living here since June 9th 2006, almost 3 months. I can't stand it anymore.
What can I do.
I found another apartment and it's perfect. Huge with wash and dryer. And it's litterally right around the corner. I can't believe if we had only waited 3 months that we would be happy.
My next letter, I believe, will be a 30 day notice that we are leaving, but I'm afraid that they'll attack for all we have.
I forgot to mention that we have offered to much of the repairs with proper reimbursment, with no luck.

What can I do?
Can they use the rat against us?

I'm just so scared and becoming seriously depressed.

Thank you for all your help

I'm really scared of what I have gotten myself into.
I moved into an appartment without thinking. I looked it over and it was cute, but I didn't have enough time to really look. We (my boyfriend and I) had been looking for appartments for 6 months and couldn't find one that fit us. This was the biggest one we had found and we able to make an agreement (verbal) with the lardlord about pets. We have a duck and agreed to keep her out side and the waived the non refundable pet deposit and all make the comment that small caged animals and fish were fine. So my boyfried got me a rat for my birthday. I'm afraid they can use it against us in the future.
Now that we are settle, I've found a huge list of things that make this apartment unlivable. Such as falling ceiling tiles, leaking ceiling, nasty carpets (no amount of cleaning can fix them, I'm sure, I've tried), and just the fact that this apartment is rotting away, inside and out.
I've tried calling the lardlord and after the first month of calls to try and get someone to fix this *stuff* and a water bill (they pay the water and let us know how much, but we have yet to see a bill or find out how much we owe), they stopped answering my calls, so I started calling from the work phone and they figured out the number too. I have found out, from a work man, that the landlord sits at the kitchen table at 8, so I called then and the work man said the landlord new it was me and didn't answer.
So I sent a letter. Two days later a work man was at the apartment and there for 3 hours. He fixed half the list of 9 serious items (fixed the lesser half) and left. He came back the next day, told me that the landlord didn't want him there anymore, but he'd work off the clock for us. It's rediculous. I still have serious (the most serious item) wrong.
The lease says no hang. But theres a sign as you walk in that says keys with three nails below it that was there when we looked at the apartment. There are nails all over the place. I've hung a few pictures on existing nails.
When we moved in I used 2 walmart bottles of bug stray because there were webs lining every inch of the walls. There are stains lining the bathroom which I have bleached repeatedly and we were told that they would clean it all before we moved it. A verbal agreement means nothing to them. We have a gas furnace with burn marks above it, I'm afraid to use it, this was on the list in the letter. The windows are rotting out, the molding is falling off, and there are holes in the wall. Not to mention that the paneling is falling off and that there is no wall in the bathroom cabinet, so there is a hole the leads into the hall closet and into the crawl space.
We've recently found fleas and mice, but this is all just enough to make me cry. We've been living here since June 9th 2006, almost 3 months. I can't stand it anymore.
What can I do.
I found another apartment and it's perfect. Huge with wash and dryer. And it's litterally right around the corner. I can't believe if we had only waited 3 months that we would be happy.
My next letter, I believe, will be a 30 day notice that we are leaving, but I'm afraid that they'll attack for all we have.
I forgot to mention that we have offered to much of the repairs with proper reimbursment, with no luck.

What can I do?
Can they use the rat against us?

I'm just so scared and becoming seriously depressed.

Thank you for all your help

First thing, is buy yourself a newspaper and a cheap camera. Use the paper as a way to document the date of the photographs. Take pictures of everything. (document)

Next, write up everything that has happened to date. If you have uses a cell phone to make your calls, get copies of the records. (document)

Then you can go to either to MSU and ask for advice (as they have heard all this before) or to the local court house. It sounds like what you have is a breach of habitability.

Here is the place to do your homework at.

http://www.uslandlord.com/laws/ky.html

Blessings

thank you

I have used two disposible(sp) cameras and used both as well as kept a list of what has and hasn't been fixed. But never thought to write down any dates.
Also, I don't really want to have to take this to court. The closest I want to get to court is consultation with a lawyer.
I am also bringing the health department into it. I have had more headache (litterally) in this apartment. I'm not sure what its from, probably stress. But I've been told to ask to check the water, furnance, and for mold.
I'm hoping that if I can get the health department to declare the apartment unfit, that it will make it easier, especially if I get it in writing.

Also, I don't if our lease is really valid. I went to get a copy to prove to the school that I had an apartment and the landlord had lost the original. SO the wife sat down and filled out another one and had me sign and sign for the s.o. It has none of his info in it because I don't know any of it. But I feel possitive that if we go to court that they can get me on fordgery(sp) and that the first copy will magically show up.

I'm just really scared.

Forgery charges are saved for someone with intent to defraud.

I would also go to the health department, and get the place deemed uninhabitable. The furnace alone is grounds for declairing the lease void. Check out the link I provided fopr the exact wording of the law.

thank you

it puts me at so much ease when i have a little out side help and know that i've been doing the right thing

i'll be puting your help to work asap

thank you again