Mickey Rourke Says He Stopped Paying Rent Over Rodent Infested Apartment

Mickey Rourke says there’s a good reason he stopped paying rent at his L.A. apartment … claiming the place was plagued by rodents and other serious maintenance problems.

The famed actor tells TMZ ... "The reason I stopped paying rent was because the living conditions in the apartment had become unacceptable," adding the serious problems repeatedly went unaddressed for months, despite my efforts to have them fixed."

He goes on to say ... "There were ongoing rodent issues that required multiple visits but were never fully resolved, and the bathroom and plumbing frequently did not work." Mickey says he made repeated requests for repairs, but the problems persisted and "basic maintenance was never properly handled."

According to court documents -- obtained by TMZ -- a judge sided with Mickey's landlord and ordered him to vacate the premises, even though he was already gone.

Mickey adds ... "Withholding rent was not a decision I made lightly. I simply could not continue paying for an apartment that was in such poor condition after so many attempts to have these issues corrected."

As of January, the 73-year-old was living at a West Hollywood hotel with his dog … shortly after a GoFundMe was launched on his behalf to help him avoid eviction -- which he later denounced.