Photo: Marlene Céline Nordvik / UnsplashRenter basics
- Housing and landlords
Tenant Rights Checklist for New Renters: What to Check Before and After You Sign a Lease
A practical tenant rights checklist covering lease terms, deposits, disclosures, move-in inspections, repairs, privacy and what to do if problems arise.
3 min read - Legal documents
Lease Agreement Guide: What to Include and Check Before Signing
What a residential lease should contain, the key terms tenants and landlords should read closely and required disclosures.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Rental Applications and Background Checks: Your Rights
What landlords can check, how the Fair Credit Reporting Act applies, application fees and what to do if you are denied.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Tenant Screening Reports: What Landlords See and How to Fix Errors
What tenant screening reports contain, your rights under federal credit reporting law, how to get a copy and how to dispute mistakes.
4 min read - Legal documents
Roommate Agreement: What to Put in Writing
A roommate agreement splits rent, bills and house rules. Learn what to include and how it relates to the lease.
3 min read - Housing and landlords
Renters Insurance and Liability: What It Covers and Why You Need It
What renters insurance usually covers, why a landlord's policy does not protect your belongings and how to choose coverage.
2 min read
Deposits, rent and fees
- Housing and landlords
Security Deposit Rules: What Tenants and Landlords Should Know
How security deposits work, what landlords can deduct, and what to do if your deposit is not returned.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Getting Your Security Deposit Back: Demand Letter and Small Claims Steps
How to demand return of a security deposit, what to include in a demand letter, how to file in small claims, what evidence to bring and statutory penalties some states allow.
3 min read - Housing and landlords
Rent Increase Notices: How Much Notice a Landlord Must Give
How rent increase notices work, typical notice periods, limits in rent-controlled areas and what to do if you cannot afford the new rent.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Late Fees and Grace Periods: What Landlords Can Charge
How late fees are limited by state and local law, when grace periods apply and how to challenge unreasonable charges.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Rent Control and Rent Stabilization: How They Work
What rent control means, which states and cities allow it and how annual rent caps, exemptions and just-cause rules usually work.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Rent Receipts: Why Proof of Payment Matters for Tenants and Landlords
When landlords must give rent receipts, what to include, and how records help with deposits, disputes and credit.
3 min read
Repairs, safety and privacy
- Housing and landlords
Tenant Repairs and Habitability: What Your Landlord Must Fix
Landlords must keep rentals livable. Learn what habitability covers and the steps to take when repairs are ignored.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Maintenance Requests: How Tenants Should Ask for Repairs in Writing
Why written repair requests matter, what to include, how long landlords have to respond and what to do if repairs are ignored.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Mold in a Rental: Tenant Rights and Next Steps
Who is responsible for mold, how to report it, what repairs to expect and when it affects habitability.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Bed Bugs and Pests in Rentals: Who Is Responsible?
Landlord and tenant responsibilities for pest control, how to report an infestation and remedies if it is not fixed.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Landlord Entry and Notice to Enter: What Tenants Can Expect
When a landlord may enter a rental, how much notice is common, emergencies and how to handle repeated entry or privacy complaints.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Landlord Retaliation: Signs, Tenant Protections and What to Do
How retaliation works in rentals, what actions count, how to prove it, legal protections and steps tenants can take after a complaint or repair request.
3 min read
Evictions, notices and leaving a lease
- Housing and landlords
How Evictions Work: The Legal Process From Notice to Court
A landlord must follow legal steps to evict a tenant. Learn the general process and what rights tenants have.
5 min read - Housing and landlords
Responding to an Eviction Complaint: Step-by-Step Guide for Tenants
What to do when you are served with an eviction lawsuit, how to file an answer, common defenses, mediation, preparing for the hearing and after a judgment.
3 min read - Legal documents
Eviction Notice Guide: What a Valid Notice Must Contain
What landlords must include in an eviction notice, common notice types and why using the right form and timing matters.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Lease Violation Notices and Cure Periods: What Tenants and Landlords Should Know
How lease violation notices work, what a cure period is, common violations, how to fix problems, when a landlord can terminate and how to respond.
3 min read - Housing and landlords
Landlord Notice Rules: Entry, Rent Increases and Ending a Tenancy
When a landlord must give written notice to enter, raise rent or end a tenancy, and why the timing depends on your state and lease.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Breaking a Lease Early: Your Options and Risks
What happens if you leave a rental before the lease ends, when you can end it legally and how to limit what you owe.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Lease Assignment Versus Sublease: Transferring Your Rental to Someone Else
How an assignment differs from a sublease, landlord consent, who stays liable and steps to transfer a lease safely.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Legal Aid for Eviction and Housing Problems: How to Get Free Help Fast
How to find free legal help when facing eviction, unsafe housing or a landlord dispute, including legal aid, tenant hotlines, right-to-counsel programs and court help.
4 min read
For landlords and discrimination
- Housing and landlords
Landlord Legal Duties Checklist: What New Landlords Must Know
A checklist of key landlord legal duties: leases, disclosures, deposits, habitability, entry notice, fair housing, evictions and recordkeeping for new landlords.
3 min read - Housing and landlords
Housing Discrimination: Your Rights Under the Fair Housing Act
Which traits are protected under the federal Fair Housing Act, what discrimination looks like and how to file a complaint.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Pets and Assistance Animals in Rentals: What Landlords Can Require
How the Fair Housing Act treats service animals and emotional support animals, when a landlord can charge pet fees and what documentation is allowed.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Rights: Renting With a Voucher
How the Housing Choice Voucher program works, tenant and landlord responsibilities, and protections against discrimination in some places.
2 min read
Frequently asked questions
Can a landlord evict me without going to court?
In nearly all states, no. A landlord must follow a legal process, and lockouts or utility shutoffs are generally illegal.
What should I do if I am served with eviction papers?
Note the deadline, file a response on time, gather documents and contact legal aid or a tenant organization immediately.
How do I get my security deposit back?
Document the unit's condition, give a forwarding address, and if the landlord misses the deadline, send a demand letter and consider small claims court.
Can my landlord raise the rent whenever they want?
Not during a fixed term unless the lease allows it. Month-to-month rent can rise with proper notice, and some cities cap increases.
Is it retaliation if my landlord evicts me after I complained?
It may be, because many states prohibit retaliation. Keep a timeline and raise it as a defense.