Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Missouri

My fiance and I are trapped in a lease. We are living in an old house that has been converted into apartments. My first complaint is that my utility bill is over $300 for a 2 bedroom. We have done so much to try and make this place more energy efficient but nothing has helped. My second complaint is that we have recently discovered brown recluse spiders in the apartment. After speaking to an exterminator I found out that once you see a brown recluse spider that means that the population is dense. Since finding this out I have informed my landlord. Her response was "there isn't much we can do about that". When in fact the exterminator told me that they can treat the house and the the inside of the walls, it will just take multiple treatments. I am a new mother with a six month old baby. The last thing I want to worry about is him getting bit by a poisonous spider! There is nothing in our contract about being able to leave the lease early. Is there any way to leave a lease early? Also, we can't afford to pay $300+ a month for electricity on top of our rent! I just need to know what I can do to get out of here. We are a new family with a baby and this financial stress is not what we thought we were getting into. And these spiders are causing such anxiety in my stomach. Please help.


Asked on 6/14/11, 11:38 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Anthony Smith LawSmith

There is no lease that prevents you form moving somewhere else. But, as you seem to realize, you may have some debt to a landlord that holds an otherwise valid lease. If you can doucment the existnece of brown recluse spiders, they ou n\may reprot this to the healt department. Since it is a solid building (one house) which you rent just apart of, the landlrod is repsonsible for exxtermination in the common areas and responsible for the extermination of the other units. It is impossible to determine if $300 is accurate for you energy use. You might hav eht electricla utility to come nd assess if your meter is attached to anyting other than your unit. It sounds like it might be. You may have grounds to leave and not owe anything to the landlord. Have a local attorney look at your documents, and give you more specific advice. Many offer a free or low cost initial consultation.

Good luck

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Answered on 6/20/11, 2:47 pm


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