New Apartment Has Termite Infestation - Already Signed Lease

Location: Florida

I am 22 and this is my first time moving into an apartment, I know now that I made some mistakes but it is what it is and now I need some advice.

I live in south Florida and I checked out an apartment that seemingly checked all my boxes. During the tour everything looked great but a red flag was that I was viewing a show room and not the actual studio I’d be staying in. I signed all the paperwork and my move in day was Friday June 19th.

My girlfriend got the keys for me and inspected the place with the assistant property manager to ensure everything was ok and it was, there were no issues. It wasn’t until it became nightfall and the only source of light was the kitchen light when hundreds of winged termites started pouring out of the cabinets and swarming the area.

We took out everything we had started to move and took pictures and videos of everything, which includes termites covering literally every single surface like the stove, sink, and ac. We decided to leave as it was clearly uninhabitable. Unfortunately the office is closed so I have to wait until monday to make any official contact.

This is where I stand now. As far as I know Florida statues prohibit an apartment to be uninhabitable prior to moving in, so they need to fix the issue. I know I can serve them papers that state they have 7 days to fix it or I can take them to small claims court. Is this accurate? How should I phrase the letter? At this point I just want out and want to break the lease without losing all my savings on the fee to break it. Any advice would be great here.