- There are both federal and state laws preventing housing discrimination. You cannot be denied housing due to race, color, national origin, family status, disability status or gender. If you feel that you have been denied housing because of any of these factors, you should file a complaint. You can do this with either the local or state fair housing authority or the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, which handles discrimination complaints.
- A lease is a written or verbal agreement between you and the landlord that provides the rules for occupancy. Many states have laws describing what language must be outlined in a lease for it to be legally binding. There are also laws regarding what rules or provisions cannot be included in a lease. If your lease contains a rule that is prohibited by state law, that lease may be null and void.
- Many landlords request that you provide them with some money to cover damage to the apartment or unpaid rent. Different states have different laws regarding security deposits. For example, in some states the deposit must be held in trust and be returned with interest. In other states, there are limits on what a landlord can request for a security deposit. Finally, there are laws in different states limiting what the landlord can pay for with a security deposit.
- No matter what you do, your landlord must evict you through legal channels. These channels and the amount of notice a landlord gives you vary from one state to another. Generally speaking, a landlord must take you to court and obtain a court order. In some instances, there are different notices allowed for different transgressions of the lease. For example, your landlord may be able to provide different notice for unpaid rent than for illegal activity on the premises.
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