I have a friend, who lives in a not so great neighborhood. Her house is falling apart and her landlord wont let her out of the lease. The house is leaning, and the sewage is backing up into the house.The side and back of the house is flooded with sewage because the pipes are busted. The house on the inside smells like urine and feces. Its disgusting. The house's foundation has shifted so much the doors and cupboards dont close properly and sure wont stay closed. alot of the windows are busted out and boarded up. The outside of the house is literally falling apart, theres such holes in the houses that underneath the house is filled with water and sewage. The toilet in the main bathroom is about to fall through that i wont even walk into the bathroom. The floors are rotting through and the pipes leak so bad on the bathroom sink that the floors are falling apart. I feel that this is reason enough to condemn this house, but I dont know how to go about doin this. Since Im not from lawton and havent been here too long. Thank you for any and all advice. Blondie 

if the house is that bad, you or her should file a report with the city about it. they will contact the owner and make them fix it. heres the online complaint form http://cityof.lawton.ok.us/hoodsvcs/complaintform.htm just submit that or call neighborhood services. they will come out and take action. if they dont, then keep calling. its all you can do really. if the house is bad enough they will condemn it and i beleive your friend will have grounds for breaking the lease without paying fees. 

OMG. Are there still slumlords out? If he does not fix it, I would not pay the rent, because he broke his part of the lease agreement to have the house in working order and it seems it is unsanitory.(I hope she doesn't have kids in there) Call the city or the better business bureau. Take pictures and keep all correspondence with the landlord. Is your friend with the military? She could get housing and JAQ involved for help. If all takes too long, I would just move out! 

bbb wont do anything 

not if its something that small to them 

not if its something that small to them 

But it helps to let steam off. And maybe the landlord has more houses like that and has been reported by other people and there's a trail. It might also help to tell the slumlord that you have free legal advice (even if you don't). A friend of mine broke the lease with a rental agency, because she "wanted" to move, she was 6 months out and did not pay a penny on the remaining rent, even though she broke the lease. She told them she has free legal and they can take her to court and they didn't. 

Well theres just 1 month left on the lease, and there are kids there. I have someone going out there to look at the place by this weekend. Ive already told her she can stay with me as my place is plenty big enough. I was told though, that the kids will be taken away if the house is condemned. I dont want that to happen. So I told her the kids can stay with me, until something is done about the house. Thank you all so much for all the advice. Blondie