Can I get out of my apartment lease because of repeated AC problems, spiders, and how management handled my relet? (Georgia)
I’m in Georgia and I’m trying to figure out if I have enough grounds to get out of my apartment lease. At this point there have been so many issues that I’m not sure what my options are.
The biggest problem has been our AC. It has broken or stopped cooling properly over and over again since we’ve lived here. I have documentation for several of the maintenance requests:
October 2024 — our AC was out for about TWO WEEKS
Two separate AC issues in 2025 that I’m currently trying to find the records for
May 18, 2026 — reported that the AC seemed broken and wouldn’t reach the temperature it was set to
June 11, 2026 — AC was set to 70 but stayed around 76/78
August 2026 — AC broke AGAIN and was out for around 9 days
During the most recent outage, they eventually provided a temporary/window AC unit downstairs, but nothing upstairs, so the upstairs was still getting into the 80s. This definitely isn’t the first time they’ve had to come out and work on the AC.
We have also had a constant spider problem. We were finding spiders downstairs basically every day. I contacted management/maintenance about it multiple times. They tried spraying and also added weather stripping around the front door, but neither actually solved the problem and spiders continued getting inside.
There is also a whole separate issue with trying to relet the apartment. I found two people to take over the two rooms, they signed new leases, and I paid a total $1,700 relet charge. I was told that once they signed their new leases I would no longer be responsible for mine. Then those people backed out, management allowed them to cancel their new leases, and suddenly I was responsible for my lease again. I don’t understand how they were allowed out after signing but I’m being told I can’t get out.
I have screenshots of multiple AC maintenance requests, emails/communications with management, and I’m trying to gather everything I have about the spider issue and the two AC incidents from 2025.
At this point I just want to move out and be completely released from the lease. My dad is planning to speak with management and ask them to agree to a voluntary/mutual termination, but if they refuse, we are considering talking to a landlord-tenant attorney.
Does anyone familiar with Georgia landlord-tenant law know whether this history could potentially be enough to terminate a lease? Having the AC out for around two weeks in 2024, having multiple additional AC problems after that, and then having it out for around 9 days this summer seems excessive to me, especially combined with the ongoing spider problem.
Also, does the relet situation change anything legally since replacement tenants had already signed leases and I had already paid the $1,700 relet charge before management allowed them to back out?
I’m not planning to just stop paying without understanding the consequences. I mainly want to know whether I have a legitimate argument to be released from the lease and what my next step should be if management refuses.