re: Flood Rental Eviction Question (what would you do?) UPDATE

Consult attorney.

In the meantime, go read LA's LL-tenant statutes. The laws are easy to understand for attorneys and general public alike. I don't recall the laws w/specificity, but my takeaway from past experiences is that the laws - as they should be - have been interpreted and applied as tenant friendly.

Doesn't mean you need to gear up for trial, but anticipating how one would play out should give you leverage, i.e., a plan of attack that you can announce with a straight face, and explain the obstacles to the LL, his and yours. Hopefully you'll find something that impresses the eviction and/or time and costs are not worth running you off. Create uncertainty for him (it's working on you, right?) Also, take photos of what you've done, what you didn't do or cause. Document it. Again, talk w/ an attorney first and foremost.