Advice on what to do about my apartment?

Your rights vary from state to state. I have experience as a tenant in California. Under California law, the landlord must maintain the unit in "habitable" condition at all times, specifically noting that plumbing, heating, and locks must be operable. You must give your landlord written notice of the broken items making the place uninhabitable and give them a "reasonable" amount of time to correct the issues. "Reasonable" is generally considered 30 days, but can be as little as 1 day for critical things (ie: non-working front door lock). When you give written notice, you should send it Certified Mail, so you have proof it was received (you should keep a copy too). If the repairs are not made in the given time frame, you can give written notice that you will abandon the unit and then you must move out immediately. You do not owe the landlord any more money, but they will probably sue you to try to get you to pay the remainder of the lease. As long as you have pictures doenting the uninhabitability and copies of the notices you have sent, you won't lose. Remember though that many states are not as kind to renters as California, so check your state's laws.