It’s critical to understand the most significant state and federal laws that govern your rights and duties as a renter. Knowing these laws will 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 are state laws that ensure that your rental unit is habitable, despite the fact that they are known by different names in different states. In most states, this means that the rental property fulfills certain minimum requirements for things like heat, water, and electricity.
- Choosing a Tenant. Landlords have the right under state and federal law to choose their tenants. However, the laws specify that a landlord’s decision must be based on creditworthiness, income, or previous history. They are not allowed to reject renting to someone on the basis of their skin color, religion, sexual orientation, familial status, or disability.
- Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act is a federal statute that bans landlords from discriminating against tenants on the basis of protected characteristics such as race, religion, gender, national origin, or 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 because of the number of children he or she has, according to the Fair Housing Act. A landlord is likewise prohibited from prohibiting children from using common or outdoor areas, according to the statute.
- Service Animals. Service animals qualify as a reasonable accommodation under federal law, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, therefore landlords cannot simply prohibit them. They also can’t charge you an extra pet fee or raise your rent 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. The federal Fair Housing Act, administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, also prohibits landlords from discriminating in their rental property advertising. Discriminatory advertising includes, for example, placing an ad declaring that the landlord will not rent to single adults, persons of a certain age, or people who use wheelchairs.
- Security Deposits. There are rules that govern how a property manager in Brooksville must handle your security deposit. In most situations, the law allows a landlord to collect and store your deposit, which they can later use to perform repairs if you are careless and cause damage while living there. There are federal limits on the amount of a security deposit that a landlord may charge – this amount is also controlled by state legislation.
- Illegal Lockouts. While there is no federal legislation that renders locking out a tenant illegal, every state has laws that describe the legal eviction process and make locking out a tenant an illegal conduct. Eviction is a legal process that must be followed precisely or the landlord risks a court ruling in favor of the tenant.
If you’re looking for a Brooksville rental home and property manager who knows and will follow all tenant-landlord laws in Florida, Real Property Management Connection 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.
