She's saddled with bad landlords (parents)

DEAR AMY: I am a 21-year-old girl living with my parents while I try to get my housecleaning business started. I was paying rent but lately I have been refusing to do so. My parents refuse to repair my bedroom, which is over the garage and has no insulation. In the winter, it is absolutely freezing. I had a water bottle freeze overnight several times last winter. The window leaks, the tiles in the bathroom leak into the wall behind my bedroom, and the moisture has caused mold in the walls and carpet. I am allergic to mold and get asthma attacks. I have offered to pay for these repairs, but they refused and said the area doesn't need fixing. When they started making me pay rent, I expected the money to go toward fixing the problems with my room, but instead they used this money for my sister's college fund. Am I wrong to withhold rent until the mold, window and insulation problems are fixed? I know they are landlords, but I don't see why I should be paying for my sister to be living in a nice on-campus apartment while I am freezing here at home.Cold and Breathless

DEAR COLD: Your parents are telling you through their actions that they don't want to be landlords.

You have tried every reasonable measure to fix this problem, but they are not being reasonable.

This situation is bad for your health and for your relationship with your family, so I suggest you find another, healthier living situation.

You are starting a cleaning business. You should see if you could rent a room in a private home or share a place with a friend. You might be able to barter a few hours a week of cleaning services in exchange for rent (spell out everything in writing, though).

Winter is coming and you don't have time to continue to negotiate with your parents.