Renters' Rights: The Basics » (Sixth Edition)

Ms. Portman is the Managing Editor at Nolo. She specializes in residential and commercial landlord/tenant law, legal issues related to courts, landlords and tenants, and neighbor disputes. She is the co-author of Every Landlord's Legal Guide, Every Landlord's Guide to Finding Great Tenants, Every Tenant's Legal Guide, Renters' Rights, Negotiate the Best Lease for Your Business, Leases & Rental Agreements, The California Landlord's Law Book: Rights and Responsibilities, and California Tenants' Rights. Ms. Portman received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University and a law degree from Santa Clara University. Before joining Nolo in 1994, she practiced law as a public defender.

Ms. Stewart has been a Nolo editor and author since 1989, writing and editing books on landlord-tenant law, real estate, and other consumer issues. She is the co-author of Every Landlord's Legal Guide, Every Tenant's Legal Guide, Leases and Rental Agreements, and Renters' Rights. She has edited dozens of Nolo books, including Every Landlord's Guide to Finding Great Tenants, How to Buy a House in California, and Nolo's LeaseWriter Plus software for landlords, and Parent Savvy.

Is it next to impossible to get the rent out of your roommate each month?  Or is your landlord forgetting about the clogged drain he said he'd repair weeks ago? Then it's time to assert your renters' rights!

Aimed at everyone from the new renter on the block to more seasoned tenants who just want to know the basics, this new Legal Basics book is packed with the critical legal and practical information that every renter needs. Written in plain English, the book covers important concerns like:

*leases and rental agreements
*discrimination
*rent
*security deposits
*privacy
*roommates
*repairs and maintenance
*and much more

Co-authored by two experts in tenants' rights, this book is as indispensable as a friend with a pickup truck and a free weekend. The 4th edition is completely updated and revised to reflect the latest landlord-tenant laws of your state.

San Francisco Chronicle

If you expect Renter's Rights...to be dull, boring and irrelevant...think again. This new book relates to everyday, residential rental situations in all states.

Introduction

1. Play the Landlord's Game and Win
A. Legal and Illegal Reasons for Turning You Down
B. Your Credit Report Can Make or Break Your Application
C. References Are All-Important
D. Smart Moves: How to Find a Good Place
E. How to Impress Prospective Landlords

2. Leases and Rental Agreements
A. How Written Leases and Rental Agreements Differ
B. Who Should Sign a Lease or Rental Agreement
C. Typical Provisions in Leases and Rental Agreements
D. Negotiating With the Landlord
E. Common Negotiation Issues
F. Signing a Lease or Rental Agreement
G. Get It in Writing: A Letter of Understanding

3. Rent Rules
A. Rent Gouging: Isn't There a Law Against It?
B. The Nitty-Gritty on Where and How to Pay Rent
C. Mabel, Isn't There a Grace Period?
D. What To Do -- and Not To Do -- If You Can't Pay Rent on Time
E. Late Rent Fees
F. Tenancy Terminations for Nonpayment of Rent
G. Rent Increases
H. The Landlord's Right to Change Other Rent Terms

4. Security Deposits
A. Dollar Limits on Security Deposits
B. How Landlords May Increase Deposits
C. What's the Money For?
D. Last Month's Rent
E. Nonrefundable Deposits and Fees
F. Are You Entitled to Interest on Your Deposit?
G. How Your Landlord's Bankruptcy or Property Sale Affects Your Deposit

5. Discrimination
A. Discrimination Prohibited by Federal Laws
B. Kinds of Discrimination Prohibited by State and Local Law
C. How to Fight Back

6. Roommates
A. Renting a Place with Others
B. When a Roommate Walks Out
C. Adding a New Roommate
D. Taking In a Roomer

7. Repairs and Maintenance
A. Your Right to ALivable Place
B. Your Repair and Maintenance Responsibilities
C. Persuading Your Landlord to Do Major Repairs
D. Using Heavy Artillery for Major Repairs
E. Laying the Minor Repair Job on the Landlord
F. Getting the Landlord to Make Minor Repairs

8. Tenants' Rights to Privacy
A. Entry by the Landlord
B. Entry by Others
C. Limits On Your Guests
D. How to Get Your Landlord to Back Off

9. How Tenancies Change and End
A. Changing Your Tenancy Without Ending It
B. How Month-to-Month Tenancies End
C. What Happens When Your Lease Runs Out
D. Breaking a Lease and Leaving Early

10. Getting Your Deposit Back
A. How Your Landlord May Use Your Deposit
B. The Mechanics of Getting the Deposit Back
C. Avoiding Fights Over Deposits
D. Suing to Get the Deposit Back

11. Landlord Retaliation
A. Where Does the Law Protect You?
B. What Is Retaliation?
C. Responding to Retaliation
D. Proving That It's Retaliation

12. Rent Control
A. Property Subject to Rent Control
B. Limits on Rent
C. Evictions in Rent Control Areas
D. Interest Payments on Security Deposits
E. Special Notice Requirements
F. Bypassing the Rent Control Ordinance

13. Getting Help With Your Dispute
A. How to Negotiate a Settlement
B. Using a Mediator
C. Small Claims Court

Appendix 1: How to Find Landlord-Tenant Laws Online
A. State Laws
B. Local Ordinances
C. Federal Statutes and Regulations

Appendix 2: State Laws
State Landlord-Tenant Statutes
State Rent Rules
Notice Required to Change or Terminate a Month-to-Month Tenancy
State Security Deposit Rules
State Laws on Rent Withholding and Repair-and-Deduct Remedies
State Laws on Landlord's Access to Rental Property
The Landlord's Duty to ReRent the Premises
State Laws Prohibiting Landlord Retaliation