If we have mold and sewage smells from a back up, do we have to pay to transfer to a new apartment?
All states have laws requiring the landlord of rented property to provide safe and habitable units for tenants. What you have written about is a clear failure of a safe and habitable unit provided by your landlord. Your landlord's response to your request is insensitive and unacceptable.You need to contact your local health department as well as the building and permit department in the town where you live, advise the person who you speak with about the situation and request an inspection of the unit immediately.There is a good chance that the landlord may be cited and be required to do further clean up of the unit. If so, you will have an opportiunity to end your lease of the unit rented and get another unit in the same complex or elsewhere. You have no obligation to pay any additional fee to your landlord for moving into another unit in the complex. In fact, the landlord should be giving you a rebate of your monthly rent for the problems you encountered.Good luck.