Anyway to avoid giving 30 days notice?

Question

I am in California. I'd only like serious answers from people that know what they're talking about, please. My boyfriend and I currently rent a townhouse. We are on a month to month lease, so we can move anytime we want, with 30 days notice. Our landlords have been the definition of "slum lords". We have had a major bug problem for months now (6) and they have came once to deal with it (by spraying for pests themselves). We have ear wigs, potatoe bugs, and black widows. They will go weeks without returning any kind of call we make to them to fix things. They have never fixed our ice maker that we let them know about 2 months ago. When we first moved here, they told us they would paint, and they haven't. They said they'd install rain gutters, and they haven't, so that results in water coming through the back door.Is there anyway we can give them just two weeks notice and still get our full deposit back?Since they've been such horrible landlords, is there any kind of loop hole?

And the water coming through the back door is a problem, it's caused mold! Our neighbor (we have attached housing since it's a townhouse) had the mold problem when she was pregnant, and the landlord told her the mold wouldn't hurt her. So, we have mold on the door now do to this problem. Not to mention the carpet being soaked and slugs coming in when it happens.

And the water coming through the back door is a problem, it's caused mold! Our neighbor (we have attached housing since it's a townhouse) had the mold problem when she was pregnant, and the landlord told her the mold wouldn't hurt her. So, we have mold on the door now do to this problem. Not to mention the carpet being soaked and slugs coming in when it happens.

Answer 1

with this type of ll you are going to have to follow the book if you want to see any of your security deposit back and even that could be a problem

do you have a move in check list? leave the place in clean condition, give thirty day notice request under ca law a walk threw after your stuff is out and before the end of the thirty day notice, also at this walk threw you can dispute and reductions from SD and a chance to cure

Answer 2

Nope.

From what you described, the property would not be condemned, and that process takes a long time anayway.
If you wanted to try withholding rent, yoou would have to pay into a court-established escrow account to prove you are not just rent deadbeats, but the landlord doesn't get paid until the items are fixed. As for your list, the paint is probably not more than an aesthetic item, an ice maker is not a reason to move out. The water in the back door issue would normally take time to create dangerous conditions. Your only major serious immediate issue is the insect infestations.

Answer 3

Why have you stayed there for 6 months?
1. Give them a written notice of the bug problems. Do other neighbors have the same problems? Or is this unique only to unit unit? There should not be any bugs inside your unit if you keep your unit clean and dry. The landlord can not spray insecticides inside unless he is licensed to do (a licensed exterminator). The State of Calif has strict rules on this, if he sprays tell him so and get pictures of him spraying inside.
2. Put a piece of plywood at rear door so the water does not come in when it rains.

You are required to give a 30 day notice per your contract. If you leave If w/o the full 30 day notice, the landlord will deduct 30 days of rent from your deposit and you will have to prove your case in a court to get it back.

Was the conditions of the unit properly documented in a move-in move-out FORM when you moved in?

Answer 4

From the sounds of it you could give them six months worth of notice and you still wouldnt get your deposit back.

First of all, Keep a log of every occurance, every attempt they have made to remedy the situation.

Take photo's or video or both. Hopefully you did this before you moved in along with doing a walk through and taking before photos.
I can't stress this enough! If you do move out.. go ahead and give notice, but when you do, state the reasons that you are moving. Mainly that the landlord has breached his own contract (lease) and then before you move make a report to the housing authority. Make sure you do everything in writing. When you keep a log, it will help you to prove your efforts.
I wish you luck.
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Answer 5

contact legal aid and report them to the housing authority. Also, document everything wrong with the apartment and the steps that you have taken to get your landlord to fix it so that you have a paper trail.