Housing, Landlord, Tenant

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If you are a renter, federal law states that you may not be discriminated against for race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, having children, being pregnant, having a physical or mental disability - including alcohol and past drug addiction. Many states and cities also have laws preventing discrimination as to marital status and sexual orientation.

A landlord cannot discriminate against you if you have a seeing eye dog, even in a "no pets" building.

The premises you rent must be "habitable". This means the apartment or house you are renting is fit to be lived in. There must not be any unsafe conditions, such as holes in the floor, plaster coming down from the ceiling, bad wiring, etc., and there must be no infestation of vermin such as cockroaches or mice. It is the landlord's responsibility to make sure the property he is renting is in livable condition.

It is especially important that your rental unit be free of lead based paint which is toxic when eaten or inhaled by small children and pets, causing low IQ, learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), mental retardation, and brain damage.

Unless there is an emergency situation, you have a right to privacy. Your landlord may not enter your premises with out advance notification.

Other rights such as how much deposit you are required to put down, whether you get interest on your deposit, are different from state to state, and you should find out what regulations apply in your area.

You would be wise to photograph or video the condition of your premises before you move in - and have dated receipts or time stamped photos or video in case of any disputes when you vacate the premises.

If you are late in paying your rent, or your landlord is taking action against you, you should be aware of your rights to have proper notice of the action against you, a chance to make up your rent payments, and rights to appeal.

If you are worried that you may be evicted, you should contact a lawyer or a local tenants' association.

Click here to send your complaint to a Lawyer through a secure form

Housing, Landlord, Tenant Articles

S.F. Landlord Couple Guilty or Victims of Lawsuit-Happy Tenant?
A landlord couple in San Francisco has been accused of reigning terror on tenants at their South of Market apartment building in an effort to drive out the renters. Their lawyers say that they have fallen victim to a lawsuit-happy tenant who had filed a suit against the previous owner of the building for wrongful eviction. The lawyer for the couple says they have done nothing wrong.

City of Minneapolis Files Real Estate Fraud Lawsuit
A fraudulent real estate ploy has inspired the city of Minneapolis to file a real estate fraud lawsuit. The city has had several complaints since T.J. Waconia purchased a total of one hundred and forty houses, remodeled them (it has been deemed that they were "flipped"), and then rented them out to the community. This is not the issue, what the issue happens to be is that TJ Waconia allegedly utilized over-inflated home appraisals to garner funds to purchase the homes as rentals.

Landlord Sued for Death of Infant in 2007 Apartment Fire
A Philadelphia attorney has filed a lawsuit against the former landlord of the Hockenbury and Balasavage families for a fire in their apartment that is believe to be due to faulty wiring. The fire killed infant Emily Joan Hockenbury.

Subdivision Gets Second Look due to Lawsuit
A few months ago, a group of residents in Dover thought they had found the perfect solution to prevent a large development project from taking place within their peaceful community on Colonial Road. However, what they learned was that reaching such a solution was not going to be as easy as they thought.

Some Cities Blocking Landlords from Evicting due to Defaulting Mortgage Payments
The high foreclosure rate the United States is experiencing is causing another type of housing crisis that involves the eviction of renters and cities are working to block such evictions.

Housing 101: Tenants Get the Last Laugh (all the way to the bank)
Maybe you're late with your rent one month, and your landlord gives you a hard time, or the guy turns out to be an s.o.b. and you can't take it anymore, so you start looking for alternate housing. Instead, you might consider looking around for some legal help, and fighting back.

Housing, Landlord, Tenant in the News

JAN-7-08: A lawsuit has been filed against the city of Wildwood by a non-profit group accusing the city of not meeting its state-mandated requirements to provide affordable housing. [INQUIRER: HOUSING]

DEC-09-07: A family of immigrants filed a lawsuit against the San Francisco Housing Authority for its failure to grant them an emergency transfer to another apartment after their home was broken into. The family alleges they were harassed from the time they moved into their apartment, during a time of intensified anti-Muslim sentiment. [SF GATE: HOUSING]

DEC-05-07: A woman who is living without arms or legs has filed a lawsuit against her condominium association to force them to allow electronic doors to be installed in her unit and in the lobby. The suit alleges that the association discriminated against her by repeatedly refusing her requests for electronic doors. [POST: HOUSING]

OCT-20-07: An Alabama mother filed suit against the Mobile Housing Board in 2005. She claims that the board did nothing to remove lead paint from her apartment located in their housing project. The woman's children were diagnosed with lead poisoning in 1993 and the suit is just now going to trial. [REGISTER: HOUSING]

OCT-12-07: An Ann Arbor landlord is being sued for energy theft and non-payment of utilities. He is being accused of installing fake utility meters and using unlawful means to supply electricity to his various rental properties. [ANN ARBOR NEWS: LANDLORD]

OCT-12-07: A settlement has been reached in a housing lawsuit filed by the Vermont Attorney General against the owners of unmaintained rental properties. The AG charged the owners with the responsibilty of removing harmful lead paint that remains on their buildings. [NEWSLINE: HOUSING LAWSUIT]

OCT-10-07: Federal officials have filed suit against the owner of a California mobile home park used as an encampment for migrant workers. It is claimed that the park violates health and safety codes. [TRIBUNE: HOUSING]

SEP-24-07: The owners of a bar opened in tribute to 9/11 firefighters have closed their doors pending the results of a lawsuit against their landlord. They are suing the building's owner for leasing them a building that turned out to be a "lemon". [RECORD: LANDLORD LAWSUIT]

SEP-24-07: The town of St. John, IN has been sued by the Department of Justice for denying a housing variance petition for a disabled person. The complaint alleges that the request was reasonable and the city acted in a discriminatory manner. [RIS: HOUSING]

SEP-16-07: A housing lawsuit against a Manhattan landlord could become a class action suit. The suit alleges shoddy repairs, rent stabilization violations and illegal evictions. [NY1: HOUSING]

SEP-13-07: The owner of an apartment building will pay $110,000 to settle claims that building managers discriminated against African-Americans when renting apartments. Allegations included that the managers told African-Americans that apartments were not available when they really were and keeping a notebook listing the race of potential applicants. [JOURNAL SENTINEL: HOUSING]

SEP-11-07: A woman who has a dog as an assistance animal is suing a developer for discrimination after she was refused rental of a townhouse. The plaintiff alleges she was told the townhouse complex had a no-pet policy even though her dog was prescribed by a psychologist. [POST-BULLETIN: HOUSING]

SEP-06-07: A lawsuit will be filed against Canton Township alleging that a housing complex was not properly designed for people in wheelchairs. [NEWS: HOUSING]

SEP-03-07: Two men filed a lawsuit against an apartment complex alleging its owners and managers are guilty of housing discrimination. Residents also complain about denied or slow maintenance requests, damaged front doors and blown-out electrical sockets. [NEWS-RECORD: HOUSING LAWSUIT]

Housing, Landlord, Tenant Legal Help

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