Tenant & Housing Rights
Know your rights as a renter. Plain-English guides to evictions, repairs and habitability, security deposits, landlord harassment, breaking a lease, and what to do when a landlord crosses the legal line — plus guidance for landlords and owners.
Browse by situation
408 renter & landlord guides across 12 topics.
Evictions
Facing an eviction notice, or unsure whether one is even legal? Understand the eviction process step by step — notice types, your right to fight it in court, the defenses that work, and why a landlord can almost never remove you without a judge and a sheriff.
83 guides →Harassment, Retaliation & Illegal Lockouts
Lockouts, utility shutoffs, threats, and retaliation for complaining are illegal in nearly every state — and often come with statutory damages.
30 guides →Repairs & Habitability
Your landlord has a legal duty to keep your home livable.
28 guides →Leases & Breaking a Lease
Need to get out of a lease early, or unsure what your lease really obligates you to? Understand early termination, the landlord’s duty to mitigate, protected break reasons (military, domestic violence, uninhabitable units), fees, and renewals.
23 guides →Squatters & Trespassers
Someone is living in your property without the right to be there — now what? Learn the difference between a squatter, a trespasser, and a holdover tenant, why police often won’t help, and the legal process to remove them.
72 guides →Rent, Late Fees & Increases
Can your landlord raise the rent that much, charge that fee, or refuse your payment? Understand rent increases, rent control, late fees, application and other charges, and what to do when a rent dispute escalates.
71 guides →Roommates & Cohabitants
Roommate trouble has its own rules.
14 guides →Landlord Entry & Privacy
Your landlord owns the building — but you have the right to privacy in your home.
11 guides →Security Deposits
Did your landlord keep your deposit, or charge you for normal wear and tear? Learn the deadlines and itemization rules landlords must follow, what they can legally deduct, and how to get your money back — including suing in small claims.
58 guides →For Landlords
Guidance for landlords and property owners.
8 guides →Homeowners, HOA & Foreclosure
Rights for homeowners and people facing foreclosure or HOA disputes — what an HOA can and can’t enforce, your protections in foreclosure, tenants’ rights after a foreclosure sale, and common neighbor-and-property conflicts.
7 guides →Tenant Rights Basics
New to renting or just want the fundamentals? Start here for the core tenant protections every renter should know — your lease, the implied warranty of habitability, fair housing, and how landlord-tenant law generally works.
3 guides →Latest tenant-rights guides
- Alabama Eviction Process & Timeline: Steps, Notices, and How Long It Takes
How Alabama eviction works: a 7-day notice, an unlawful detainer suit in District Court, judgment, and sheriff-executed writ of possession.
- Alaska Eviction Process & Timeline: Steps, Notices, and How Long It Takes
In Alaska a landlord must give 7 days' notice for nonpayment of rent before filing a Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED) eviction case in District Court.
- Arizona Eviction Process & Timeline: Steps, Notices, and How Long It Takes
Arizona eviction guide: a 5-day nonpayment notice, a 5-day or 10-day cure notice, and a fast forcible detainer case in justice court explained step by step.
- Arkansas Eviction Process & Timeline: Steps, Notices, and How Long It Takes
How Arkansas eviction works: a 3-day notice to vacate, an unlawful detainer suit in Circuit Court, the writ of possession, sheriff lockout, and timeline.
- California Eviction Process & Timeline: Steps, Notices, and How Long It Takes
California evictions start with a written notice (often a 3-day pay-or-quit), then an unlawful detainer lawsuit in Superior Court. Here is the timeline.
- Colorado Eviction Process & Timeline: Steps, Notices, and How Long It Takes
In Colorado, most evictions start with a 10-day notice and run through county court as an FED (eviction) case. Here is each step and how long it takes.