I (20F) am subletting a room while working and attending university. The main tenant (21F) has two cats, and I have two of my own. When I moved in in January 2026, there was already a lingering smell of cat urine, but I was desperate for pet friendly housing and figured I could manage by mostly staying in my clean room.
Things have gotten significantly worse and I genuinely think it’s become a health hazard.
Her cats regularly vomit and pee outside the litter box, which isn’t cleaned properly or consistently. One cat pees on closed doors when she’s gone, leaving both entryways covered in urine. The litter boxes are kept inside cardboard boxes in the kitchen with pee pads in front that get changed maybe once a week, and the litter itself gets fully changed maybe once a month.
There’s been cat vomit on the couch, floor, tables, shoes, etc. Sometimes it gets cleaned, but often it sits for days. Right now there’s vomit on the table that’s been there for almost a month, and vomit on the couch and floor that’s been there for multiple days. At one point she literally covered vomit stains on the couch with blankets instead of cleaning them.
The smell throughout the house is INSANE, especially in the kitchen and living room. I avoid being home because it’s embarrassing and stressful. I don’t invite my boyfriend or family over, and when I am home I stay in my room. Recently I think her cats started peeing near my door too, so now even my room doesn’t feel like a safe space.
I also get migraines triggered by strong smells, and lately I can’t be in the house longer than 30 minutes without getting an aura. I can’t cook there, I’ve barely used the living room, and I haven’t sat at the kitchen table once since moving in. I feel like I’m paying rent for a place I can’t actually live in.
I cleaned up after her cats multiple times during the first couple months despite her being home all day and not back to work until late February. I’ve brought the issue up several times, and while she says she’ll do a “deep clean” every time someone brings it up, nothing changes long-term.
Another roommate (19F) moved in recently and also avoids the shared spaces because of the smell. She told me she once watched our roommate laugh while her cat peed in the kitchen, then left it overnight for her to clean the next morning.
We live in Alberta and our subtenancy agreement (that I wrote in accordance with the RTA) says shared spaces must be kept sanitary and pet owners are responsible for issues caused by their pets.
At this point I’ve decided I can’t stay because I genuinely don’t think the house is reasonably livable, I’m just waiting to hear back on some apartments I’ve applied for. I’ve documented everything with photos, videos, and messages that I’m MORE than ready to bring to the landlord if she escalates this.
So WIBTA for ending my subtenancy early and to stay for the remaining 2 month term?