10 Aug 4 Reasons to Contact a Landlord Tenant Attorney
It is easy to feel powerless when you are a renter. You may think that your landlord holds all the power in the relationship, and that you simply have to take every rent increase, every delayed repair and everything else they throw at you with good humor and resignation.
These feelings of powerlessness are all too common among the renting community, but those tenants may have more rights than they realize. Your landlord may indeed by the owner of the property, but as a renter you have the right to a safe, secure and affordable place to live, and asserting those rights can make all the difference in the relationship.
If your landlord is a good one, hiring a landlord/tenant attorney may be the furthest thing from your mind, and that is certainly a good thing. If, on the other hand, your landlord is unresponsive and arrogant, working with a landlord/tenant attorney might just result in a sudden change of attitude. Here are four reasons to call a landlord/tenant attorney right away.
You Are Facing Eviction
When you and your family are facing possible homelessness, you do not have any time to wait, and it is important to reach out to a good landlord/tenant attorney without delay. If you are facing eviction, you need help, and you need it as quickly as possible.
There are a number of rules governing when tenants can, and cannot, be evicted, but many renters do not know what those regulations are, let alone how to stand up for their rights. By contacting an experienced landlord/tenant attorney, you will be able to learn about the rights you have, and that could make all the difference when trying to head off a possible eviction.
Your Family is at the Mercy of a Slumlord
There are bad landlords – and then there are slumlords. These bottom of the barrel property owners are the bane of existence for tenants everywhere, and being at the mercy of one is not fun.
If you suspect that your landlord is actually a slumlord, it is time to take action, and you will want to do it fast. Slumlords tend not to act until their backs are against the wall, and contacting an experienced landlord/tenant attorney may be the only way to assert and protect your rights as a renter.
Your Living Conditions are Unsafe
When your home or apartment is not fit for human habitation, it is time to act fact, and that could include engaging the services of a landlord/tenant attorney. Whether the problem is household pests carrying fleas, ticks and serious diseases or lead paint that could put your children and grandchildren at risk, you cannot afford to gamble with the health and well being of your family.
In a perfect world landlords would be more than willing to make the necessary repairs when deficiencies arise that could put the health of their tenants in jeopardy. But in the real world those landlords often need a push, and there is nothing like a letter from an experienced landlord/tenant attorney to get the ball rolling.
Vital Repairs Are Not Being Made
Whether they own vast swaths of apartment buildings in the inner city, houses in the suburbs or properties in more rural areas, landlords vary widely in their responsiveness to tenant demands, even when it comes to emergency repairs. If you have been calling and calling your landlord and received no response, it may be time to get a landlord/tenant attorney involved.
A well timed call or pointed letter from an experienced landlord/tenant lawyer could be enough to get even the most recalcitrant landlord moving. At the very least these actions will put the property owner on notice that their lack of responsiveness and unwillingness to make repairs has not gone unnoticed.
Much has been made of the power imbalance that exists between the people who rent apartments and homes and the landlords who own them. In many ways this uneven distribution of power so very real, and it will be up to policy makers and politicians to close the gap and make the housing market fairer.
In the meantime it is important for tenants to know that they are far from powerless. No matter where you live or what kind of property you are renting, you do have rights, and if a landlord/tenant attorney can help you preserve and take advantage of them. If you recognize any of the situations outlined above, it may be time to pick up the phone or go online in search of a qualified landlord/tenant attorney.