California: My housemates and i (5 people) moved into a privately owned condo. There was mold, they were fixing it, they promised to fix it by 2nd week of move-in and noted on the lease the condition of the condo (landlord kept contract, and gave us a different copy of the lease). The mold was removed, but the construction was still unfinished.
1 month of waiting passed, we pressured the landlord to do something, but nothing was done.
2 months passed, we seek legal counseling, which told me to move out (I was self-evicting because of the asthma, doctors noted, I got from the mold-contaminated living room area). However, my housemates were still in the condo. By the end of the 2nd month, they finally decided to leave also, after asking the landlord if we can get the deposit money back if we gave a 30 days notice.
3rd month. The landlord agreed over the phone to give our deposit back if we send in a 30 days notice. By the end of the 30 days when we did the walk-out, he said he wouldn't give us the deposit.
Now, we admit defeat. Losing our deposit isn't the worst case scenario. We fear he might sue us for the 9 months ( the rest of the year's lease) if he cannot rent the condo. The condo is having plumbing problems, and the wall is still not fixed ( a full wall in the living room area). is there something to fear? or will the 21 days abandonment will work in our favor?
1 month of waiting passed, we pressured the landlord to do something, but nothing was done.
2 months passed, we seek legal counseling, which told me to move out (I was self-evicting because of the asthma, doctors noted, I got from the mold-contaminated living room area). However, my housemates were still in the condo. By the end of the 2nd month, they finally decided to leave also, after asking the landlord if we can get the deposit money back if we gave a 30 days notice.
3rd month. The landlord agreed over the phone to give our deposit back if we send in a 30 days notice. By the end of the 30 days when we did the walk-out, he said he wouldn't give us the deposit.
Now, we admit defeat. Losing our deposit isn't the worst case scenario. We fear he might sue us for the 9 months ( the rest of the year's lease) if he cannot rent the condo. The condo is having plumbing problems, and the wall is still not fixed ( a full wall in the living room area). is there something to fear? or will the 21 days abandonment will work in our favor?