Every tenant's legal guide
Book - 1997
Saved in:
- Subjects
- Genres
- Law for laypersons
- Published
-
Berkeley, Calif. :
Nolo Press
1997-
- Language
- English
- Physical Description
- volumes : illustrations ; 28 cm
- Publication Frequency
- Irregular
- Bibliography
- Includes index.
- ISBN
- 9781413331721
- Your Tenant Companion
- 1. Finding a Place to Rent
- Setting Your Rental Priorities
- How to Find Available Rentals
- Visiting Prospective Rentals
- Checking Out the Landlord and Manager
- Checking Out Other Tenants and the Neighbors
- Rental Applications and Credit Reports
- Consumer Relief After the Coronavirus Pandemic
- 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
- Paying Recurring Fees in Place of a Deposit
- How Landlords May Increase Deposits
- Last Month's Rent
- Nonrefundable Deposits and Fees
- Interest on Deposits and Separate Accounts
- How Landlords May Use the Deposit
- When Your Landlord Sells the Property
- 5. Discrimination
- Federal Law vs. State Law
- Kinds of Discrimination Prohibited by Federal Law
- 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 or Filming the Rental Unit
- How to Handle Problems
- Clarifying Important Terms of the Tenancy
- Organizing Your Rental Records
- Using Email or Text Messages for Notice or a Letter of Understanding
- 7. Roommates, Guests, and Airbnb
- Renting a Place With Others
- Adding a New Roommate
- Guests
- Tenant Rights to Use Airbnb and Similar Vacation Rental Services
- 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 Your Landlord to Act
- What to Do If the Landlord Won't Make Repairs
- 9. Minor Repairs and Maintenance
- Minor Repairs: What Are They?
- Sources of 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 and High-Speed Internet
- 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
- Bed Bugs
- 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
- When the Landlord Sells or Goes Out of Business
- When the Landlord Declares Bankruptcy
- When 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 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
- B. How to Use the Downloadable Forms on the Nolo Website
- Editing RTFs
- List of Forms Available on the Nolo Website
- Index