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Every tenant has the right to privacy; however, a landlord has also the right to maintain their property. Sometimes, a landlord must enter a tenant's apartment to deal with emergencies; such as making repairs or showing the apartment to another potential tenant. Even though a tenant cannot unreas...

If you are thinking about asking someone to live with you and share expenses, then you should learn what is required to add a roommate to your lease. Be aware that if your lease specifically states that no roommates are allowed, you could be evicted by adding a roommate in violation of this claus...

The property manager/owner is responsible for ensuring the property is fit to live in and in a good state of repair. The tenant must notify them of any repairs needed. If a tenant, or their guest, damages the property, they may have to pay for repairs. Example 1. If a tenant breaks a window by th...

A landlord is allowed to sell their property during your tenancy even if you have a fixed term tenancy agreement. The landlord or the landlord's agent has to comply with the tenancy law when they are selling. Viewings and inspections If they give you the proper notice, the landlord has a right to...

A tenant residing in Florida may have certain legal rights when the landlord fails to maintain the premises.  Due to the warm and humid climate in South Florida, it is common for tenants to have roof leaks, air conditioning leaks, and pipe bursts all of which introduces water into the property.  ...

Experience is the best teacher… and this month, I learned quite a bit.  In the age of working in the cloud, I have finally decided it's time for me to reduce my business office's foot print.  I no longer need 800 square feet.  So, I started looking at executive offices.  It makes sense to share a...

According to landlords, there are many things tenants do that irritate landlords—even unintentionally.  Fortunately for tenants, Florida's law attempts to protect tenants from these irritated landlords who may be tempted to take revenge against an unsuspecting tenant. Tenants, who in good faith, ...

Everyone is entitled to live peacefully in their home regardless of where they live, or whether they rent or own a property. You're not expected to tolerate excessive noise or physical or verbal abuse from a neighbor. Disruptive behavior Disruptive behavior is anything that unreasonably or repeat...

In certain situations, a landlord may not be able to enforce a no-pets clause. Most standard leases and rental agreements contain no-pets clauses. Such provisions are legal everywhere, and courts generally allow a landlord to evict a tenant who acquires a pet in violation of a lease clause and re...

The basics of late rent fees, including the limits on how much landlords can charge, is an important issue that all tenants should attempt to understand. Landlords often impose a late fee when rent is even a few days late. But the size of the late fee may be subject to legal limits, and in some s...

This week, RENTCafé, a nationwide apartment search website, released a new study looking at the complex (and sometimes complicated) relationship between tenants and landlords. Its goal was to find the most renter-friendly and landlord-friendly states in the U.S. To do accomplish this task, RENT...

You ‘ve heard the horror stories. . . .  Tenants sweltering for days in the miserable Floridian summer heat and humidity.  People dying—actual dying–of heat stroke.   The humidity in the air is so high that it feels and looks like someone threw hot boiling water on the inhabitants of Florida.  Th...

Are you paying your rent with a money order?  Are you getting a receipt for each payment?  If not, you can find yourself in a world of trouble.  Note, those little money order receipts you get with each purchased money order are only good for tracing a cashed money order—they do not, on the hand,...

Come on, let's face it. We all think it, we all know it: We're perfect. We put ourselves on a pedestal because our brains are wired to do so, so it's not always easy to see when we're wrong. And when it comes to being a tenant you are, of course, the definition of perfection. That's why it is so ...

Initially, a compassionate landlord may simply make repeated requests for payment of rent. If the problem continues the landlord may take a tenant to court for payment of back rent and may also commence a lawsuit to have the tenant physically removed (evicted) from the property.

The short answer is no.  If a landlord attempts to do so, it can lead to a host of problems. These actions can result in extra penalties and court costs for the landlord. When a landlord skirts the legal requirements of providing notice of termination of a lease and the commencement of eviction p...

Generally speaking, no. A landlord has a right to enter rental units in the case of emergency or to make repairs. Usually, in the case of repairs, they are required to ask permission and/or to provide advance notice before entering. State law often governs the requirements of this notice.

Yes. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act) makes it unlawful for a landlord or property owner to discriminate against potential renters (or home-buyers) on the basis of their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and handicap (disability). The Act p...

If you have been served with foreclosure papers or will be within a short period of time, you should know that the worst thing that you can do is NOTHING. Ignoring your real estate problems will only make them worse. Homeowners facing these difficult and challenging circumstances are urged to con...

Since you will be signing contracts and a substantial amount of money will likely be involved, it is a good idea to hire an attorney to protect your interests and ensure that the entire process is legal and valid.

To avoid legal problems down the road, it is a good idea to disclose all defects; however, not all defects are legally required to be disclosed.  Therefore, it's very important that you discuss your options with an attorney. If there are defects in the home and you do not disclose them, you could...

The title should be searched to ensure that the property is free and clear of any claims or liens. A real estate attorney can do this for you and ensure that it's safe to go ahead and purchase the property or land you're interested in.

If you are looking for someone to give you reliable legal representation for a real estate transaction, Attorney Debi V. Rumph is the person to call. Debi is versed in the following housing related issues: foreclosures, real estate closings, and tenants. In order to develop her practice in reside...

Tenants can have a lot of difficulties with landlords and their leases. We have made it our mission to provide the necessary information that tenants need to sail smoothly through these complex situations. On our Tenant Clinic page, we list some of the most common problems that we see leading to ...

Are you interested in buying or selling a home? Did you know that hiring a lawyer to represent you in this process can get you the results you desire? Often homeowners and potential buyers are led to believe they do not need to hire a lawyer for the buying/selling of a home. This is not the case....