A tenant is someone who rents a place to live. The landlord is the person who owns or manages the place. If you pay rent, you are a tenant. It doesn't matter how often you pay or if your lease is written or verbal.
A lease is an agreement between you and your landlord. It explains how much rent you pay, what you and your landlord must do, and other rules. Both you and your landlord have rights under the law.
Your Rights
Peaceful Enjoyment: Your landlord must give you 12 hours' notice before coming in (except in emergencies). Visits must be between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Safe and Clean Home: Your home must meet local health and safety codes. It must have working doors, windows, heat, hot water, and no pests.
Right to Complain: You can complain to your landlord, local code enforcement, health department, or HUD about problems.
You also have the right to exercise any other rights you may have under local, state, or federal fair housing laws.
Withholding Rent
You can withhold rent if your landlord doesn't fix problems after you give them a written 7-Day Notice. Send the notice by certified mail. Don't spend the rent money, as a judge may ask you to pay the court.
Lease Violations
If you break the lease (like not paying rent), your landlord must give you written notice. For small violations (like parking issues), you have 7 days to fix the problem.
Ending a Lease
Follow the correct procedures to review or end your lease. If your lease is about to expire, reach out to your landlord to inform them of your decision to move out or renew the lease. Read your lease to see when you need to give the required notice.
If your lease ends and you don’t move out, your landlord can evict you. You can also choose not to renew your lease by giving written notice (7 days for weekly rent, 30 days for monthly rent).
Eviction
Eviction means the landlord asks the court to make you leave. The landlord must get a court order before removing you. To learn more about the eviction process, go to What is an Eviction?