A South Florida man said an invasion of bats made his home unlivable. When he was charged thousands to break his lease, he turned to Help Me Howard with Brandon Beyer.
Jeremy Garza said when he went looking for a house to rent in Homestead, he wanted to find a place where he and his family could all hang out and relax.
Jeremy Garza: “That’s what brought us to this place, was this backyard.”
They spent hours out here grilling out, playing in the yard, just being a family.
Jeremy Garza: “We had lights all set up, it was our sanctuary.”
Then about a year ago, something changed.
Jeremy Garza: “Every time we walk out the door, it’s like you get hit with this. Like you’re in a cave, a bat cave.”
Bats had moved in next door in the neighbor’s roof, and not just a few — hundreds.
The bats had made their nests, under damaged roof tiles.
Jeremy Garza: “All of the corners are broken off and it allowed for the bats to crawl up in there.”
The same company owns both homes. Jeremy said he reported the problem to his landlord and nothing.
Jeremy Garza: “They didn’t even respond to my complaint telling them that there’s a thousand bats living in the house next door.”
He said they eventually checked the attic and sealed off the broken tiles, but the bats remained.
Jeremy Garza: “It was so loud, I would hear it inside of my house with the air conditioning on.”
The sound of the bats was a big problem for Jeremy, but he said the smell was even worse.
Jeremy Garza: “The smell made it to where we couldn’t even hang out out here. Especially in the summer when the sun bakes the tiles, all of that heat is just getting the guano.”
Jeremy was worried about bat droppings being a health concern for his family.
He felt he had no choice but to break the lease to protect his family.
Jeremy Garza: “I didn’t want to risk the potential health hazard to my kids, to my wife.”
He gave the property manager three months notice, but despite that, he was told breaking the lease would cost him thousands.
Jeremy Garza: “They just said ‘there’s an early termination fee, $5,000.’”
Howard, he can’t enjoy his yard and now he’s worried about his family’s health. Can his landlord charge him five grand to leave?
Howard Finkelstein: “Under Florida law, you do not have to stay somewhere if it is a threat to your health or safety. You can send your landlord a letter giving them seven days to fix the problem. If they don’t, you have to right terminate the lease without penalty and get your security deposit back.”
We contacted the property manager and they told us that Jeremy had said the reason he was moving out was not only the bats, but because he was relocating to St. Augustine.
After reviewing the case again, they decided to waive the $5,000 fee and they returned the full deposit.
Jeremy said after months of going batty over the issue. He’s glad someone finally listened.
Jeremy Garza: “I’m just very appreciative of you guys for helping me. We’re in a bat-free house and it feels great.”
If you send a seven-day letter to your landlord and the problems are fixed, then you can’t break the lease.
Got a problem? Need a hand? Here’s how to find us below. It’s Help Me Howard. I’m Brandon Beyer 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Brandon Beyer at bbeyer@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
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