My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: maryland
I would really appreciate some feedback on the following:
The water heater next door to my (rented) townhome exploded in early July. It caused widespread mold and severe buckling of the wood floors. Didn't help that the AC was broken (...in the summer... in the Washington DC area). Landlord was made aware of all this immediately. Took her 12 days to clean up the mold. Broken AC and busted wood floors remained unrepaired, even after I was forced, by the bad conditions, to move out a month later. Landlord even failed to meet the repair deadlines imposed by the City!
I contacted the City Dept of Landlord/Tenant affairs early in the process; they agreed that the landlord owed me full security deposit and prorated rent for July. She told the City on two separate occasions (verbally, but not in writing) that she accepted this arrangement. To my face, however, she basically told me to go to hell. I advised the City of her contradictory statements so the City put their "agreement" with the landlord (full security deposit plus prorated rent) in writing; I was cc'd. The landlord never responded to the City's email.
I recently received my full security deposit from the former landlord. She did not include any of the prorated rent -- about 3 weeks' worth -- that she agreed (with the City) to provide. She does not feel that she owes me the prorated rent because she agreed to let me out of my lease in mid-July. She apparently expected me to be completely moved out the very next day. I made every effort to move out as quickly as possible, but my new apartment couldn't accommodate me until the beginning of August. I hardly stayed at the apartment after the damage was identified, but she's still keeping the July rent for an apartment with unrepaired AC, mold, and severely damaged wood floors.
A couple questions:
-is it reasonable for me to expect her to prorate my July rent? I'd like to note that (1) she made a verbal agreement with the City (twice) to do so, and (2) she made no effort to make repairs in a timely manner so I was forced by the bad living conditions to move
-she officially abated the lease on July 25. Does that mean that, if nothing else, she still owes me that last week's rent?
Thanks so much

