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Identify Your Housing Needs > Know Your Rights > Reading a Lease > Understanding the Ads > What to Ask the Landlord

Know Your Rights

A right is a privilege, usually given to you by law. Laws vary from community to community and from state to state. Some rights are guaranteed by federal law. These laws are the same anywhere in the United States. You can find out the local laws and your housing rights by contacting a local authority such as a Fair Housing Board or Human Rights commission.

Tenants may have the following rights:

To use the property they are renting according to the terms of the lease.
To have privacy. The landlord may not enter the apartment except to make repairs, to deliver packages, to inspect the property, to show the apartment to someone who may be moving there (if you are moving out), and by other arrangements specified in the lease.
To file a complaint against the landlord if health or safety is threatened by the condition of the apartment.
To know the landlord's name, address, and emergency phone number.

Landlords may have the following rights:

To have the property maintained by the tenant according to the terms of the lease.
To enter the property for repairs, delivery, inspection, and to show the apartment to a prospective tenant according to the terms of the lease.
To rent the apartment to anyone he or she chooses. However, the landlord may not discriminate according to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability.
A responsibility is an obligation or duty an individual is required to do. In some cases an individual may agree to accept a responsibility that is not required by law. When a landlord and a tenant sign a lease, they form a legal agreement to accept the responsibility of upholding the terms of the lease.

Tenants may have the following responsibilities:

To pay rent on time
To keep the apartment in good order. Many landlords require a security deposit to cover the cost of damage caused by the tenant.
To obey laws related to health and safety such as garbage disposal and fire safety.
To use the apartment for legal purposes only. For example, it may not be used as a headquarters for selling drugs.
To permit the landlord to enter according to the conditions specified by landlord and tenant rights.

Landlords may have the following responsibilities:

To make repairs to the apartment in a timely manner.
To immediately correct all situations that cause danger to the health or safety of the tenant. For example: faulty wiring may cause fire or electrical shock.
To maintain public hallways, sidewalks, laundry areas, etc. that are used by all tenants so that they are safe for use.
To issue a name, address and emergency phone number to all tenants using the property.

Next: Reading a Lease