Rats are a major pain, especially when they become an issue in your home. In this case, the tenant has written to ask if they can break their lease because of rats. I think the settlement agreement is clear that any infestation on the part of the landlord is breach of contract. The topic of rats evokes disgust in most tenants. Luckily, a rodent infestation is not one of the situations included in “Major Housing Defects” outlined under the New York State General Obligations Law Section 235-a, which lets tenants break their lease due to defective housing conditions. This means that if you have rats you may find it difficult to terminate your lease. Rats and mice in homes and businesses are an ongoing concern. As well they should be, they cause actual damage to a home and can spread illness! However you may think it may be too extreme to break your lease simply because the building has a rodent problem. But there are laws that protect renters who report this type of problem. Even if you don’t want to cancel your lease, reporting it to your landlord might make him/her take action. If you’re reading this, then it’s likely you’re at the end of your apartment lease and are in the midst of thinking about renewing it — or not. Maybe you’ve already decided to move out because your house is infested with rats? As someone who has rented a number of places (and was unfortunately once in a situation where I had to leave my house because of horrible rats) I understand this situation can be extremely stressful. While knowing how to proceed in the case of a rat problem can be hard, I want to share with you some information that might help inform your decision about what to do in this type of situation. If you feel like you’re dealing with an infestation of rodents, you can start by researching your lease agreement and finding out what rights you have to break it without penalty. A landlord can never legally keep you in a property if it has serious problems with rats or mice. It is your right to expect a home free of pests! But what if your attic infestation is mild? That’s not usually enough reason to break the lease and leave, but be aware that there are local laws that can affect how landlords deal with this type of situation.

Can I Break My Lease Because Of Rats

There are a few instances in which your landlord may be responsible for rat infestations. For example, if your building is otherwise infested with rats, you may be able to break your lease.

If rats are in your apartment and the building has a rat problem, it’s possible that you can break your lease. In order to do this, however, you need to be able to prove that the rats are due to the negligence of your landlord. If there are other tenants in the complex who have been affected by rats (or similar pests), then it’s possible that the landlord may be responsible for their presence as well. If there hasn’t been any action taken on behalf of management or ownership after multiple complaints from tenants about pest issues at their residence, then breaking your lease could be justified if these conditions continue.

You also can break your lease if the landlord has previously promised to fix the issue and failed to do so.

While many states have laws that allow renters to break their leases if the landlord fails to take care of a rat infestation, you should be aware of the following:

• Make sure you keep a record of all communication with your landlord. If there is an issue with rats in your apartment and you want to break your lease because of it, then make sure that you document the problem as soon as possible.
• If your landlord does not respond or does not address the issue, then it may be necessary for you to take legal action against them. A good way to do this is through mediation which allows both parties (landlord and tenant) to speak openly regarding their concerns while also reaching an agreement together. This type of mediation is often used when dealing with rental properties because they tend not only resolve disputes but also establish better relationships between landlords/tenants moving forward so that they can avoid such problems altogether in future agreements..

Another way you can escape a lease due to rats is if they present a health hazard to you or other tenants.

If your landlord refuses to take action to exterminate the rats, you can break your lease. For example, if you have tried multiple times over a period of at least 30 days and your landlord has not responded by taking action against the rodents, then he or she has breached their obligation under Article 5 of the lease. As such, you may be able to terminate without penalty as they are in breach of contract.

Another way you can escape a lease due to rats is if they present a health hazard to you or other tenants. If it is proven that rat feces pose an imminent threat of harm and illness, then this will qualify for termination based on health concerns alone and not because of any damage done by them or other defects in the property (e.g., defective wiring). The presence alone does not constitute sufficient reason for breaking your lease just yet though; there must also be evidence showing why these conditions pose a serious risk.-

If you have a cat or dog that is allowed under the lease, having them stay with you could eliminate rats from your apartment.

Your landlord may allow cats or dogs in your apartment, but it’s best to check with them before bringing one home. Cats are natural predators of rats and will likely be better at keeping them away from your apartment than dogs. However, having a pet can be expensive—you’ll have to feed it regularly and take it to the vet for shots or if it gets sick. Some landlords might not allow pets in an apartment because they think they will smell bad or make too much noise, so make sure you ask first!

Some states and cities also have laws requiring landlords to provide pest management services for their tenants.

In some states and cities, there are laws requiring landlords to provide pest management services for their tenants. If you’re having a problem with rats in your rental home, contact your local health department to ask whether these laws exist in your area and what steps must be taken by the landlord if there is an infestation.

If you can’t get help from the landlord or government agencies, then you may have no choice but to break the lease if there is no other way out of this situation.

To get rid of rats from an apartment, contact the landlord first. If nothing is done, a tenant may want to hire an exterminator or break the lease.

If you have rats in your apartment, contact the landlord first. He is legally required to fix the problem. If he does not, you can hire an exterminator and then deduct the cost from your rent.

If this does not work or if you have already contacted the landlord and he has done nothing about it, then you may want to break your lease which will allow you to move out without having any penalties against you.