Scorpion problem....

My husband and I are renting a home in Arizona. When we originally went to sign the lease we asked him if he had any problems with Scorpions and he assured us that he had never had any at the house. I was asking solely for the purpose of my 6 month old son. Then when we went to sign the lease he told us that he would not take less than a 2 year lease so we were kind of backed up against a wall and had to sign the 2 year lease or else loose the home.

2 1/2 months after we moved in we had an infestation of scorpions, arizona brown spiders (brown Recluse family) and black widows. I have a small child and I was very concerned about all of this. This has been going on for 10 months now. I had to get a pest control co. out to spray and then we were informed of on of the reason's for the problem. The pest control Co. told us that the seals and weather stripping was bad on all of the doors. I called the land lord about it and he hung up on me not before telling me that he didn't have to do a thing about it. It was our problem so fix it. I called him back to discuss why he hung up on me and he did it again. By the end of the conversation he had hung up on me 3 times and told me he wouldn't do anything.

My son and my husband have both been stung and we have serious hospital bills because of it.

The grout in the tile is chipping off now and cracking and my son plays in that area. I have caught him on several occasions trying to go down and eat it.

Is there anyway that I can get out of my lease due to the health hazzards and concerns? PLEASE HELP!!!

[OHlandlord]

I'm afraid these pests are indigenous to the region you are living in. We have problems here with cinch bugs, lady bugs, ants, and mice that invade houses each fall. It is a regional problem. The LL is not responsible for the fact that they are in the area. The fact that they are present is not a reason to break your lease. He has no control over what wildlife lives in the area.

He is responsible though to replace the weather seals on doors and windows unless there is a clause in your lease that makes you responsible for such work. Quit calling him and send him a certified letter that states the problem and what he needs to do to repair it. Ask for a response within a certain amount of time (like 10 days) to let you know when the work will be begun. Send this letter to him certified mail, return receipt requested, and keep a copy. If he fails to answer after 10 days, call the clerk of courts and ask about procedures in your state for repair and deduct. IF this procedure is allowed there, you may have this work done, pay the bill, then subtract the payment from your rent and send him the receipt (keeping a copy) with the next rent payment.

You say grout in the tile is chipping off. Where is this tile? Is it inside or outside? What type of tile is it? Grout inside should be repaired, however grout outside may be weather related. Please give more information anbout this.

[LCalantog]

It is tile inside home, in the entire house except for the bedrooms but it is everywhere else. It is ceramic tile.

[LCalantog]

Sorry the name shows different I just registered....I was the one that posted the questions though.

[OHlandlord]

Chipping grout on floor tile is usually not a health hazard as far as a health department is concerned. Unless it is completely disintegrating, it is probably just a sign that the grout wasn't mixed correctly or that someone has used something acidic on it (like a strong cleaner or vinegar). Grout is made of portland cement, sand, and lime. Modern grout may also have a vinyl component and a dye to change the color of the grout. The acid eats the cement away that holds the grout together.

It is inconvenient, but usually no more so than faded carpet or worn linoleum. The grout can be sealed, which may help stop the chipping. If this does not stop it, the only solution is to remove all the grout and re-grout the entire floor. In order to do this, it will be very messy to remove all the grout and you will be unable to walk on the floor at all for a few days after the new grout is applied. You can include this in your repair letter to the LL if you wish.