Location: Oklahoma
I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this but roommate suggested I at least try asking reddit. If this is the wrong place please delete it or tell me where to move.
We moved into this rental house in April and already want to leave. It was 1000 sqft for 835 a month and that was a great deal here, we knew it was a fixer upper but thought it would just need some TLC.
It doesn’t.
The washer has had issues draining, we’ve gotten our own dryer instead of the one provided, the door in the back of the house won’t close (twice), the AC doesn’t keep it cool, the toilet has backed up, there is mold, the ceiling leaks, there was some kind of animal living in the wall, the floors are uneven, one inside door doesn’t shut, the toilet won’t stop running, the floor has holes and places where it is tearing open just from putting weight on it, there was water damage behind the washer and mold there, the wall got wet during heavy rain, it seems like every time we turn around, something else breaks.
The landlord made it seem like if anything needed to be fixed, the first $250 would be on us and then he would cover anything over that, and we could even hire contractors. What it actually is, is that we can start a “work order” with him for 250, he drives up here, at some point, could be days to weeks, he brings his 9 year old who sits on the couch, beleaguers our plushies, chews on our blankets, and takes over the TV– and yes I’m going to let her and be nice to her because she got drug on this like 12+ hour drive and she’s got to be fucking miserable– and “fixes” things himself, over a period of days, constantly talking to us and telling us how to fix things, needing constant attention and engagement, and taking days longer than estimated. He fixed something under the kitchen sink with duct tape before we even took on the lease. We were in such a hurry to get out of our apartment and not let someone else get this great deal– five other people viewing the house the same day as us! for 835 for 1000sqft in a good part of Midwest City!– that we didn’t look at everything carefully and I’ll fully admit to being an idiot there, yep, should’ve checked everything, I was dumb, this is a hell of my own making, yada yada. Okay but I would like help getting OUT of the hell of my own making. The ceiling is cracking and was peeing water, that’s the best description I can give of speed of the flow, every once in a while. I told him about it, knowing he would say it’s just condensation, I got ahead of it by saying that. Just wanted to let you know. He said to fix it with caulk or spackle. He blames us any time anything goes wrong. We were told the main line clog that backed up into the bathtub was our fault– “I told you the system is delicate, it must be because you used toilet paper. By the way did you change the vent filters? Because that would be a major failure if you didn’t do that…….” It’s exhausting.
I’ve been looking for a new place to rent, and I took all of my retirement out from a previous job and paid off my car loan for the car that hasn’t run in years anyway, and a bunch of payday loans I took out a few years ago, and the fees from the apartment because we refused to pay the early termination fee on move out because they were crap, hoping to raise my credit score, because it’s 482, and get a good reference from the apartments. We were planning to try to stay here longer to find a place in winter when it’s cheaper, but I keep swinging wildly back and forth. There’s a house that I want to apply to, it’s 1300 a month, but a normal paycheck for me is almost 2k, so it would be okay. I have the retirement money to cover the move. But our lease says that we’re responsible for the rest of the term. He gets the rest of the term in a lump sum from us when we move out and pays back a partial refund when new tenants move in. If we moved out in July it would be 8 months of rent, $6680. And then we would get the difference back when new people moved in. I’ve been repeatedly told by two different people not to pay him that.
All this advice is from family, coworkers, and even a hairdresser. I’m being told to call the fair housing act and they’ll take care of everything, but they’re only for low income. I’m told what he’s doing is illegal but we signed the papers. I’m a nurse, I don’t know anything about laws. I don’t understand it very well and when trying to read, nothing sticks. It just slides off of my brain. Very much the anime character “I’m good at one thing” type of person over here. And the housing act site, said that if we make a complaint, they notify who we complained on. He is aware we’re looking for a place to move out, potentially early, and has told me he’ll give us a good reference– we’ve always paid rent on time and except for being needy about maintenance have been good tenants. I don’t want that good reference to go away if he finds out we are trying to take him to court. I don’t really want to freaking GO to court! I just want to not live here anymore. I’m covered in mosquito bites, the house doesn’t get cool, and it’s only in the low 90s. What happens when it’s in the 100s? I’m going to call an HVAC person tomorrow but I’m afraid that if I keep putting money into the house it will never be enough and I’ll use all of the retirement that was going to go towards first and last month’s rent and fees and stuff for moving.
Everyone keeps telling me to get a lawyer, and I’m already out of spoons from looking to get out. If he finds out we won’t get a good reference. I’m AUHD, I’m an RN and work full time as a clinical educator. Right now I’m off work for 6 weeks because I had major surgery on the 3rd. I just got cleared to drive yesterday and went to two viewings today and massively overdid it, now I’m sobbing on the couch because my mom’s advice was to make more phone calls and my roommate said why not ask reddit even though I told them that most advice ones can’t actually give advice and will just tell you to go to the officials, but I’m at my wots’ end. The house is hot with the ac not really working and it’s full of mosquitoes. I’m miserable, it feels like I’m drowning and I’m starting to wish I had never woken up from anesthesia. I could really use some help.