It’s critical to be aware of the most essential state and federal laws that govern your rights and duties as a renter. These laws can help you be a better and more educated tenant. This can help you have a more positive experience and avoid future conflicts with your landlord. As a renter, here are some of the most important laws to be aware of:
- Warranty of Habitability. Generally implied warranty of habitability laws, which go by different names in different jurisdictions, are state laws that ensure that your rental unit is habitable. This means that the rental home fulfills certain minimal criteria for things like heat, water, and electricity in most states.
- Choosing a Tenant. Landlords have the authority to select their tenants under state and federal law. However, the laws specify that a landlord’s decision must be based on creditworthiness, income, or previous history. They can’t turn down a tenant because of their skin color, religion, sexual orientation, family status, or disability.
- Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act bans landlords from discriminating against tenants on the basis of protected characteristics such as race, religion, gender, national origin, and handicap. This 1968 law allows tenants who feel they have been discriminated against to submit a complaint with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), regardless of where they live.
- Limiting the Number of Children. A landlord cannot refuse to rent to a tenant based on the number of children the tenant has, as defined under the Fair Housing Act. Additionally, the legislation specifies that a landlord cannot prohibit minors from using common or outdoor places.
- Service Animals. Service animals qualify as a reasonable accommodation under federal statutes such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, therefore landlords cannot simply prohibit them. They also can’t charge you a higher rent or charge you an extra pet fee because you have a service animal. Landlords, on the other hand, have the authority to demand that a service animal be vaccinated, licensed, and registered in accordance with all applicable state and local legislation.
- Discriminatory Advertising. Additionally, landlords are prohibited from discriminating in their rental property advertisements under the federal Fair Housing Act administered by HUD. For instance, printing an advertisement saying that the landlord will not rent to single adults, persons of a particular age or those who use wheelchairs are all examples of discriminatory advertising.
- Security Deposits. There are regulations governing how your security deposit must be handled by a Bainbridge property manager. In most situations, the law permits a landlord to collect and then retain your deposit, which may be used to perform repairs if you are careless and cause damage while living in the residence. The amount a landlord can demand a security deposit is governed by federal law, as well as state law.
- Illegal Lockouts. While there is no federal law that renders locking out a tenant illegal, each state’s laws detail the legal eviction process, making locking out a tenant an illegal conduct. Eviction is a legal procedure that must be followed precisely or the landlord risks having the court find in favor of the tenant.
If you’re looking for a Bainbridge rental home and property manager who knows and will follow all tenant-landlord laws in Ohio, Real Property Management Valor Team is who you can rely on. Browse our listings online to find your next rental home!
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
