Tenant Rights

Power to the People

But you are an American citizen too, you know! If all these landlord rights have really turned you off of renting, don’t fret! You also have rights. We aren’t living in feudal times anymore, with the land owner holding all the power. Again, each state has their own idea of what rights a tenant has, but here are the most common:

NO DISCRIMINATION!

According to the Fair Housing Act, landlords can’t reject potential tenants based on race, skin color, religion, national origin, age, sex (GENDER PEOPLE), physical disability, familial status or mental disability. Sexual orientation and marital status may also be covered. Now, if you haven’t bathed for a month, THAT would probably be grounds for rejection.

HABITABLE!

Tenants have a right for their living space to be “habitable.” This means that house or apartment should be safe, such as no open wires, no holes in the ceiling, and no mold growth that’s gotten so bad it’s sentient and offers witty banter while you sit on the toilet.

PRIVACY!

While landlords have the right to enter your apartment, you also have a right to privacy. Landlords have to give advanced notice if they want to enter your apartment. Perfect if you need to flush your nasty flea circus down the toilet.

You and your personal finance guide can research the tenant’s rights in the state you are moving to. Remember, the clearer an understanding you have between you and your landlord, the less likely you will end up writing a crappy musical based upon how much your landlord sucks.

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