Landlord Needs Referrals for Tenant Dispute (Austin, TX) - Early Lease Termination

[Tyler Ferguson]

Hello everyone,

I'm a landlord in Austin, TX, seeking recommendations for an experienced landlord-tenant attorney. I'm facing a dispute with a tenant, Japmanpreet Singh, who is attempting to break his lease early, citing alleged "unsanitary conditions" in a shared bathroom. His lease isn't set to expire until September 30, 2025.

Here's a quick overview of the situation:

The tenant claims mold and urine issues make the bathroom a health hazard, referencing Texas Property Code 92.056.

However, my position is that the issues are primarily matters of basic cleanliness, which, according to our lease agreement (Sections 10(A) and 34 on Joint and Several Liability), is the tenants' responsibility. The lease also clearly states that my duty as a landlord to repair (Section 13(A)) does not include tenant-caused cleanliness issues.

My efforts to resolve the situation have included:

• Responding immediately to his initial complaint.
• Providing a new shower curtain (not a landlord responsibility).
• Offering a cleaning schedule (which the tenant opted not to follow).
• Most significantly, securing the departure of the other roommate, Flynn Culver (who vacates June 14, 2025), to eliminate the alleged source of the conflict.
• Crucially, I have text messages where the tenant himself stated that the bathroom situation was "good" and that the roommates were communicating to fix the issues themselves, directly contradicting his current claims of persistent, unaddressed problems.

The tenant has now threatened legal action to force early termination and seek rent reimbursement. I am prepared to defend my position, enforce the full lease term, and hold him accountable for any default costs (lost rent, reletting fees).

I am looking for a strong landlord-tenant attorney in Austin who can help me navigate this. Any referrals or advice on what to look for in a lawyer for this type of dispute would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!