Can I end a lease early over serious undisclosed property defects?

Under general principles connected to the Civil Code, Chapter 16 of the Laws of Malta, and the specific framework of the Private Residential Leases Act governing residential tenancies, a landlord generally has an obligation to provide a property that is fit for the purpose for which it was let, meaning serious, undisclosed defects that genuinely and significantly impair your ability to properly use and enjoy the property as a home could potentially provide grounds for you to seek early termination of your lease, or at minimum, to require the landlord to properly address the issues within a reasonable time. Before assuming you can simply walk away from the lease unilaterally, it would be important to first formally document the specific defects clearly, ideally with photos and, if possible, a professional assessment such as from a surveyor confirming the genuine severity of the issues, and then formally notify your landlord in writing, giving them a clear and reasonable opportunity to address the problems, since properly following this kind of process would significantly strengthen your position if the matter needs to be escalated further. If your landlord fails to properly address genuinely serious defects that were not disclosed to you, this is a matter that could be raised with the Housing Authority, which handles residential lease disputes in Malta, and given how significant early termination is as a remedy, it would be worth consulting a lawyer to properly assess whether your specific situation meets the threshold to support terminating the lease rather than simply seeking repairs.