Rental Issues (toilets, sinks, vermin)

[Aaron Gorum]

I am active duty military, just moved to SoCal. We rented a place mostly sight unseen due to time and distance constraints. The house is great and the land lord is some what attentive. However, many things he says are outside of this budget. The toilets continuously run (he pays for water), the sinks get clogged extremely easy (not allowing for easy daily cleaning), the a/c unit doesn't cool/heat the upstairs (the two bedrooms upstairs are at the whim of the daily heat). He has installed a portable a/c in my daughter's room to regulate the heat so she can sleep. However, the other room and bathroom still run approx 80+ degrees during the day. At night, we hear mice or other vermin in the walls. This causes my dog to be extremely restless and constantly barking at the walls when the vermin are active. In addition, there is evidence of water intrusion and water damage throughout the house. This, coupled with a lingering smell, leads us to believe there may be a mold issue.

Bottom line, is this: Do I have any way to get these issues corrected expeditiously. If he can't afford to fix the issues, do I have a case to negotiate a new rental rate as many claimed amenities are not up to par for the rental price. As a rental owner myself, I would not allow for this in my property.

Any recommendations would be very helpful.