What are Your Tenant Rights and Responsibilities?

What are Your Tenant Rights and Responsibilities?Tenants Legal Rights PART 1

Whether you are a landlord or tenant, learning your tenants legal rights will be one of the most helpful things you can do. Learn what are the most common and important tenant rights and responsibilities today with our complete guide to your tenant legal right.

What are Your Tenant Rights and Responsibilities When Being Screened?

• If you are rejected when you are applying as a tenant, you have the tenants legal rights to know why the reason for your rejection.

• If you were rejected by the landlord due to negative feedback about you, you have the right to know what is the negative information that led to your rejection and who provided it (e.g. your previous landlord or employer).

• As a tenant applicant, you cannot be rejected due to your race, religion, nationality, sex, age or disability. This is considered an act of discrimination by the landlord and is strictly prohibited.

What are Your Tenants Legal Rights When Signing the Rental Agreement?

• If you are required to pay any utility charges or property bills, you have the tenant legal right to know exactly what they are before you sign the rental agreement.

• It is your rights that you are given the name, contact number and address of a person in charge that you can contact in case of any emergencies or problems.

• You have the right to take legal action against your landlord if he breaks the terms of the rental agreement, violates the local housing laws, mishandles your security deposits or fails to make the rental property in a habitable condition.

• If you require the help of an animal to cope with your physical or mental ability (such as a guide dog for the blind), you have the right to keep the animal on the rental property and the landlord is not allowed to enforce a no-pet policy.

• In some areas, it is your right be a given a landlords inventory listcontaining the details of the furniture, appliances and fixtures that is being provided by your landlord.

What are Your Tenant Rights and Responsibilities for the Security Deposit?

• Your landlord is not allowed to demand security deposits that is over the limit stated in your local landlord tenant laws. This limit is usually equal to 1 to 2 times of the monthly rent.

• In some areas, it is your tenant rights that your landlord pays you interest on your security deposit. When your tenancy ends, you will receive your original deposit amount plus the extra interest.

• Once your lease ends, you have the rights to receive your security within 14 to 30 days of the move-out date.

• If your landlord deducts money from your security deposit, you have the right to receive a written list showing every deduction clearly. Valid reasons for deducting money from your security deposit includes unpaid rent, bills owed and property damage caused by your abuse or neglect.

Moving on, let's find out what are the important tenant rights and responsibilities when it comes to your rent, property repairs and visitors:

Click Here to PART 2 of Our Tenant Rights and Responsibilities Guide.

What are Your Must Know Renters Legal Rights?
Renters Bill of Rights PART 2

Learning your renters legal rights is highly crucial and the good news is that it doesn't have to be a difficult, boring chore. Master your renters rights quickly and easily right now with this Part 2 of our Renters Bill of Rights Guide.

Have You Read Part 1? If No, Click here for Part 1of this Renters Bill of Rights Guide.


What are Your Renters Legal Rights for Rent Payments and Rent Increases?

• If you are in a fixed term tenancy, your landlord cannot raise the rent until the tenancy expires or the written rental agreement has a rent review clause that allows him to do so.

• When there is no specific time period for your type of lease such as a periodic tenancy or tenancy at will, you have the rentersl legal right to be informed of a rent increase 30 to 60 days in advance depending on the your local laws.

• If there is a rent ceiling imposed in your area, you do not have to pay a rent amount that is over this ceiling.

• If your landlord charges you extra fees for paying your rent late, the late rent fee has to be reasonable. You have the renters legal right not to overpay on this late rent fees depending on the limits stated by your area's laws.

• Even if you owe your landlord owe or break the terms of your rental agreement, he is not allowed the right of self help. This means that he cannot change the lock of the rental property or cut off the water and electricity supply.

What are Your Renters Bill of Rights When it Comes to Privacy and Visitors?

• According to the renters bill of rights, your landlord needs to inform you before he can set foot on the rental property. Unless there is an emergency such as a fire outbreak, your landlord has to inform you at least 12 to 24 hours before he arrives.

• Valid reasons for your landlord to enter the property include rent collection, property inspection, court orders and to show the property to new tenants or buyers.

• Your tenants are allowed to have people coming for visits and overnight stays. However they will need your permission if the visitors are staying for longer periods.

What are Your Renters Legal Rights for Property Repairs and Maintenance?

• It is your basic renters legal right to live in a rental property in habitable condition. This means that the rental home has to meet the local health and safety standards set by the federal fair housing laws.

• According to the renters bill of rights for most areas, a tenant has the right to stay in a rental property where the plumbing, electrical wiring and heating / cooling systems are in proper working order. The rental property should also be free from health hazards such as pest infestation, cracks in the flooring or lead based paint.

• Before you move in, it is certainly within your rights to inspect the rental property to make sure that it is habitable.

• You have the renters rights to request your landlord to repair any major property damages that is caused by everyday wear and tear. Once you inform your landlord of the damage, he has to make repairs within 7 to 14 days. If it is an emergency, repairs has to made within 24 to 48 hours.

• If you live in a multiplex building with common areas such as corridors and stairways, you are not responsible for the upkeep of these areas unless you damage it due to neglect or abuse.

Since renters legal rights do vary in different areas and lease problems can be costly if mishandled, you should always seek professional legal advice when in doubt. If you have any questions, Click here to ask a real estate lawyer online.