Pipe Burst-carpet ruined as a result not being replaced!

By Dawn

About 6 weeks ago a pipe burst in my apartment.  The landlord came out and fixed the pipe within a couple of days. However, the carpet was soaking wet and was like walking through a marsh.  This remained this way for 9 days.  He finally removed the carpet that was the worst but left the other that he says he didn’t think was affected.  About 4 weeks later I had a hunch that the water had seeped into the other room while it was just sitting there for 9 days and mentioned this to my landlord. The place stank from all the odors that had been trapped in the padding and was released with the gush of water coming through with so much water and with such force before he could turn the water main off.  When I pulled part of the carpet that remained up the padding was soaked and there were white spots that looked like mold growing all over it.  I removed the carpet at that point because I realized that may have been the cause of me being sick for 6 weeks or more.  This was after a week of no response to my hunch of the padding underneath being affected.  Another week has gone by and he has told me he doesn’t want to replace anything until spring which is another 2 or 3 months and when he does he just wants to put area rugs down.  In the meantime I’m in a place that has no carpet and is now freezing cold because there is nothing to stop the cold from coming through the cement slab and ugly tile on top of it. 

I’ve tried looking up cheap carpet places so that it doesn’t cost as much to replace it.  I’ve been trying to be reasonable and work with him but I did let him know that I wasn’t happy about how things were progressing.  I don’t feel I should have had to remove that carpet.  Once I saw and smelled the padding underneath though I realized that may be why I’ve been sick for 6 weeks or more. I should not have had to walk on soaking wet carpet for 9 days either.  If he had taken care of this problem right away I wouldn’t have an issue, but he wants to draw it out and in the meantime I had to give up my hollidays with my family because there was no way I could have anyone over for Christmas or New Years with the condition of my apartment. 

Is there anything I can do leagally without getting kicked out to get what I believe I deserve?

Thanks, Dawn

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