How Your Renters’ Rights Can Lead to Rent Relief (and a Better Lease)

Author:

Publish Date:

Last Modified Date:

Category: Money Saving, Movehacks, Moving Checklists & Planning

Tags: Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It often feels like you hear a ton about bad landlords, a tiny bit about good landlords, and almost nothing about the people in between… you know, the ones who neither are your best friend nor take advantage of you as a renter, but who just do their jobs.

But we should be talking about the typical landlord a lot more! Not only are they the most common experience, but interacting with the leasing system is a great opportunity to take advantage of your rights as a renter

What are my renters’ rights?

They’re what you automatically get just by upholding your responsibilities as a renter.

Uh… what are my responsibilities as a renter?

The terms of your rental contract, and to pay rent. That’s it.

Is that really it?

Maybe you’re way ahead of me on this, but it took me a second to figure out that I didn’t owe my landlords literally anything beyond my monthly rent check and the terms and conditions I’d agreed to in my lease.

My landlords weren’t my parents, they weren’t my friends, and it turns out you don’t even get a gold star for being an A+ tenant who only ever asks for one thing fixed in seven years. (Why my toilet started suddenly and endlessly flushing of its own accord early on a Sunday morning, I will never know.)

But while you can’t get awards for being the best tenant, you do get rewards just for being a good tenant—or even just being a tenant at all. (See what I did there?)

These rewards are called “renters’ rights“.

Back up! What exactly are ‘renters’ rights’?

Hopefully you’re already well aware of this, but if you rent a property in America or its territories, there are lawful protections in place that are designed to help people who sign rental agreements. Renters’ rights extend from the federal level—meaning laws that universally apply to every state, U.S. territory, and the capital—all the way down to laws applicable only at the local level.

See prices for movers by the hour – instantly.

Read real customer reviews.

Easily book your help online.

 

Those rules and regulations differ vastly between areas, so it won’t be possible for us to get into the logistics of every single state in this one article, sadly.

But what I will do is cover the federal guidelines, plus lay out some of the specifics of my home state of California (plus my hometown of West Hollywood) in order to give you an idea of what sorts of things to be on the lookout for.

And don’t worry, I’ll also show you how to gain access to this information for your very own state, city, and even your neighborhood.

What are my federal renters’ rights?

Broadly speaking, in America, your overall federal renters’ rights (which you can click and dive into if you’re curious) are designed with three main goals in mind:

  • Provide a template for landlord-tenant agreements that can be adopted at the state level
  • Safeguard every renter’s right to a habitable space
  • Ensure that no American tenant experiences discrimination

Maybe you’ve heard this stuff before, but the first step to taking advantage of your rights as a renter is understanding them, so let’s dive a little deeper.

 

“Renters’ rights extend from the federal level, all the way down to the local level.”

 

A habitable space literally means “suitable or good enough to live in”, with specifics determined by your state. But examples of breaches might include:

  • Lack of running water
  • Faulty wiring
  • Poor maintenance
  • Pest infestation
  • Holes in the wall, ceiling, or floor

In terms of no American tenant experiencing discrimination, the Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of:

  • Race
  • Color
  • National origin
  • Religion
  • Sex
  • Familial status
  • Disability

This is enforced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

renter rightsNever be shy about reporting rental discrimination infractions

If you’re having issues in any of the above areas, you don’t have to just suffer through it; the federal government is there to provide support in just these sorts of situations without retribution. 

If you feel you’ve been experiencing discrimination from a landlord, you can (and should!) file an online complaint here. For habitability issues in federal housing, you can call (800) 685-8470, while those living in non-federal housing should contact state services (which we’ll get into next).

What are my state-level renters’ rights?

With the federal rights covered above, now we can zoom down to the state level to see what specific rights (often called “tenant rights”) you’re entitled to within the state that you live in.

Tenant rights cover a massive range of topics, and may (or may not) include written rules for matters such as:

  • Utilities
  • Rent control, and/or rights of low-income citizens
  • Security deposits
  • Air conditioning
  • Lawyers
  • Insurance obligations
  • Thresholds for maintaining renter or landlord status
  • Disaster relief
  • Military members
  • Specific parameters for things such as evictions, repairs, late fees, or lockouts
  • And much, much more

There are a lot of ways to go about figuring out your own state laws, but the two easiest ways are:

  • Google [your state] + [renters rights/tenants rights]
  • Select your state from the list below and explore (try to stick to “.gov” websites)
Alabama Illinois Montana Puerto Rico/U.S Virgin Islands
Alaska Indiana Nebraska Rhode Island
Arizona Iowa Nevada South Carolina
Arkansas Kansas New Hampshire South Dakota
California Kentucky New Jersey Tennessee
Colorado Louisiana New Mexico Texas
Connecticut Maine New York Utah
Delaware Maryland North Carolina Vermont
District of Columbia Massachusetts North Dakota Virginia
Florida Michigan Ohio Washington
Georgia Minnesota Oklahoma West Virginia
Hawaii Mississippi Oregon Wisconsin
Idaho Missouri Pennsylvania Wyoming

Where I live in California, for example, I’m led to a 121-page document that lays out everything I need to know as a renter, which includes a lengthy section on my rights as a renter.

Here are just a few of the things Californian renters are entitled to:

  • Strict limits on security deposits and late fees
  • Information about rent control ordinances that could limit or prohibit rent increases
  • Limits on their landlord’s ability to enter their property
  • The circumstances under which they’re allowed to withhold rent payments
  • Specifics about what “habitable” means in California
  • The right to know whether someone died in their unit (!) within the last three years
  • Information about procedures their landlord will have to follow if they want to evict them

What are my current place’s renter rights?

It should all be on the paper you signed (digitally, or in person).

In other words, your lease. This is the most relevant piece of literature for any renter. You should always read it carefully before signing.

Here’s the thing though: an unsigned contract is your chance to ask for amendments. You can get items struck that you know (from your research) aren’t legal, and potentially even request a rent reduction. (Hey, there’s no harm in asking!)

But even if you’ve already signed your lease, now is as good of a time as any to go back through it and make sure your landlord is holding up their end of the bargain.

See prices for movers by the hour – instantly.

Read real customer reviews.

Easily book your help online.

 

What can get me a better personal lease?

Great question! And the answer is almost as long as the state-wide list of stuff up there.

It’s often a matter of getting creative with your asks. There are no guarantees, of course. But there are a bunch of us who’ve saved hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars with gentle negotiation and a little bit of tenant rights research. 

Okay, so beyond my rights, what kinds of rent relief and additional perks are we talking here?

I’m talking about renter perks like

  • Rent reductions
  • Security deposit waivers
  • Full-on lease rewrites
  • And beyond!

But usually only if you ask! Ask, ask, ask!

Changes in your lease are all about doing your research and collecting supporting evidence that you can bring to your landlord or managing company as proof that you should get what you’re asking for.

How to Get Rent Relief Through a Better Lease

I’ve compiled a great list of tried-and-true techniques, as well as a few lesser-talked-about tactics for increasing the value of your rental lease.

  • Keep an eye out for empty units in your building

A friend of mine who lives in a Brooklyn two-bedroom had her roommate move out during the pandemic, and she couldn’t afford the rent on her own. Yet she’d noticed there were multiple open units in her building that hadn’t been rented for months, so she asked if her landlord might be willing to negotiate the price.

He asked what she’d be able to pay, and the two of them ended up settling on a price that was a whopping $1,000 less per month than she and her roommate had previously been paying, all because she’d been a good tenant and he didn’t want to lose her (or her monthly rent check).

  • Scope out any issues with nearby public transportation 

When I moved in with my boyfriend after his lease ran out in 2018, his landlord wanted to increase the rent by a little over $100 per month. But when I pointed out that the subway nearest to our apartment in Astoria was scheduled to be closed for the next few months—meaning a significantly longer walk to the train—he agreed to keep the rent where it was. 

 

“Beyond your official, written protections, there are often goodies within reach for those who pay their rent on time, communicate well with their landlords, and are generally good neighbors.”

 

  • Look for impending demolition or construction notices

Something else I pointed out to our Astoria landlord was that construction was starting on the empty lot next door, which was going to be a noisy nuisance during the day—when I’d be home working as a freelance writer or trying to sleep after a late-night bar shift. Who knows whether the deciding factor was the train or the construction, but either way, he agreed! I’m glad I was ready with both.

  • Get a reduction for a newly-obstructed view

A friend of mine who lived in Washington D.C. watched nearby construction completely change the view from his high-rise apartment. In response, he was able to get his rent decreased by $400 per month just by bringing it up with his landlord! (If something is going to affect the amount your building can rent units to new tenants for, existing tenants should be able to take advantage of that change as well.)

  • renter rightsBe the tenant you wish to see in the world 

Beyond your official, written protections, there are often goodies within reach for those who pay their rent on time, communicate well with their landlords, and are generally good neighbors.

Take a moment to think about what kind of renter you are. There’s no more shame in being a mediocre renter than there is in being a mediocre landlord; it all just comes down to how much more attention you want. If you’re currently getting away with something like an unapproved subletter, a secret pet, tons of wall damage, or late rent payments you haven’t been dinged for yet, you might not want to ask for anything additional for risk of losing the benefits you’re already skating by with. But it’s truly up to you.

  • Google your specific neighborhood’s laws

Depending on your area, you may be covered by local city or even neighborhood laws that offer protections beyond what’s included in that document.

In my city of West Hollywood, for example, we have this great Rent Stabilization Ordinance that ensures that rents can only be increased once annually, and then only by a set amount. Currently, it’s capped at 2.25%, and rent increases of any kind were specifically prohibited during the pandemic. (As were evictions, but that hasn’t stopped my landlord from putting notices on doors and hoping people don’t know their business, so stay alert!)

  • Make the most of a crushing recession (or, y’know, a global pandemic)

A friend who lived in New York City in 2008 balked at a proposed rent increase at the height of the recession. Thinking quickly, she looked up the city’s cost of living increase for the year, which was so low that it didn’t justify the jump in rent. She called her leasing office to plead her case, letting them know she wasn’t able to pay the new number. She was able to talk them out of charging her more—at least until the next year.

  • Come up with your own contract ideas, then give them a shot (seriously)

At the end of the day, a living arrangement is anything that multiple individuals legally agree to. It’s very probable you don’t know what’s going on in the life of a landlord. How much slack they have and what they have to work with will be different for every single person.

Here are other things that might lead your landlord towards granting rent relief

  • Overall rent decreases in your area
  • If they have other problem tenants who are taking up a lot of their resources
  • A change in your own income, like losing your job or suddenly finding yourself without a roommate or partner to split the rent

Basically, if it comes down to a choice between a rent reduction or having to find a new tenant who may or may not be more reliable than you’ve been, you’d be surprised at how many landlords will choose the first option. This is true especially right now, with rent costs plunging on average in the wake of COVID-19.

Remember, we as tenants have more rights and negotiating power than you might realize. Use them.


Illustrations by Kyle Smart

How to Do Noisy Home Improvement When You Have Neighbors

Author:

Publish Date:

Last Modified Date:

Category: Apartment Life, Home Improvement

Tags: Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As two girls who are constantly improving our homes, we’ve completed our fair share of DIY projects.

And in case you were wondering, most home improvement projects come with a fair amount of noise.

While this can obviously be disruptive to the people in your own home, it can be especially disruptive to your neighbors.

Luckily, because DIY projects are sort of our thing, we have some tried and true ways to tackle home improvement projects without making our neighbors hate us. We’ll discuss how these tips vary depending on your living situation, with one of us living in a condo building in the city, the other in a single-family home in the suburbs.

Home Improvement Projects in a Condo Building

I, Casey, live in a five-unit building in the heart of Chicago—and I’m super lucky. Why? Because I absolutely love all of my neighbors.

They all know about my passion for DIY and have come to embrace the noise that erupts from our unit every weekend or so.

However, the reason they love me in spite of that fact is because I’ve taken lots of the following measures to be as respectful as possible to everyone living under the same roof as me, especially with any of my large-scale projects.

Read Your Home Owners Association (HOA) Rules

Every HOA comes with its own rules. You should definitely give that little handbook a read before you start any projects.

Take note of what projects are allowed (sometimes you’re not allowed to make updates on the exterior of your unit/building for instance), what permits are required, and the times when construction can take place. Being up to date on the rules will come in handy when you tackle the next item on this list…

5 Sweet Garage Upgrades That Up Your Home’s Value

Garage additions and upgrades like the five in this list can produce an estimated 65 percent return-on-investment.

Discuss Your Project At Your Next Building Meeting

In our building, we get together every few months to discuss finances, building issues, and other random items that pop up. Most condo buildings do this. Before my husband and I renovated our guest bathroom, we brought up our plan at our condo association meeting.

This was months before we were set to begin our project, but we wanted to get it on everyone’s radar and address any concerns ahead of time.

It ended up working out wonderfully because not only were our neighbors supportive, but we were able to gain insight on a few contractors our neighbors had used in their own homes!

At these meetings, it’s also important to give everyone your contact information so they can text or email you if things get too noisy or out of hand.

Giving your neighbors the go ahead to reach out at any point can potentially save you from headaches when the project begins. No one wants an angry neighbor pounding on their door!

Have a Plan for Extra Trash

In our building, we pay to have our trash and recycling hauled away each week. If our cans are overflowing, we face some extra charges and fines. When you’re gutting a space, you’re bound to have lots of trash, so make a plan to discard all of it.

Our plan was that we were able to pay our contractor to haul away all of the debris. This worked out perfectly because it didn’t hog up valuable space in our building’s crowded dumpster. Make a plan of attack before you start and let your neighbors know that you have things under control!

Always Keep Hallways and Common Areas Clean

Home improvement projects bring loads of dust and dirt into your home. And sometimes? The mess can spill into the hallway and common areas of your building. Be respectful. Keep those spaces as clean as possible. After a long day of DIY, don’t just clean up your own home, tackle those communal hallways too.

After we renovated our bathroom, I made sure to do a deep clean of the hallways and front of our building when the project was 100% finished. My neighbors appreciated it and I felt good knowing that our property was neat and tidy even after such a large construction project.

Stick to a Schedule

Your HOA may have specific rules on when you can do construction work. Ours didn’t have set hours, but we never started a project before 8 a.m. and tried to always finish by 7 p.m.

If we were up early and wanted to get moving, we would only do quiet tasks (getting out tools, taping walls, etc.) and we kept the loud tasks (like using the wet saw to cut tile!) to mid-day.

It’s also important to keep your neighbors in the loop when it comes to the timeline of your project. We thought our bathroom renovation would take four weeks, but it somehow extended into seven weeks. I emailed our neighbors a few times throughout the process to let them know that things were being pushed back and addressed any concerns. The new deadline ended up being a non-issue and I really believe it was because we were so open with our neighbors throughout the process.

Always Say Thank You

When we (finally!) completed our bathroom project, we left handwritten thank you notes on everyone’s front doors. We even went the extra mile and put coffee gift cards into each one. This was a simple way to say thanks for putting up with all of our noise and our neighbors really appreciated the gesture!

Home Improvement Projects in a Single-Family Home

While Casey lives in a condo in the city, I navigate these same noisy projects a little differently inside a single-family home located in the suburbs. Some of her tips are still helpful to consider, but the rules are slightly different for neighborly etiquette when you’re not living in such close quarters.

But even with the extra space a single family home offers, it’s still important to consider your neighbors when tackling large and noisy projects! Here’s how!

Physically Go Talk to Your Nearby Neighbors

Sounds simple enough, but it’s critically important to talk to your neighbors well in advance! Discussing your plans will avoid them feeling off-guard one the project (and noise) starts.

You also don’t want to cause alarm if they start seeing foreign vehicles from contractors or workers parked outside of your home while you’re away at work. Getting them in-the-know before the project starts will actually be to your advantage. Heck, get on their good side and maybe they could field a delivery if you’re running late or let a worker inside if needed. Neighbors want to help – in most cases – especially when they know what’s going on.

Secure a City Permit

Securing a permit, if your city/village requires one, is essential before starting any large-scale projects. (And this will protect you just in case a problem arises from one of your neighbors.) If they are unhappy about the noise, or dumpster placement, or anything else, and then they take action to report you, not having a permit will be a bigger problem than your neighbor’s complaints.

Start Inside Early and Move Outside Later

There have been plenty of times when we are knee-deep in a DIY project that we get up super early to continue. But, truly, saws are very noisy, so we typically wait for that step until it’s appropriate, or we take the time to get everything set up early (even if it is outside) and don’t cut until late in the morning.

Don’t waste time waiting for your neighbors to get up, but don’t go about your business waking them up either!

Let Your Neighbors Follow the Progress

An easy way to keep neighbors in the loop is to invite them in a time or two throughout the process to share your progress! Show them what you’re working on and how excited you are for the progress. Including your neighbors helps them feel special and they will be less inclined to be annoyed if things do get a little noisy or messy.

Overcommunicate

Overcommunicating is always a good idea to avoid confrontation. Don’t be afraid to let your neighbor know when the dumpster is scheduled to get picked up, any problems that may impact your deadline, when a large delivery is expected, etc. The more they know in advance on some of these larger “issues”, the fewer problems will arise. Use Nextdoor. Communicate, communicate and overcommunicate.

Keep Your Contractor up to Date Often

This overcommunication should also be applied to your contractors. Be sure to share with them your expectations on start times, end times, and any other issues that may impact the neighborhood. Don’t go to your contractor only after you’ve heard complaints or it’s become a full-blown problem. Being proactive and communicating your expectations in advance will hopefully help avoid any issues in your neighborhood.

Celebrate Together!

Now it’s time for the fun part! Once your noisy project is over, don’t be afraid to invite some of the neighbors over to check out the new space and enjoy a few cocktails while they’re there. We just had a large landscaping renovation happen that made our streets, sidewalks and overall curb appeal a huge mess for several weeks.

Once our patio was paved and the mess was cleared, we invited our neighbors over to enjoy the new space with some food, but most importantly, to thank them for their patience.

They were all so grateful and gracious, which gives me a lot more confidence to tackle another noisy project soon. Knowing I have their support makes the process a whole lot less stressful!


We hope these steps help you tackle your next noisy home improvement project while still keeping the peace. We’re no Mr. Rogers, but we’re confident you can tackle those DIY projects and still make it a beautiful day in the neighborhood for your neighbors.

×

I'm Moving

Moving? Thinking about moving? Whether your move is off in the distance or you already have one foot out the door, you'll learn about everything you should expect through our useful how-to's, cool articles and much more. It's all specially curated for you in our "I'm Moving" section.
Explore
×

I'm a Mover

For rookies or veterans alike, our "I'm a Mover" section is filled with extensive industry news, crucial protips and in-depth guides written by industry professionals. Sharing our decade of moving knowledge is just one way we help keep our professional movers at the top of their game.
Explore