Renter's Rights

Now that you have found a place to live it is important to know your rights as a renter.

The landlord cannot disturb you or keep you from enjoying your place of residence. The landlord cannot harass you. The landlord cannot lock you out of your house or shut off your electricity. The landlord can only come into your place without your permission in an emergency, unless the lease allows it.

You have a right to a clean and livable place in good repair.

You have the right to know ahead of time about changes in the rent. If you signed a lease, your landlord must follow what it says so it is important to study the lease before signing it to make sure you are protected. If the lease says you will pay a certain amount of rent for one year. The landlord cannot raise the rent before that one year is up.

It is against the law for a landlord to discriminate against you for any of these reasons:

• Your race, color or national origin
• Your sex
• Your religion
• Because you have children who live with you
• Because you, someone you live with or plan to live with, or someone you associate with has a handicap.