I am preparing to move in to a newly remodeled apartment. I paid a deposit back in June. The unit was supposed to be ready July 1, and the builder (who also owns the property) has repeatedly extended the deadline for various reasons.
I am running out of alternative housing options and recently stopped by the property and can see that it is done being remodeled. The landlord gave me access to a temporary master key so I could get in and out to store my belongings there. Now he is telling me that I can sign a lease, but that the state inspectors still need to come and approve the property.
I get the sense that he doesn't mind if I stay there, but he can't give me an "all clear" without the state paperwork completed.
My question is: can he get in trouble if the state inspectors discover that I'm already residing in the unit? Like, if they see that I have my bed set up or that there are disches in the cupboards—is that against the law, or is the inspection just a formality for liability and insurance etc.?