Know Your Rights as a Tenant

If you are renting property, you have certain rights and legal rights that are meant to protect you. Knowing these rights can prevent you from being taken advantage of. Landlords can not discriminate against you because of race, religion, sex, and children. These are usual rules that all landlords must follow and most people know these, but there are other tenant rights that you may not know about.

The property that you are renting must be suitable and safe to live in. This means that the electrical wiring must be safe, the plumbing must be in working order. There are no holes in the floors or the ceiling leaks. And it should be free from rats, mice and cockroaches. If it is an older property it must have no lead paint. Lead based paint should be removed and repainted with new paint prior to you moving in for safety reasons.

The landlord may have a key to your property but he can not come into your residence without permission or notice in advance. This doesn't mean that if you're on vacation or at work and there is an emergency that he has to have notice. Most of the times he is permitted to enter the premises if there is a true emergency that can not wait. But he can not come in just to snoop around your place.

Most states have limits on how much a landlord can ask for a deposit. This must be paid back to you when you move out sometimes they will have to pay interest on the deposit. Each state is different with that. There is also a time limit when they have to return your deposit after you move. If you don't get back your whole deposit they have to give you an itemized listing of why the money wasn't returned. This could be cleaning, repairs, or unpaid rent.

To prevent yourself from landlords who don't follow the law, learn the laws in your states for tenants. When you move in before you move any personal items in, take photos of the property or a video of it so that when you move out you can show the condition of the property. If you do a walk through with the landlord note items on the lease at that time that needs fixed or are not perfect, this may save you money in the end. Getting everything in writing is one sure way to avoid courts and misunderstanding. The landlord is looking out for his rights, you as a tenant should also.