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[jljustice]

Under what circumstances can you break a lease?

There's a crack in my ceiling in my kitchen that runs the entire length of the ceiling, and today water started pouring out of it. A bunch of other areas in the apartment started leaking as well. There's also problems with the electrical outlets and other smaller things.

Comments

[moonglade55]

An apartment with a roof leaking so bad that "water started pouring out of it" is not fit for habitation and is in fact dangerous, as water going into electrical outlets or appliances could cause a fire. I think you would have to give the landlord a chance to fix it, but it is implied that repairs which are the responsibility of the landlord must be made within a reasonable time after the landlord has notice of the need for the same. Reasonable must be determined by the nature and severity of the defect, and if the leak is as bad as it sounds, repairs should be made very quickly. If your landlord tries to put you off, move out, after making sure you have as much proof of the damages as is practical (photographs, witnesses who have seen the damage, etc) in the unlikely event he tries to sue for the remaining term.