Cat Urine Previous Tenant
landlord tenant attorney North Carolina Jul 29, 2026
Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice regarding a frustrating rental situation. I am located in NC, and I moved into an apartment 3 weeks ago. The day I moved in, I noticed an overwhelming cat urine odor which both my bf and two friends commented on. It took 2 weeks to get the bedroom carpet replaced which was covered in stains and reeked of cat urine. I had reported this prior to move in and they didn’t fix it, I also reported all the odor on the move in form after 2 days of my move in date. After the carpet and subfloor in the bedroom were treated, the smell has minimized in the bedroom, but the living room and bathroom are overpowering. The apartment complex told me verbally they used an ozone machine before I moved in, and likely I didn’t notice the odor during touring because of that treatment. We have been back and forth for the last 3 weeks, and they concluded by sending me an email that basically told me I signed for the apartment “as is” and that my sense of smell is likely sensitive. None of them have come by and they will not be completing any more work except for the carpet replacement. I feel like I was misinformed prior to move in and am now stuck in a year long lease. Could anyone offer advice? Thank you very much. I also cleaned multiple times with an enzymatic cleaner that I purchased and the smell unfortunately is still so strong. Location: North Carolina
