Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Florida

I recently moved into an apartment 2/26 and within that time my unit has become infested with fleas. I have one dog who started presenting symptoms of flea bite dermatitis (open sores, fur was falling out, fleas were all over him). I have found fleas in my bed as well as on my wooden floors. The use of treatments don't seem to provide any relief in the unit. My lease states I am responsible for infestations of "ants, mice, roaches, bedbugs, and mice" and they are responsible for any wood-eating organism. So who really is responsible for the fleas??

I have reached out to the property manager numerous times as they were bombing the unit below me after the tenant vacated (week of 3/14/16) and was told they already fumigated my unit when the previous tenant (who had no pets) moved out. After repeatedly asking for documentation that they did fumigate my unit to control the issue that may have been left behind, they have yet to release any documents. Which seems to be too much to ask although when they fumigated the unit below me, they simply duct taped a piece of the "Raid Flea Bomb" cardboard box.

Neighbors in the building have alerted me that this company lies to avoid doing any real work. They both have pets and one has been there for a week and already fumigated twice and had to move his pet to another home because the conditions are so poor. I have been told my neighbors that my unit was never fumigated, that the tenant did have pets, and that they are in the same situation.

This is just the top of the ever growing laundry list of things in this unit that are not okay (masking tape holding cracks on the ceiling together, holes in the wall to outside from the air conditioning units, things left behind from the previous tenant after move in in closets- proving they didn't do a walk through or cleaned the unit). How do I get out of this lease?? Help!


Asked on 4/01/16, 8:26 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Barry Stein De Cardenas, Freixas, Stein & Zachary

Sounds like you should have investigated prior to signing. The entire lease needs to be reviewed to see if you can void. It needs to be uninhabitable to justify termination. Call health department out. Seek legal guidance

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Answered on 4/01/16, 8:59 am


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