2. You’re living on your own
now
You must know the rights
and responsibilities of
The Tenant (that’s you)
The Landlord

3. Tenant: Somebody who
rents a house or apartment
for a fixed period of time.
Landlord: A person that
owns property that is
rented to tenants.

4. Know average rent for
area
Cost of Living
Calculator
Compare rent
between two cities

5. Length of the lease
 Month-to-month
 6 months
 1 year
Amount of Rent
Amount of security deposit

6.  Application Fee for Screening
 Credit Check & bankruptcies
 Employment & Income
 Rental History & Evictions
 References
Applies to each tenant
Non-Refundable

7.  Legal
Poor Credit History
Insufficient income
Bad references
Past behavior
destruction of
property
Tenants would
exceed valid
occupancy policy
 Illegal
Race
Religion
Ethnic background or
national origin
Sex
Age
Tenant has children
(except in senior housing)
Mental or physical
disability
Some states: Marital
status or sexual
orientation

8. Month-to-month rental
agreement. An unspecified period
of time, with rent usually payable
on a monthly basis.
Provides flexibility if you’re
not sure how long you’ll stay
Rent or rules can be changed
at anytime

9.  Lease: An agreement that requires a
tenant to stay for a specific amount of
time and restricts the landlord’s ability
to change the terms.
 Usually requires at least a 6-to-12
month commitment
 Rent and rules stay the same for the
lease period.

10.  Be prepared to sign a lot of paperwork.
 Keep these guidelines in mind:
 Request a copy of the paperwork in
advance. You can review it at your own
pace.
 Become familiar with rental lingo.
 Read every word before you sign!
 Remember if you sign it you’re liable for
it

11.  How much can a landlord charge for a
deposit?
 Varies by state: some have no limit
 Usually not more than 1 or 2
months of rent
When does the landlord have to return
the deposit?
 Varies by state: 14 days to “within
a reasonable time”

12.  The length of tenancy
 The amount of rent and deposits the tenant
must pay
 The number of people who can live on the
rentals property
 Who pays for utilities
 Whether the tenant may have pets
 Whether the tenant must sublet the property
 The landlords access to the rental property,
and
 Who pays attorney fees if there is a lawsuit

13. Giving up your right to
defend yourself in court
Limiting the landlord’s
liability for things they’re
normally responsible for

14.  Weatherproofing
 Available heat
 Water
 Electricity
 Clean, Sanitary,& structurally safe
 Smoke detectors
 Security-Locks & keys

15.  Pay rent and utilities on time
 Comply with local ordinances
 Noise
 Business out of home
Keep unit clean and sanitary
Dispose of garbage properly
Respect common areas
Lobbies, garages, and pools

16.  Properly operate
heating, plumbing, and electrical
systems
 Don’t intentionally or carelessly
damage dwelling
 Don’t interfere with other tenants
use of the property
 Return the unit into the same
condition as when you moved in

17.  Important for each tenant
 Landlords insurance won’t cover your
loss
 Insurance covers loss to belongings:
 From fire & theft
 Depends on value of policy: $25K-
50K
 Deductibles start at $250

18. Get landlord’s approval
Will adding a roommate
exceed the occupancy limit?
Will your new roommate
meet your landlords good
tenant criteria?

19.  Adding a roommate to the
lease or rental Agreement
 New lease
More Roommates, More Rent
 More wear & tear
Security Deposit Increases

20.  May need to
 Make repairs
 Show property
 Must give notice
 Varies by states from 24 hours to “
reasonable notice
 No notice needed
 Emergency
 Fire
 Serious water leak
 Abandonment
 You can’t refuse access

21.  Put your request in writing
 Give landlord time to respond. Required
response time varies by state but generally:
 24 hours for no heat or cold water, heat,
electricity, or for other hazardous or life-
threatening conditions
 72 hours for refrigerator, range, oven or
major plumbing problems
 10 days for all other repairs

22.  Options when the landlord won’t repair:
 Pay less rent
 Withhold rent
 Make repairs
 Hire a professional & deduct cost from
rent
 Call building inspector
 Mediate or go to court
 Move out (give notice)
 Varies by state

23.  Not paying rent
 Even if one day late with rent
 Three-day notice to pay or move out
required
 Not complying with term of rental agreement
 Ten day notice to comply or move out
required
 For creating a waste or nuisance
 Three day notice to move out required
 No option to stay to correct problem

24.  No cause
 Varies by state
 Twenty-day notice required
 May not be discriminatory or retaliatory
 If tenant refuses to vacate, landlord can
obtain court order and request sheriff to
move belongings

25.  Even if you’re behind in rent
 Lockouts
 Utility shutoffs
 Taking your property (unless you
abandon it)
 Retaliatory action

26.  Tenant can legally break the lease it.
 Landlord fails to Make repairs
 Fails to comply with health & safety
 Tenant responsible for reminder of rent
under lease term
 Landlord has duty to find a new tenant

27.  Landlord can legally break the lease if:
 Tenant pays rent late, has a dog
under a no-pet cause, or damages
property.
 Land lord may:
 Give time to change i.e. find a new
home for the dog
 Ask tenant to leave
 How varies by state

28.  Provide written notice according to
your rental or lease agreement
 Rental: Usually 30-day notice
 Lease: You’re responsible for
rent for remaining leasing term
unless landlord can rent unit

29. Clean apartment and leave
in same condition as when
you moved in (except
normal wear and tear)
Leave forwarding address
for deposit return

30. Ask parents to walk
through rental with you
Take pictures of everything
( include date on photo)
Go through rental check list

31.  Your state Attorney General’s
office
 Your state Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) department
 www.lawhelp.org
 Choose your state/Housing
Download state-specific
information