Please Help!!!?

Question

I need help regarding tenants and landlord issue.
Me and my family was looking for a shorterm apartment, whic is not very easy to find in Oakland, Pittsburgh area. Finally after looking for a month I decided to sublet someone's else apartment that the tenant told me that it has a bed bug problem and the pest control has been treating it 3 times and they never seen any bugs anymore.
Anyway, this coming wednesday, it will be the 10 times!!! and we try to get out of the lease but the landlord said he is going to sue us if we did. The Health department can only offer to come to inspect the place.
We are not in a place where we can hire or spend money for a lawyer. We really don't know where we have to turn to. I have a 1 year old daughter that I am very much concern for her health breathing all the things that they spray every single week.
I hope someone could help me with this issue. thank you very much for your time.

Answer 1

Whatever they are spraying is not for bedbugs.

Bedbug treatment is very expensive and extensive. You would need to leave your home for an entire day each time. The prep work alone before the bedbug treatment would take you a couple of hours, and it takes a few hours for the chemicals they use to dry. Everything down to your picture frames needs to be treated.

I really hope you rented it furnished because all upholstered items, pillows and mattresses will have to be disposed of.

What you need to do is pay for a consultation with a landlord/tenant attorney in your area and find out what your rights and responsibilities are. You need someone who specializes in l/t, and not someone who does it on the side.

You can get a name from the local bar association. An in-depth consultation should cost around $50 to $75. You may be able to rightfully withhold your rent and get an abatement. And you may be able to sue to recover all your costs. The lawyer will also advise you on proper notification to your landlord.

Answer 2

Your only way out might ---maybe--- only maybe--- be if subletting was not allowed in the first person's lease. See if you can get a copy of that lease. If there is a "no sublet" clause in it, then the contract you entered into with the former tenant was an illegal contract because it's against the original tenant's agreement with the landlord. And by law you cannot enforce an illegal contract. But that is truly your only hope.

If the person you are renting from had not mentioned they had a bedbug problem, you would probably be able to get out of the lease too but since they disclosed it, and the landlord is doing his part to try and get rid of the bugs by having the exterminator come out, you really are out of luck. You knew about the problem before you moved in and chose to accept the apartment. It is very unfortunate that the problem was worse than anyone thought but it's common sense that any bugs are hard to get rid of, so it might take more treatments than originally had been expected.

If the landlord is not willing to work with you, you might want to talk to the Child and Family Services agency to see if they can help you come up with an affordable place to live, and try to find someone to sublet in your place.

Answer 3

Whoah!!! 10 times to get rid of bed bugs...Something is not adding up! What kind of stupid exterminator your landlord is he using. Normally, after one or two applications your apt. should be free of bed bug assuming that your matresses now have a zipped cover on them. I understand your concern about the harm those chemicals can do.. If you said correctly that they use these chemicals for bed bug only...I seriously questionned what kind of products and/or quality chemicals they are using. You took this apartment shortterm so how many months do you have left? Even if it's only a sublet lease, you're now responsible for the remaining months left. I would ask the Health Dept. to come and inspect and call another exterminator company also to inspect your apt. get a second opinion.. I'm afraid that you and your landlord are being taken for a ride by this guy who supposedly is getting rid of the bugs.

Answer 4

Try to market the property yourself. If you bring a new tenant that is willing to sign a new lease and all checks out with the landlord. Your landlord shouldn't have a problem. The bottom line is loss of rent. I would try and market it ASAP for October 1...tell the landlord after you find someone suitable :) It's a big diffrence saying hey I want out but I have someone willing to sign a new lease compared to hey I wanna leave find someone...

I would market that at www.NJville.com in case someone is looking to relocate and also make sure you hit the Pittsburgh section of craigslsit.com

Good Luck :)

Answer 5

I am in the commercial real estate business in Texas. You mention a sub-lease. I assume that the lease is between you and the previous tenant. In Texas this is not an agreement between you and the landlord. The landlord only has recourse against the original tenant who has the original lease. You should check this with a real estate agent in your area as to the your liability to the landlord.

Answer 6

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