How do I handle this slumlord situation?

Me, my 1 year old and my husband currently live in the 2nd floor of a rented duplex. We pay high rent since the neighborhood is ideal and we are never delinquint on payments. Now, since we've lived here(7months) we have done all lawn maintenenance and purchased and changes all the lightbulbs for the common areas in the building. Why you ask? Because if we didnt do it, it wouldnt get done and we need the grass cut and lights in the halls and such for our daughter's sake. There are other problems with the apartment as well like if the guy downstairs is using his water, we have no water. NONE! There are bees nests all over the outside of the building, among other things. I don't know how to handle a situation like this. How do you bring up things like this? I dont want to call him and bombard him with a million complaints but it's reached the ridiculous point. Should I itmeize all the maintenance and things we do and send him a bil demanding it be deducted out of our rent? Help!

Wow, calling him a slum lord is rather harsh.

I would not suggest sending any bills he has not previously agreed to pay. You can not simply demand your rent to be altered, you will find yourself evicted pretty fast if you do.

Check your lease about grounds maintenance, it is usually the renter in a duplex, not the landlord who is responsible.

Your burned out light bulbs are your responsibility as well.

The wasps (you are not likely to be correct about bees) can be resolved for 5.99, wasp killer works great, but you can ask your landlord to do that one. They have to spray the outside for bugs every 2 months if they are an issue. I personally use the spray can and kill only the nests, I do not like the idea of my children playing outside when there are chemicals sprayed all over.