You should be up-to-date of the essential local, state, and federal laws that affect your rights and responsibilities as a renter. You will be a better and more knowledgeable tenant if you are aware of these laws. This could improve your experience and avoid future problems with your landlord. Here are some of the most important laws to be aware of as a renter:
Warranty of Habitability
Despite having various names in different states, implied warranty of habitability laws are state laws that ensure that your rental unit is livable. It follows that the rental home meets specific minimal standards for things like heat, water, and electricity in most states.
Choosing a Tenant
State and federal laws give landlords the right to choose their tenants. But the laws also state that a landlord’s decision must be based on creditworthiness, income, or past history. They cannot refuse to rent to someone based on things like skin color, religion, sexual orientation, familial status, and disability.
Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act is a federal law that prohibits landlords from discriminating against tenants based on protected characteristics such as race, religion, gender, national origin, and disability. This law was enacted in 1968 and allows renters who feel discriminated against as a result of one or more of these qualities to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), no matter which state they live in.
Limiting the Number of Children
Under the Fair Housing Act, a landlord cannot refuse to rent to a tenant based on how many children the tenant has. The law also states that a landlord cannot restrict children from using outdoor or common areas.
Service Animals
Service animals qualify as a reasonable accommodation under federal laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, thus landlords cannot merely forbid them. Furthermore, if you have a service animal, they cannot increase your rent or demand a pet fee. Landlords, on the other hand, can require that a service animal be vaccinated, licensed, and registered in accordance with all state and municipal laws.
Discriminatory Advertising
The federal Fair Housing Act, enforced by HUD, additionally prevents landlords from utilizing discrimination in rental property advertisements. Advertisements that state that a landlord won’t rent to single adults, people of a certain age, or individuals in wheelchairs are examples of discriminatory advertising.
Security Deposits
There are laws regarding how a Pembroke Pines property manager must handle your security deposit. Most of the time, the law allows a landlord to collect and then hold your deposit and potentially use it to complete repairs if you are negligent and damage something while living in the house. There are federal limits set on how much a landlord can charge for a security deposit – that is also determined by state law.
- Illegal Lockouts
While there is no one federal law that makes locking out a tenant illegal, laws in every state outline the legal eviction process that makes locking a tenant out of their rental house an illegal act. Eviction is a legal process that needs to be properly followed, or the landlord risks having the court rule in the tenant’s favor.
If you’re looking for a Pembroke Pines rental home and property manager who knows and will follow all applicable tenant-landlord laws, Real Property Management of Soflo 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.
