Q: We are currently unable to pay the full amount of rent. However, the house is poorly maintained. What can be done?
We only have one source of income (being approximately $600 a month) currently and are behind by two months rent. However, we have lived at this house for close to 8 years and have had many problems. From the kitchen, the paint on the ceiling is peeling off, the oven does not work, and the faucet has been broken since we first moved here. In almost every room, there are cracks along the walls that have occurred naturally and not by any forceful events. From the stairs, the ceiling above has clear water damage that occurred over the time we have been here. In the basement, there are items that belong to the landlord that have not been thrown out or removed. In December, the furnace needed to be replaced as it had stopped working. The old furnace remains on top of our washer/dryer (we have been unable to wash/dry our clothes at home and have been forced to take it to a laundry facility). There is mold all around, and a pipe is spitting out water (located below electrical circuit).
A: It may be time to look for: 1) a new, different, and better maintained residence/apartment and/ or 2) a second source of income and/or 3) an attorney to help you defend against a likely eviction case should your landlord decide to take you to court. Contact your local CAP agency for help with #1 https://publicportal.courts.ri.gov/PublicPortal/
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