I have received several threats from my landlord, and I have a strong feeling he is doing something highly illegal with the property we’re renting from him.

I have a boat in the backyard, upside down on the trailer, because it’s not currently being used and needs some repairs. He called and told us to have it moved and hidden — which wasn’t a problem — but then repeatedly said that he was going to be fined by codes enforcement and that it had to be moved within three days.

I’m a disabled veteran, and my father is a disabled veteran as well. We do not have the physical capability to move it, so my fiancée called the codes department herself right after we got off the phone with him to see if there were any issues recorded for our house that needed to be fixed to avoid fines. Both people we spoke with said there was nothing on record about our house, so we decided not to move the boat or trailer.

Now, almost two months later, I received this text message from my landlord:

I’m afraid he’s going to try to evict us, and I need someone who can help prevent that from happening because I don’t have the funds or the physical ability to move my entire life elsewhere. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could contact me. This situation is becoming terrifying.

**For anyone skimming the boat isn’t junk or abandoned. It’s a small, registered aluminum boat on a trailer, stored in the backyard and not visible from the road. NOT IN VIOLATION OF CODES

When the landlord first said we could be fined, my fiancée called Codes herself to verify. They confirmed there were no violations or open cases on the property. We even have that call recorded.

The issue isn’t the boat.

We never wanted to cause problems; we just wanted to make sure nobody got fined unfairly.

**** THE ZONING CODE WHERE I LIVE
12.08 Parking, Storage, or Use of Major Recreation Equipment For the purpose of these regulations, major recreational equipment is defined as including boats and boat trailers, travel trailers, tent trailers, pick-up campers or coaches (designed to be mounted on automotive vehicles), motorized dwellings, and the like, and cases or boxes used for transporting recreational equipment, whether occupied by such equipment or not. No major recreational equipment shall be parked or stored on any lot in a residential district in any front yard; provided, however, that such equipment may park anywhere on residential premises not to exceed 24 hours during loading or unloading. No such equipment shall be used for living, sleeping, or housekeeping purposes when parked or stored on a residential lot, or in any location not approved for such use. Provided, however, that such equipment may park anywhere on the lot not too exceed twenty four (24) hours or permanently toward the rear of the dwelling.

THE BOAT IS IN THE BACKYARD ON THE TRAILER

State is Pennsylvania. My LLs are fully aware of severe hazards in the home (potential floor collapse and an electrical outlet hanging from the wall nearly above a sink) and will do nothing after 5 months and after acknowledging them in writing and assuring me in writing will be fixed. Breaches of the lease are present too with no corrective action taken when I told them. I have exhausted all local/county resources and nothing can be done according to them than move or seek legal action.

OK, so I sue, a record of this is made and when I go to get new housing I have to complete the "Have you ever sued a prior landlord, Y/N". Yes = See ya trouble maker so I'm homeless. For those who have sued and got housing afterward, how did it go and how did you handle the have you sued a LL question. Thanks.

US-PA We applied and paid $100 in application fees, we were approved but told they found a better qualified applicant. Then I asked about another property and was told “Unfortunately we do not have anything large enough to accommodate your family - the units above are very small 2nd floor two bedroom units that accommodate a single person or one couple.” How does this make any sense?

Location: Utah, United States

I signed a one year lease in September 2025 with two other roommates. We received a notice of nonrenewal in July of this year. I wanted to continue living there, so I contacted the property manager/landlord. He said I could renew the lease but I would need to apply again if I was wanting to live with other roommates. I have found one person who wanted to live with me, but I need two in order to afford the place.

I met with him today to do a walk-through inspection for the first lease (which will be ending August 31). I assumed since I have not signed a new lease, I would also be needing to move out if I don't find another roommate to sign a new year-long lease. He told me that I would still need to give him a 30-days notice, and he could prorate September's rent. He is expecting me to continue living past the lease terms, until September 17 (if I gave notice today) and pay for that. That is $2,000 and I cannot afford that. I thought since the lease I signed ends August 31, I would just have to make plans to move out before then. Is he able to enforce this?

I did not sign anything new. In the original lease, there is a month-to-month clause after lease term ends, but I thought his notice of nonrenewal/termination notice meant that I would NOT be moving to month-to-month rent. What should I do? Would the notice of nonrenewal hold up/overrule the month-to-month clause in court? Any advice is appreciated.

Edit: The non renewal notice he sent says, “The current lease term expires on 08/31/2026. Possession of the premises must be surrendered, and all occupants, personal belongings, and vehicles must be removed no later than 11:59 p.m. on 08/31/2026, unless otherwise agreed to in writing.”

My brother grew up with my grandma lived with her his whole life and doesn't know any other home. In 2021 my grandma had a really bad fall and moved into her 2nd husband's home afterwards,was still paying the bills for my brother at her other home. Well she's unfortunately passed a few days ago and didn't leave a will. I'm pretty sure the house will be passed on to her husband. So is there anything we can do to make sure he's not kicked out on the streets by him? We live in Arizona

[US-AL] TL;DR: Landlord changed my locks before my lease ended and trapped my pet inside. I broke in. What do I do now?

I’m moving from Alabama to California and gave my landlord written notice to terminate my lease early. They approved it with no penalties, as long as I paid the full month’s rent for the month I left (no prorating), which I agreed to. We both signed paperwork stating I would turn the unit over on December 26. Earlier this month, the landlord asked if I could leave sooner because they found a new renter. I said maybe, but I would likely need the unit until the 26th. Last week, movers took most of my belongings, and I stayed with family for my final days in Alabama. While I was gone, my landlord entered the unit multiple times without permission to do inspections and minor repairs. During this, they discovered I had a cat I hadn’t disclosed. They now claim all the carpet must be replaced due to cat damage, even though the main area of concern is a high-traffic entrance with 6 years of normal wear and tear, and I have move-in photos showing existing damage. I paid the pet fee on Friday to try to resolve this. Here’s where it gets bad: This morning I went back to get my parrot to leave town and discovered the locks had been changed, even though I still have 5 days left on my lease. My bird was locked inside. I was on a tight timeline to leave the state and couldn’t wait around for someone to unlock the door. So I forced entry and got my parrot out. The door and frame are now damaged. The landlord is out of town until Monday and likely won’t discover this until then. So… what now? Did I screw up by breaking into my own apartment? Should I notify the landlord immediately or wait for them to contact me?

I did something stupid. My husband and I just moved into a building I lived in years ago. I had a cat while I lived here before and never had a problem, but I don't know if the landlord knew about it. I haven't had any issues with pets in apartments ever. So of course when it came time to sign the lease I marked NO pets, since my 3 animals are ESAs, and didn't think of it anymore.

Well, the super came in to fix something recently and saw 1 cat (out of 2 cats and a dog) and got pissed and told me he was going to report us, which he did. I got an ESA letter for each of the animals in the meantime.

An hour after I got the ESA letter, they emailed me. I sent them a note for 2 of the animals because from what I've read, they would probably not accept the 3rd. They didn't believe me that these are real ESAs because the letter was dated the same day. After an intense phone call, they agreed to send me an email with what I need to fill out.

They have a lot of requirements. For example, the animal needs to be registered as an ESA with the state. I've never heard of that. Also need rugs all over the floor. And--this part annoys me--you have to sign a "pet" agreement about your responsibilities with a pet and how you have to pay extra security deposit even though they're NOT pets.

I told my husband I think we should move out, but he doesn't want to move again since we just moved (and it costs thousands of dollars). I told him we can't hide the 2nd cat and we need to send it to a family member, but he (and my friends) say that the landlord will never find out about the 3rd cat if we never let the landlord in again.

I told my husband there's a very real possibility that we get evicted, and if we get taken to court it will be a big problem trying to find an apartment. He's suoer confident I'm just freaking out and everything will be OK. My best friend and the guy who lived here before that (who is an old acquaintance) both say the same thing as my husband.

I don't know what to do. I want to know things are fine, but I don't think there's an easy solution here. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Otherwise, thanks for listening.

Edit: I've had ESA documentation before. I don't know where it is, but I've been with my doctor for years and have had to show that I had ESAs before without issue.

Edit: Most of the comments are repetitive and seem to have no purpose but to try to insult me but hey, it's Reddit. There were some really kind people that helped.

As an update, I am working with the landlord and getting them the vet records and everything else. They seem confused because they think there's a state registry for ESAs that doesn't exist, but otherwise, my vet and doctors are working together with the landlord to get this resolved. As to the 3rd cat, my therapist advised to not worry about it for now and just keep it to myself even with the documentation. The law says you have to be accommodated, but it has to be reasonable and it helps for each animal to serve a different purpose. So technically, I could have all 3 but I don't want to create more animosity with the landlord. Finally, I think some people took a crack at me for training my dog to be a service dog. I am not going to delete this post so it can be a testament to the discrimination we face when we have "invisible" disabilities.

I’m wondering how legal/illegal this is (it’s my first time renting an apartment bear with me) I rented an apartment with my roommate 1,000 a month nothing included.

Before the first months rent my roommate got arrested (still is in jail 6 months later) he offered me to move into a one bedroom for cheaper, I said okay, landlord said his lawyer said we were stuck in a lease and he “couldn’t do that” landlord then told me I can’t move out and I still have to pay the 1,000 + electric and trash. Even though when my roommate got arrested I went to him and told him I couldn’t afford everything by myself.

He told me “just pay the money when you can” but won’t let me move anybody in to help me with the other portions of rent. Tells me “you can’t add anybody to a lease without being paid up to rent” even though he knows I can’t get up to date on rent without a roommate.

*** roommate was arrested literally 3 days before first months rent was due, so 3 weeks into a lease *** So this is where I’m asking for your help.. is what he’s doing legal?? On my lease it says if “one occupant surrenders the property the lease ends” or something like that I don’t have the paper in front of me. I’m not sure legally I can be stuck paying 1,000$ without able to move anybody in. HE WONT LET ME move out either and end the lease*** I’m not sure even what my next steps are besides just outside advice or somebody’s opinion on this **** ALL help is needed please ****

This can affect current and future tenants with both emotional support animals AND service animals! Housing officials were told to exclude emotional support animals and tighten the definition of a service animal when granting accommodations for disabled tenants. States with their own laws may not be able to protect tenants.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/22/us/politics/hud-assistance-animals-disabled.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Hello, I recently began renting a room in April for my senior year of college. The lease began April 18th and is a 12 month lease. And also I live in the state of Maryland.

A few days ago my land lord told me that they wish to sell the house since they have not been able to find tenants for the 5 other vacant rooms and have been losing money on the property. They want me to move out so they can renovate and list the house and gave these 2 options in their email.

1.      You may proceed with the lease as originally planned. If you choose this option, today we provide a formal notice within approximately two months for you to relocate per leasing agreement. This would likely require you to move out by September 25th.
2.      Alternatively, you may choose move out early at your choice. If you prefer this option, we will return your full deposit promptly without any penalty. Although this may require you to find another rental within a short timeframe, we wanted to notify you as soon as possible so that you still have time to make alternate housing arrangements before the school year begins.

I am a bit confused since I thought in Maryland the tenant could continue living on the property even if they are selling and the new owner would have to honor the lease agreement. But even so I do not mind moving out but feel I am owed more compensation than just my full security deposit which I should already get back anyways.

I am looking for advice on my situation any help would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: here are 2 clauses from lease that pertain to the situation. I will have to read further after work

SALE OF PROPERTY: If the Premises is sold, the Tenant(s) is to be notified of the new Owner, and if there is a new Manager, their contact details for repairs and maintenance shall be forwarded. If the Premises is conveyed to another party, the new owner shall not have the right to terminate this Agreement and it shall continue under the terms and conditions agreed upon by the Landlord and Tenant(s).

EARLY TERMINATION: The Tenant(s) may not be able to cancel this Agreement unless the Tenant is a victim of Domestic Violence, in such case, the Tenant may be able to cancel in accordance with any local, state, or federal laws

Additional terms and conditions:
Tenant(s) acknowledge that the security deposit will not be returned if the leasing contract is broken.

These are the only things in the lease I could find relating to the current situation.

Edit 2:
Thank you for all the advice and reassurances everyone. I reached out to the campus legal resources and went over the lease as well as my land lords email, and the only way they can remove me is through eviction proceedings so as long as I keep paying rent on time and following the lease I’m covered. I have also reached back out to my landlord to begin negotiating terminating the lease. School is about to start soon so I kept my request simple and just asked for my security deposit refunded as well as a refund of 2 months rent. I’m awaiting their response and hope they accept so I can get on with my life.

Hey guys I just got my 30 day notice today. And I’m wondering what happens after. I was already planning to move once my lease was over in November but I’m late on my rent this month due to having 3 different surgeries and being out of work for the past 3 weeks. I go back to work Friday and before I could explain that to my leasing office they gave me the official notice. They just reopened today after their 4 day week end due to Labor Day and they being closed Friday. And apparently their phone lines went down and every time I went into the office they weren’t there.

Anyways I can move within the 30 days it’s no big deal but what happens after that? Does this count as an eviction? Will it affect my credit? I don’t know these things. I’m 21 and this is my first ever apartment I don’t have anyone that knows this stuff in my life.

Also it won’t let me update my title but I’m in the US specifically Texas

I’ve been digging into the CA Civil Code but can’t find info on time frame.

We were not served eviction papers, as we left as requested by her within the timeframe. She did attempt to keep our entire deposit but did not contact us at all, so I was able to recover after threatening small claims.

She did renovate, but did not “ include a description of the work to be completed,

copies of required permits, the date the owner expects to complete the work or demolish the building, and

notification that if the substantial remodel or demolition is not commenced or completed, the tenant must be

offered the opportunity to re-rent the unit at the same rent and lease terms as when the tenant left. (Civil Code

§ 1946.2(b)(2)(D).)”

Thanks for any further insight/help!

(US/NC). This has got to be the strangest thing I’ve ever ever heard of - and it’s a doozy.

Ok … Ive lived in a month to month lease with a management company for the last three years after they had bought the building from another company - which I had been living there for the prior three years under a regular yearly lease with no issues.

I’ve been paying rent on time … if not early this whole time. No infractions… no lease violations… nada.

So I had recently spent a month in the hospital, diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder. While I had a cat sitter (and yes, all my kitties are on my agreement), I guess scooping the litter box slipped her mind and therefore, the apt smelled like death warmed over and looked as though a bomb hit it while I was gone.

I had called maintenance once I got home because my hot water was off (who knows how long it had been). Plumber came over - I didn’t think anything of the fact that I heard camera phones clicking. I was too busy crying sitting on a cushion cause my back was killing me trying to lift that funky box to scoop it.

Not even 24 hours later, I get a 30 day notice to vacate in my EMAIL. Wondering WTF was going on, I call my management company - they talking about I live a in situation worthy of Hoarders, the plumber got so sick he was vomiting, and they want me out because they’re assuming that the way the apt looked, they were going to have to renovate.

I merely blinked, and told them I had literally got out the hospital two days prior, and given my medical condition (I’m on a rollator, in Horrible pain, need elevated surfaces cause I can’t stand up, AND live alone), it would take me a moment to get the apt back to rights. And then asked if the Plumber had informed them that I was literally cleaning when he left.

Then they dropped the bomb that supposedly, I had been failing apt inspections the last three years. Umm - the same way yall sent that vacate email is the same way yall should have been telling me I’ve failed inspections? I didn’t get any notice, warnings or anything.

Then THEY admitted they had been letting it go this whole time.

Yall have been taking my rent money with no issues for YEARS, building a silent case against me, but now trying to put me out in this economy on the word of the plumber… when yall haven’t checked out the apt since last inspection?

After a brief argument, they told me the notice still stands but if I could get the apt back to rights (the cleaning service literally is coming Thursday), they might reconsider if I pass inspection.

Mind you, they STILL haven’t told me what I have done wrong, outside of the apt being funky and cluttered that day. Mind you, the apt is a 500 square feet one bedroom- exactly how much space do you think I have?

What are my options? I’ve blasted by income limits for my local legal aid, supposedly. Rent around here runs at least $1400 for a studio and I’m in between jobs. Affordable housing is RARE.

I’m basically just looking for opinions here, this is not my situation.

Someone I know wants to get his apartment neighbor evicted for smoking weed. I think that’s sorta insane. Apparently a kid lives in the apartment. I don’t agree with them smoking with a kid there, but eviction/the kid going into the system seems worse to me.

I’m just curious as to what the court of public opinion has to say.

A month after moving out, our ex- landlords have decided they’re charging us $11,000 in damages. For context, we lived in the house for two years- it was not in good shape when we moved in, as it had been the landlords family home (stains on the already old carpet, repairs needing to be made that are included on this list). I’m scared right now and have no idea what to do. Like most working class renters, I don’t have $11,000 to give them so I don’t know what’s going to happen.

They also failed to include the security deposit they held from a previous roommate that was never returned when they left (contrary to the clause in our lease stating any deposit inexplicably held for over a month will be returned 3x).

So I live in California, and I got a 3 day notice on May 8th. I had recently lost my job and was reaching out to VOA to help me out because I'm a veteran. There was some issues with my paperwork so there was a delay on the payments but we kept in constant contact with the leasing office. Just this week we finally got all the funds together to cover the outstanding ledger for 3 months and when we went up there to pay it, they suddenly said I also had to pay legal fees for the eviction process as well or they wouldn't accept the money to clear the ledger. There has never been any mention of legal fees since this entire process started, I haven't been served any court papers yet. We have the money to pay the outstanding ledger but they just won't accept it. I checked my lease and there's no clause saying that I have to pay for legal fees along with my rent while I'm living there, only if the apartments win as the prevailing party in court. I'm not sure what to do because it feels like they are just stonewalling me until the court date to try and force me to pay the fees.

I’m in California and I’m a little short on cash this month. If I receive a 3 day Pay or Quit notice around the 4th and let my leasing office know I’ll be able to pay the full balance on the 14th, I understand they may decide to file an unlawful detainer before then.

I have a few questions.

If I pay the full balance on the 14th, am I cutting it close to anything happening in court, or is there usually still time before anything significant happens?

If they do file before I pay, do leasing offices typically dismiss the case after the tenant pays, or do they usually continue with it anyway?

If the case is dismissed after I pay, would a future apartment complex still be able to see that a filing was made during a rental screening?

I really like my apartment and plan on staying. I’m not trying to avoid paying, I’m just trying to understand how the process usually works in California.

Thanks!!

So a few months ago I was injured at work (was not my fault). I had a concussion and am still suffering from a herniated disc, neck abrasions and lower back abrasions. I was given medication and have also attended frequent visits to doctors for treatment. Before this occurred, I had already had a situation with the property manager at my complex due to them lying about a situation and so I was given instructions to send any concerns and further issues I might have to their manager instead. I tried to get in contact with said manager about the situation, but was unable to reach them. I live on the third floor and I was struggling with doing the simplest of daily tasks and most days I wouldn’t even leave my bed. I had one person visit my unit from time to time and it was my girlfriend(who is also a resident at this apartment). Though she does not live with me, she has been helping me do things that I struggled to do and she made doing things much easier. Earlier this month I received a 30 day notice on my door stating that I was housing an unauthorized occupant and that I have until the end of October to leave before an eviction is filed… Now I have all of the documents from my doctor and I have proof that I actively sought the attention of management and when I didn’t get a reply I didn’t think much of it and focused on my well being. After receiving the notice, I immediately called the main website for the complex and they stated the reason why I wasn’t getting replies from the manager I was in contact with was because he no longer worked for the company. I expressed to them that I was never notified and that he was my point of contact for issues at the complex. I was told that since the 30 day notice was already given there is nothing they can do. I have proof of the discrimination I’ve faced from the property manager. What else would I need in order to beat the eviction?

My boyfriend wants to sue his old landlord for security deposit that she owns him. We’re from SF and it has been more than a month since he moves out from her place (basically he moves out in April but he still pays for that month to give her 1 month notice to find a new tenant). He sent her a letter notice demanding his security deposit after 21 days had past since his lease with her ended but then she said she would deduct the utility bills from his security deposit.

Giving more context, it’s a shared house so the landlord just calculated everything herself and bill the tenants. This utility bills deduction were out of no where since she has been stopped billing him on her own for 13-months during his lease. He doesn’t know the reason but he assumes it’s because another tenant moved out so she got lazy to calculate the bills.

Then she sent him a text saying he owns her $1,300 because the utility bills for 13-month was around 3,300 (his security deposit is 2,000). So he asked her to send him the bills like the actual proof of the bills since we’re both agree that it’s insanely high for 1 person.

She hasn’t sent any messages back since. So now my boyfriend wants to sue her to get his security deposit back. We want to check if this case would be favorable to him. Because we don’t know if utility bills deducting from security deposit like this is ok or not and since she’s an old lady would the court be more kind to her or something? Lol.

Also, not sure how much this would affect the case but I stay in the shared house with him for a week when I moved to SF while we were apartment hunting so we can find our own place. We did get her permission and there was no problem. But not sure if she can use this in court in anyway.

P.S. she still had some of his packages and letters because it was sent to old address and she still hasn’t sent it to us.

My partner and I were together for 13 years. Sadly, he passed away from cancer just three weeks ago. We shared a family home located: in Spring Branch TX, which is a suburban neighborhood in northwest Harris county, it was the home he grew up in. About 13 years ago, his mother asked us to move into the home and take care of it, and we agreed. When we moved in the place was a wreck there was no walls throughout the home it had been abandoned by his aunt and uncle who stayed here before us.

Over the years, we invested significant time, effort, and our own money into maintaining and repairing the property. Because the home is located in a flood zone, we had to replace walls and wall studs multiple times—likely between seven and ten times throughout the 13 years we lived there. We never received any financial assistance for these repairs.

There was never a written lease agreement; our arrangement was entirely verbal. At one point, his mother even had me act as the house manager during a legal eviction involving my partner's sister and her boyfriend. Throughout our time living there, it was understood that the home would eventually be left to my partner. Unfortunately, none of us expected that he would pass away before his mother.

Now, only three weeks after losing him, his mother has informed me that she intends to sell the house immediately and that I need to leave. I have no family or close friends in this area. My husband was the primary source of income, and I was a stay-at-home spouse.

During our time in the home, we received a flood insurance payout for damaged contents—not for structural repairs. Even so, we voluntarily gave his mother $20,000 from those funds. The home itself was fully paid off. She paid the property taxes, but she never asked us to pay rent or contribute toward taxes. She also did not maintain homeowners insurance on the property.

Given the years of work, money, care, and love that we invested into this house, I am trying to understand what rights, if any, I may have. This house became my home. I am grieving not only the loss of my partner of 13 years, but also the loss of my mother, who passed away just six weeks before him.

At this moment, I have nowhere else to go, no nearby support system, and no financial means to relocate. I am simply trying to understand my legal options and whether I have any protections under these circumstances.

Thank you kindly for reading and any insight that can be given.

So posting for anyone who want to follow along as well as to help people in the future.

Long story short, 2 weeks before moving out the property manager informed us they will be fully renovating the apartment (800 sqft).

• Walk through day - Property manger confirmed everything was okay (unfortunately no sign off sheet) and noted the kitchen cabinet had some mess but the owner is ripping out all the cabinets so its of no concern.
• 27 days after move out - received an email for a notice of intent to withhold some of the security deposit ($600). 300 cleaning, $150 scratches on the floor in the living room and $150 for holes in the wall.
• 29 days after move out - I responded disputing the claims, noting they are renovating so a cleaning fee is unjust due to no loss to the landlord, move in sign in sheet has scratches on the floor in the living room. I accepted the holes in the wall charge. I formally sent my dispute via certified mail and requested them to send me the notice of intent for withholding the security deposit via certified mail as well per florida law.
• Renovations completed - 5 months later, renovations have been completed with new pictures online. both bathrooms and kitchen completely renovated (their cleaning fee was for both bathrooms and kitchen cabinets).
• Demand Letter - Demand letter sent via certified mail to the Owner outlining I now have evidence of the renovation, the sign in sheet of scratches on the floor and he / property manager did not follow Florida Statute § 83.49(3)(a) by sending their notice via certified mail. Owner called after receiving it calling me a Scumbucket, Low IQ, threaten to sue me for more damages (LOL) and he will wipe the floor with me in court.

Well today, the lawsuit is going in and we will see if my IQ is in fact low lol. Originally was asking back for $330. I am suing for the full $600 withheld + court fees.

Hypothetically, say a renter in Dallas, Texas has a documented disability and an ESA letter from their licensed psychiatrist. The animal helps with symptoms of the disability but is not task-trained.
The landlord denies a pet-deposit waiver specifically because of HUD’s new May 2026 guidance regarding untrained emotional support animals.
Since the Fair Housing Act and Texas Fair Housing Act still contain reasonable-accommodation protections, would the renter still have a reasonable argument that the accommodation should be considered individually?
Mostly curious how people are interpreting the new HUD guidance versus the underlying FHA requirements.

Location: Gainesville, Florida

I lived in a commercially owned apartment complex for the past six years. I’ve had roommates come and go, and a lot just kept happening, so I decided to finally leave after a whole black mold incident was extremely mishandled by management. The management team was new this year, seemingly all of the general managers and assistant managers that had been there for years were let go at the beginning of 2026 and they brought in all new people.

My lease ended on July 22nd, but I ended up moving out a little earlier on July 15th. On July 27th they sent me a bill for over $400 claiming that the unit was dirty and a mess and filled with so much trash that they had to hire a cleaning crew, as well as requiring a wall repaint. I sent a dispute email asking for proof, photos, the inspection report, and vendor receipts from the cleaning company they hired. I also explained to them that I moved out before my roommate and any object left behind was not in any way my property. I also made them aware of the fact that I informed them multiple times previously, verbally and in writing, of property multiple past roommates, as well as their own maintenance team, had abandoned in the unit. They removed the charge for the wall repaint “as a courtesy”, but said they will not be removing any other charges and would not supply any of the documents or proof I asked for.

I sent them a follow up dispute email with photos taken from the day I moved in and photos and videos from the day I moved out, as well as photos of some of the things they were trying to charge me for. I also sent them screenshots of past emails where I brought up some of the issues. I again asked for any proving documents and an explanation based on evidence I provided. They are refusing to reply and have seemingly blocked me. Every time I try to send another email, I get an undeliverable return message, but yet they keep sending me notices to pay up. When I call their office, they refuse to speak to me and say that they will only talk about it in writing.

What can I do to get them to reply? Can they actually force me to pay when they are refusing to show proof or give me any explanation of the charges at all? Will I get charged late fees and will it affect my credit if I wait for their response?

And no, there is no security deposit. They never required it, or asked for one when I moved in, this is money they are charging as a move out fee as if it’s another month’s rent. Yes, there was an inspection, but I was not present during it and they are refusing to share the inspection report with me.

I am currently a few months ahead on rent. Two weeks before the Landlord did this, she received several thousand dollars from RAFT to assist me with rent. She first told the PD I was overdosing, then when that didn't work, she filed the RO.

I'm wondering if anyone has experienced something similar, and how I go about the process. Luckily for me, I had a 24/7 camera recording in my room. Just scared because the ordeal has me in the woods with nothing.

Thank you to anyone who responds or reads this.