Someone I know moved into a rental on February 1 and it has been a nightmare situation for them ever since. They are disabled and also two children live in this house.

It would take pages to list every single thing that has happened to them as a result of this move (indeed, they’ve sent me a 10 page document outlining all of them) but just some of the most egregious things are flooding twice due to a sewer backup that the landlord will not replace (so the plumbers say it would likely keep happening), cabinets falling off the walls, discovering mold, a gas leak, bathtubs and sinks not draining, and appliances not properly working.

One month into the lease the property management company did offer to terminate the lease, but as moving is incredibly expensive (especially if you are disabled and need movers to do the job) this person is not able to do so because they had just spent all of the money to move the month before and didn’t have enough for another round of moving so quickly after. During the flood they lost vital personal property (clothing, toiletries, medicine, etc) and after insurance paid they still had $3,000 of uncovered losses. NO adjustments were ever made to their rent even though they couldn’t safely and peacefully live here since Day 1.

There's so much going on with this situation that I didn't remember to originally mention that both of the children have gotten sick with respiratory issues. One of them has been sick multiple weeks with what doctors are saying is an asthma exacerbation that we are convinced is coming from the mold that was never properly remediated.

They are in a real pickle now because the property management company has said that the landlord cannot afford to make repairs, so it won’t get any better if they stay, but they also cannot afford to move due to the over $15,000 that they have spent in only 3 months just because of this house. (This isn't even counting indirect costs they incurred.) They wouldn’t need help if it weren’t for this disastrous situation they are in, through no fault of their own.

We’ve sought out legal counsel and there are virtually no options for attorneys who fight for tenants. We found one person that they are in talks with to see if there are any options. We can’t only rely on court though because there are too many maybes. (Will the case get taken? If they win, what would the other party have to do to make things right? Would that be enough?)

We are asking for the ability to move this family out and give them some peace of mind. The numbers we are using is based on what it cost them to move into this home. Anything we raise will go towards re-housing and paying off a loan for May’s rent. If there happens to be anything that comes out of court, money raised will go towards living expenses to provide a cushion and some peace after an absolutely wild three months (and counting!)