Who stands for the American worker?

A lease is indeed a contract but it also means the landlord must live up to her end of the contract. I have the landlord from NY. She is a lawyer and blames the tenant for everything wrong. She had not fixed anything in the years before I moved in. When the power was turned on I found both bathrooms toilets broken, dishwasher broken, washer and dryer barely functioning, no kitchen sink only a bathroom sink, no heat, window filthy, tile floors with grime. I have the right to just leave with no notice but I don't want to make a move so soon. The lease has many illegal demands. Although I pay a high rent she was shocked that I knew my rights and has since gotten a bit more reasonable. I will leave at the end of the lease but withhold rent from last month for the terrible conditions I have had to live with. I might even send a copy of the lease to the state bar association. It was so obvious she sets up her tenants to keep the substantial deposit. I have warn her she cannot do that as I have taken good care of the place and paid to clean carpets and windows and have the place properly cleaned - things she should have done before renting it out again. This is the first time I have rented and I hope the last. I entered the agreement with good intentions only to realize the landlord did not. Her intentions are not to spend a penny in upkeep and maintenance and keep the deposit. Fortunately for me California has strong tenant rights laws too.