How to give up renting without going broke

For three long, miserable years, my husband and I rented a unit attached to our landlord’s sprawling house in northeastern Toronto. Every time the landlord lit a cigarette, the stench filled our apartment. Every time we took a shower, someone would flush a toilet and scald us. The owner kept two cats but didn’t allow us to have pets, so the mice that infested the place took refuge on our side of the house.