Renter/Tenant (lawyer, house, landlord)

[Bwibble1]

I posted an ad on Craigslist looking for a home under my budget. A few weeks later a property owner called me and offered me a fixer upper. When we initially talked he told me that the house was just needing flooring painting and other misc things. Turns out the house needs a lot of repairs. Been here 2 months and signed a lease to pay $800 a month. It's a 4 Bedroom house 2 Full baths. Both bathrooms aren't fully fuctionable. I'm cooking on a electric burner because stove hasn't been installed. Only the cold water works in the Laundry room. Only 2 bedrooms are able to be used. And I brought my own workers that he pays to do the work but he has them doing work outside (box gutters, siding). It's still warm out and the work they're doing could wait. My children are in 1 bdrm together but could have their own rooms. 1 room needs painting and flooring the other room needs flooring. Hallways need flooring and the steps are bare wood and out of date. We don't have it in written that we are under a fixer upper deal. My lease just say $800 a mth. But it's not a Fully functioning HOUSE. What do I do?
Not to mention in my yard there is plywood, ladders all kinds of scraps and junk knowing that the city would not allow this specially with us living in the house. People will say well why are you living there ?????I am a disabled mother-of-four. Yes I am married but our income is scarce. This seemed to be the best option for us at the time not knowing that this would be such a difficult task. He refuses to do any inside work and gets mad if you ask him any questions. Last weekend my husband try to get his attention to ask him if he can stack the wood behind the tree and cover it with a tarp just so the mailman, my children and myself could walk on the porch and not feel like we could trip or fall. The landlord got all upset and started yelling at my husband and it took all my husband had not to knock his 78 year old self down LOL. Also I have been approved for home health aide but my nurse said nothing can be started if the junk in the yard was not picked up. She ignored it knowing that he was working on the house but a lot of it is trash and can be hauled out with just a simple phone call. He owns other properties and is sort of using my house for a junk pile.
But I feel like I have rights as a tenant and although we discussed verbally discussed that this was a fixer-upper this is nothing that I was prepared for and my head hurts everyday trying to figure out what to do. Please please give me all the information that you have that would help me and my family figure out what to do. I'm not in any position to move thank you in advance

[kevinbelt]

As with all landlord-tenant issues, it depends on your lease. Assuming you didn't agree to these things in the lease, the phrase you want to use is "constructive eviction". You'll need a lawyer to help. You do have rights, but only if you're willing to go to court to enforce them.

[Bwibble1]

Thank you

[Hollytree]

Most all states have a landlord/tenant handbook which clearly spells out both landlord and tenant responsibilities. You should know what his are and what yours are so read through this:

https://www.ohiobar.org/ForPublic/Re...mphlet-11.aspx