8 Landlord Obligations to Know About If You’re a Renter

Do you know what to expect from your landlord? The landlord-tenant relationship can be a tricky one, made even trickier by the fact that while your apartment is your home, it’s also your landlord’s business. It’s hard not to feel like you’re the one holding less power in the transaction, especially if you’ve had a not-so-great landlord experience in your past. But here’s the good news: you have more power than you think. There are a number of landlord obligations that help balance out the relationship and serve as a guide of sorts for managing your interactions and expectations.

As a tenant, it’s always a good idea to learn as much as you can about your own rights. Giving your lease a close read is part of that, as is learning about the landlord obligations that dictate the responsibilities owed to you. Below, we’ll go over eight of those obligations (as determined by landlord-tenant laws) so you can get a brief overview of what to expect.

8 Landlord Obligations

To offer a fair housing environment

To deliver the unit on move-in day

To properly manage your security deposit

To ensure you have a copy of the lease

To properly maintain the rental property

To notify you before entering the apartment

To provide notice before raising the rent

To be accessible

Depending on where you live, your landlord may have additional obligations. If you think that your landlord is reneging on a responsibility—or if you just want to get a full picture of what your rights are—look up your local landlord-tenant laws. It’s always good to know exactly what you can expect.

Do you have a landlord who isn’t fulfilling their obligations? Make sure that you have as much documentation as possible outlining your landlord’s responsibilities and the problem(s) that you’re dealing with and then reach out to someone who can help. A good place to start is the Tenant Rights Hotline (888.495.8020), which provides free counseling for tenants on relevant disputes. Another organization that may be able to help is the Tenant Resource Center. If you have the resources, you may also want to consider reaching out to an attorney who can take a look at your case and let you know if you have any relevant legal claims.