Whatever the reason, breaking a lease isn’t a simple proposition and you need to be aware of certain pitfalls. The issue is even more complicated when you're a tenant, since it's not your apartment to maintain. The tenant is required to keep the property reasonably clean, to allow entry for any pest control treatment, and to follow […] Consequences of Breaking a Lease. That night I had two cockroachs and about 5 narley spiders. Under the Minimum Housing and Health Standards, the landlord must ensure the rental property is free of insect and rodent infestations. Bedbugs are not considered a health risk even though a doctor in Vancouver, BC is tracking a strain of MRSA through bedbugs traveling thru the downtown core. The office had a bug company spray/bomb my apartment on Friday. When you break a lease, you are generally responsible for the lost rent and related costs that your landlord incurs. Once in a lease you have NO legal grounds to break the lease even if you can prove there was a bedbug problem before you moved in even if the manager swore there was no problem. I would take pictures and, if possible, get an exterminator to provide a written review/estimate of your roach problem. (Los Angeles, CA) Landlord Tenant Housing. It happens to even the best of apartments. In this case, you can refuse renting the unit to another tenant if there is a good reason such as a low credit score. Share Tweet Share Email Article Sources . Breaking a rental lease over bed bugs, please help. Ant infestation coming in our apartment from a common area hallway. Some of the things that could make the board allow the tenant to break the lease include unlawfully entering the rental apartment, withholding vital services, and harassing tenants. We want to break our lease without penalty and are wondering if this is grounds to do so. It's not grounds for breaking a lease, either. For starters, landlords are going to have a tough time filling your vacant apartment, so they are not as inclined as they may have been in the past to let you out of your lease. Renting a home or an apartment opens the door to some common problems faced by tenants. I can not/will not move into a place with bugs. My son recently confided that their apartment … The tenant assigns the property to another person to continue until the end of the lease. What if you cannot properly prepare your apartment for treatment of the bugs? Question — answered. Bed bugs can catch a ride in your suitcase or used furniture (beware of second hand mattresses!) Recently we found out that we had bed bugs. I moved from another state, and moved into the apartment with my roommate on September 1st. How to Break a Lease Due to Cockroaches By Miranda Morley Updated March 28 ... Politely and clearly explain that your apartment has been invaded by cockroaches and describe the severity of the problem. Landlords should tell you what you need to do in order to make treatment effective. Two Montreal roommates are trying to break their lease after discovering a serious cockroach infestation. Additionally they would have to look at your lease contract you signed to be able to tell you accurately. Can I break a lease because of bed bug infestation? Question Details: I just signed a 1 year lease yesterday and found roaches crawling all over the place tonight. Two days later bed bugs showed up. Tenants may be able to legally break a lease if the apartment violates habitability standards, if the landlord harasses the tenant, if the tenant receives change in military station orders, if the tenant is a victim of domestic violence or if the apartment is illegal. They can also break the lease if they notified you of the problem and you did nothing or didn’t act quickly enough. Many times, if you were a good tenant and the landlord believes that the property will easily rent out again for the same amount of money, breaking a lease won’t be too big a deal. I know that it wasn't me who caused the infestation. Insect infestations are one of … Proper preparation is key to successful treatment and prevention of bed bugs. It’s important to be aware of the potential consequences of breaking a lease early.