My partner has asthma and is allergic to dust mites. She lives in an old building that has been causing severe symptoms: irritated eyes, itchy/flaky skin, violent coughing/sneezing fits that wake her up in the middle of the night, even nausea and headaches.
We've tried everything: vacuuming regularly with expensive vacuums, dust mite killer spray, wrapping furniture and mattress with plastic, etc. I don't have any known allergies and even I still have bad symptoms within an hour of being in her apartment.
We've contacted her landlord, who said they can consider an early termination 6 months from now, but no sooner. This obviously isn't a good option.
What's the best way for us to proceed? We've considered the following:
* The bathroom does not have any ventilation, which is required by city code (and the moisture is probably contributing to the dust mites). Possible to invoke a violation of the "warranty of habitability," and give them 30 days' notice of our plan to move out?
* We're starting to look for a lease assignment / sublet, but unlikely during COVID.
* If all else fails, she could just break her lease and leave anyways. What's the likelihood of her being sued for unpaid rent? Or ending up on a "landlord blacklist"? (The landlords are a single building mom-and-pop.)
Thanks in advance for your help.