Unhappy Renter in Georgia

I have experienced water coming into my apartment, roof, foundation & door, for 4 months and for some reason they seem to not be able to correct the problem. I have had to use towels and mops to soak up the water because they, maintenance, have not once offered to have the affected areas cleaned or treated for mold & mildew. I still have 7 months left on my lease here but at this point I am considering placing my rent payments in escrow while looking for another place to live; I have now drafted a letter along with a few pictures to the leasing manager as well as the property management group to inform them.

[sandyclaus]

Originally Posted by Unregistered I have experienced water coming into my apartment, roof, foundation & door, for 4 months and for some reason they seem to not be able to correct the problem. I have had to use towels and mops to soak up the water because they, maintenance, have not once offered to have the affected areas cleaned or treated for mold & mildew. I still have 7 months left on my lease here but at this point I am considering placing my rent payments in escrow while looking for another place to live; I have now drafted a letter along with a few pictures to the leasing manager as well as the property management group to inform them.

Georgia law does not allow a tenant to withhold rent or repair & deduct for a LL's failure to make necessary repairs. If you do this, even if you place the unpaid rent into an escrow account, you will almost certainly face eviction for nonpayment of rent.

Your best option is to call in the authorities. Contact your local health department or building inspectors and report the problem. If they consider the problem severe enough, they will penalize the LL for their failure to make the needed repairs.

You should also consult with an attorney or legal aid to determine what other legal options and actions you have available to you.

Without fail, be sure to keep clear and detailed documentation of the problems and your attempts to get the LL to fix them. Most likely, once you have taken the step of consulting an attorney and bringing in authorities to force LL's hand, you'll find they may retaliate and try to evict you. Your records of everything you have done to get your LL to fix things may be the only proof that their actions caused the consequences. You'll need them to protect yourself.

my tenant tried to withhold too

nice summary of law here!!!