Every Tenant's Legal Guide by Portman, Janet, Attorney -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Copyright Acknowledgments Table of Contents Your Tenant Companion 1 Finding a Place to Rent

Setting Your Rental Priorities How to Find an Apartment or House for Rent Visiting Prospective Rentals Checking Out the Landlord and Manager Checking Out Other Tenants and the Neighbors Rental Applications and Credit Reports How Landlords Reject Tenants Finder’s Fees and Holding Deposits Choosing Roommates

2 Leases and Rental Agreements

How Leases and Rental Agreements Differ Oral Leases and Rental Agreements Typical Provisions in Leases and Rental Agreements Negotiating With the Landlord Changing a Lease or Rental Agreement Signing a Lease or Rental Agreement Cosigners

3 Basic Rent Rules

How Much Can Your Landlord Charge? Rent Control When Is Your Rent Due? Grace Periods for Late Rent Where and How Rent Is Due Late Charges and Discounts for Early Payments Returned Check Charges Negotiating Partial or Delayed Rent Payments Rent Increases Talking the Landlord Out of a Rent Increase

4 Security Deposits

Dollar Limits on Deposits How Landlords May Increase Deposits Last Month’s Rent Nonrefundable Deposits and Fees Interest on Deposits and Separate Accounts How the Deposit May Be Used If Your Landlord Sells the Property

5 Discrimination

Kinds of Discrimination Prohibited by Federal Laws Kinds of Discrimination Prohibited by State and Local Law How to Fight Back

6 Inspecting the Rental Unit and Moving In

How to Inspect the Rental Unit Photographing the Rental Unit How to Handle Problems Clarifying Important Terms of the Tenancy Organizing Your Rental Records Using Email for Notice or a Letter of Understanding

7 Roommates

Renting a Place With Others Adding a New Roommate Taking In a Roomer

8 Major Repairs and Maintenance

Your Basic Right to Livable Premises State Laws and Local Housing Codes Court-Imposed Rules Your Repair and Maintenance Responsibilities Making Tenants Responsible for Repairs How to Get Action From Your Landlord What to Do If the Landlord Won’t Make Repairs

9 Minor Repairs and Maintenance

Minor Repairs: What Are They? The Landlord’s Responsibilities Tenant Responsibilities Getting the Landlord to Make Minor Repairs Making Minor Repairs Yourself

10 Making Improvements and Alterations

Improvements That Become Part of the Property Improving Your Rental Unit Without Enriching Your Landlord Cable TV Access Satellite Dishes and Other Antennas

11 Your Right to Privacy

Entry by the Landlord Entry by Others Other Invasions of Privacy What to Do About Invasions of Privacy

12 Injuries on the Premises

What to Do If You’re Injured Is the Landlord Liable? If You’re at Fault, Too How Much Money You’re Entitled To

13 Environmental Hazards

Asbestos Lead Radon Carbon Monoxide Mold Bedbugs

14 Crime on the Premises

The Landlord’s Basic Duty to Keep You Safe Problems With Other Tenants Illegal Activity on the Property and Nearby Getting Results From the Landlord Protecting Yourself

15 How Tenancies End or Change

Changing Terms During Your Tenancy How Month-to-Month Tenancies End How Fixed-Term Leases End Retaliation and Other Illegal Tenancy Terminations How to Stay When Your Landlord Wants You Out Getting Out of a Lease Condominium Conversions If the Landlord Sells or Goes Out of Business If the Landlord Declares Bankruptcy If the Rental Property Is Foreclosed

16 Moving Out and Getting Your Security Deposit Back

Basic Rules for Returning Deposits Deductions for Cleaning and Damage Deductions for Unpaid Rent Avoiding Fights Over Deposits Security Deposits From Cotenants How to Handle Deposit Disputes Suing Your Landlord in Small Claims Court If Your Deposit Doesn’t Cover What You Owe Your Abandoned Property

17 Termination Notices Based on Nonpayment of Rent and Other Illegal Acts

Termination Notices Other Violations of the Lease or Rental Agreement Violations of Your Legal Responsibilities as a Tenant Illegal Activity on the Premises Negotiating With the Landlord Getting Help From a Mediator Refusing to Move Out Cutting Your Losses and Moving

18 Evictions

When to Fight—And When to Move Illegal “Self-Help” Evictions How Eviction Lawsuits Work Stopping Eviction by Filing for Bankruptcy

19 Resolving Problems Without a Lawyer

How to Negotiate a Settlement Using a Mediator Suing in Small Claims Court Tenants Working Together

20 Lawyers and Legal Research

How a Lawyer Can Help You Finding a Good Lawyer Fee Arrangements With Lawyers Resolving Problems With Your Lawyer Doing Your Own Legal Research

Appendixes

A State Landlord-Tenant Law Charts

State Landlord-Tenant Statutes State Rent Rules State Rules on Notice Required to Change or Terminate a Month-to-Month Tenancy State Security Deposit Rules Required Landlord Disclosures State Laws in Domestic Violence Situations State Laws on Rent Withholding and Repair and Deduct Remedies State Laws on Landlord’s Access to Rental Property State Laws on Handling Abandoned Property State Laws Prohibiting Landlord Retaliation State Laws on Termination for Nonpayment of Rent State Laws on Termination for Violation of Lease State Laws on Unconditional Quit Terminations State Small Claims Court Limits Landlord’s Duty to Rerent Consequences of Self-Help Evictions

B How to Use the Interactive Forms on Nolo.com

Editing RTFs List of Forms

Index

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