Trying to Break A Lease Due to Severe Undisclosed German Roach Infestation

Hello All. I’m [20F] currently trying to get out of a lease at this apartment I newly leased at due to a severe infestation of roaches that my apartment failed to disclose.

Prior, to my signing the lease and moving in, I inspected the unit and found no evidence of pests (no live or dead roaches, no eggs, no droppings on the floors, in the cabinets/drawers, inside or near appliances or fixtures as well as outside the unit in the hallways or elevator. absolutely nothing.)

I saw my first 2-3 cockroaches when I started moving into my unit. I initially tried to fight the infestation using boric acid, roach gel, traps and contacting my apartment to do pest control (the pest control only consisted of a light spray underneath my fridge, dishwasher and bathroom sink even though I told them the roaches were everywhere in the unit) because I didnt think it was that bad, but nothing worked. In fact things seem to be getting worse. I think the fact that german roaches are known to be afraid of light and tend to hid out of sight while the 10-15 german roaches per day I was dealing with at this apartment are fearlessly crawling out into the middle of the floor in broad daylight, into a clean, foodless unit, suggests that this infestation may not be fixable without an exterminator coming and bombing the entire floor/building. Its bad, like you-need-to-break-your-lease-asap bad .

Im now in another place while I deal with this, and I tried to contact the apt via one of the managers phone number and the main apartment phone number, and I think they blocked me because the line keeps saying that the phone number is no longer in use instead of the usual automated greeting. so I called them on my Mom’s phone and explained everything that was going on. The assistant manager basically just said they would spray again next week (I explained this has not worked in the past and that the building NEEDS a professional exterminator, to which she replied that they would just call pest control again). She did mention that the building was bombed before, but when I was trying to ask when this was done, she refused to say.

Additionally, one of the things I needed to talk to them about is the fact that I handed in a completely filled out and signed apartment inspection checklist but in the resident portal it is showing as incomplete in the portal. I called them about this a few days prior and they said it would be fixed by Thursday, but unfortunately it still has not been fixed. I think they are trying to make it seem like I knew about the roaches before hand.

So I have pictures and videos of the roaches— the dead , the alive, the babies — as well as the traps and insecticides Ive used (before I left I made sure to set traps down in every room near appliances and cracks in the baseboards. I am going back later this evening to take more pictures of the roaches to have as evidence and to show my apartment in the email), and I have the confirmation email that the pest control people came and sprayed and nothing worked. I plan on sending them all of this in an email before the day is done to confirm the things we talked about and to have a paper trail.

ATP Im tried of the antics and shadiness and I want to break my lease. I work and go to school full time and really cannot afford to put up with all of this this and next semester. In addition, I have health conditions that could potentially worsen alot from living with german cockroaches. I am willing to forfeit my deposit to break the lease, but I would really prefer not to pay any additional penalty fees as I inspected and did not find cockroaches prior to moving in and signing my lease. How do I go about breaking this lease, any advice is welcome. Thanks.

-Disgruntled Texan Tenant