Renter’s Advice and Resources

Are you ready to leave your tiny, expensive apartment for a bigger, cheaper, better place? Congratulations! But before you hire the movers and turn in your keys, you have something to take care of first. You’ll need to write a lease termination letter to your landlord.

If your possessions were damaged in a flood, major storm or fire, would your losses be covered? Many people assume that their landlord’s insurance covers any damage that occurs in the building. While your landlord probably does hold some type of landlords insurance, do you know what it covers? More importantly, will it protect your apartment and your belongings?

We’ve all experienced them: noisy neighbors. Whether they fight constantly, play loud music, have big parties, own dogs who love to bark, or make noise in other ways, noisy neighbors aren’t fun to deal with. You can take a variety of approaches to asking your neighbors to quiet down, ranging from polite conversations to getting the police involved. You don’t want to get confrontational, but you also don’t want to be plagued by constant commotion. Here are some tips for successfully dealing with noisy neighbors.

So you’ve got a new job in a different town, or maybe you’re moving in with your significant other. Perhaps a flight of fancy has gripped you and you’ve decided to embark on a whirlwind journey across the world. Regardless of the reason, you need to move out of your apartment, and you want to find someone to sublet your apartment for the remainder of your lease term, or for as long as you’ll be away from the apartment. What do you need to know and do in this situation? The following tips will help you create a successful sublease experience.

It happens to all of us: we think of a thousand questions the day after looking at an apartment, and wish we’d had better presence of mind in the moment. Here’s a list of questions, loosely categorized by topic that you may wish to ask a potential landlord about your apartment. Remember to ask questions respectfully and refrain from gasping at any answer, even if it seems outrageous. If this isn’t the apartment for you, just move on. If you’re not sure you understand the answer to a question, don’t hesitate to rephrase or ask a follow-up question. This list assumes you’ve already actually seen the apartment and don’t need to ask the basic questions (where in the complex is it located?, how many bedrooms/square feet?, etc.). Keep in mind that this list designed as a guideline to help you remember to ask about what’s important to you. It’s not a litany of questions you must ask in every situation.

Love plants? Like plants? Feel indifferent? Whether you’re a true green thumb or someone who could kill a cactus, plants can bring you and your living space some much-needed life, color, and oxygen. The experienced gardener and the novice plant owner can both benefit from the following list of features to look for in a plant-friendly dwelling.

Your living situation is a disaster: the sink has been leaking for months and nobody will repair it, and the heater is on the fritz, so you spend your days alternating between blankets and bikinis. Your landlord has been totally unresponsive to your verbal and written requests for repairs. Or maybe your landlord has served you with an eviction notice even though you don’t think you deserve it, since you pay your rent on time and keep things reasonably clean. What can you do? This article covers some of the ways in which you can legally dispute your landlord’s actions (or failure to act).

You’re sick and tired of the sewer running through your apartment, your neighbors and their pets won’t stop running around above you, your car has been broken into twice within the last month, and all you want to do is just leave your apartment. Too bad you still have 6 months left on your lease. Before you threaten your landlord with leaving him with an empty apartment, make sure you know these 3 tips when you break you lease.

You pay rent on time, keep your apartment reasonably clean, and you think you’re a darn good tenant. You’ve never even considered the possibility of being evicted. Even if you’re sure it’ll never happen to you, it’s important to know the details of the eviction process and the many reasons why you might be evicted. Those who pay rent on time may still be susceptible to eviction due to other factors. Read on to learn more about the various categories of eviction and your rights in each situation.