What kind of lawyer handles leases

If you believe your landlord is discriminating against you, you may need a lawyer to stop the illegal actions and help you recover damages for any harm you suffered. One option is to hire a lawyer to sue the landlord in court. If HUD investigates your complaint and determines there's reasonable cause to believe your landlord has been discriminating, you'll get the benefit of having a HUD lawyer representing you in front of an administrative law judge at no cost.

The judge can award you compensation and attorneys' fees, impose penalties against your landlord, and order other relief. If your landlord isn't fulfilling important obligations under your lease and the law, it can lead to major problems. For example, think of the landlord who keeps putting off needed heating system repairs until winter is well under way, or the landlord who ignores a ground-floor tenant's requests to fix a broken window until a burglary occurs.

In these cases, you might decide to implement one of your state's tenant remedies on your own such as rent withholding or "repair and deduct" , but you might need some coaching on how to do it right. Consulting a lawyer might be your best move. In addition, a lawyer can attempt to communicate with the landlord for you, explore the possibility of a quick settlement, and sue your landlord , if needed.

Sometimes, landlords make promises to encourage hesitant applicants to rent from them. For example, if an applicant is concerned about the neighborhood crime rate, a landlord might promise to install a more effective intercom system or an electronic, gated parking lot. If the landlord later refuses to honor the promise, you might need to hire a lawyer to write a stern letter to your landlord, with a reminder that landlords can be held liable for some criminal activities at their rentals, and threatening a lawsuit unless the landlord follows through.

Accidents can happen, even at a well-run rental property. However, if an accident is the result of the landlord's carelessness, your landlord might be liable for any injuries. For example, you might break your leg after slipping on an icy patch on the front steps of your building. Perhaps the landlord should have arranged for regular de-icing, which would have removed the danger. Or, you might discover an outbreak of mold in your rental—only after it has made you and your family very ill.

In this case you'll want a personal injury lawyer with experience in premises liability. Even if your landlord didn't personally or intentionally create the problem, there are many legal theories available to convince a court or insurance adjustor that the landlord should be held responsible. Lawyers are skilled at identifying which theories might apply and crafting arguments using them.

Sometimes, a landlord's failure to maintain the rental property causes damage to your personal property. For example, a landlord's faulty wiring repair job could spark an electrical fire in your living room, damaging your furniture and other belongings. What were your experiences like? Please share this article and let us know your stories in the comments section below. I have always gone to friends for recommendations about business professionals and hiring, but I had never considered asking an expert.

If the expert is related to the field but not specialized in what you are looking for, they would be the perfect candidate to get a reliable and well-informed recommendation. This would hold even more true for lawyers.

Do you have any advice about what to look for in a real estate attorney? Audrey my advice for finding a good real estate attorney is the same for a good eviction attorney..

So for me, the single best qualifier is volume. Anyone that handles a lot of cases in a specific area of law and regional area is going to be far better equipped and often less expensive in the long run. Your email address will not be published. Q: Can I still close on my property in state?

Q: Do I still have to pay property taxes? Q: Do I still have to pay my water bill? Updated July Landlords often invest time and money into finding the best team of property managers, carpenters, and other skilled professionals to work with. Use State And Local Resources 2. Ask Lots Of Questions 6. Do you have to have a lawyer to handle landlord—tenant issues?

What type of case is an eviction? Do property managers handle evictions? Experience With A Variety Of Issues Often, landlords only think to contact a landlord—tenant attorney when they are dealing with a big eviction case or have a similar problem.

For example, you might want to seek assistance with matters including: Landlord-tenant disputes: rent, security deposits, tenant rights, etc. Eviction issues: eviction case assistance Lease agreements: writing, checking for loopholes, adding necessary addendums, ensuring Fair Housing Act and other ordinance compliance Commercial real estate: leases, litigation, business disputes, etc.

Personal injury claims Business law and planning: protection of assets and estate planning These are just some of the landlord—tenant and rental business issues that an experienced law firm might assist with. Local Knowledge When you focus on finding a landlord—tenant attorney near me, you can be sure the attorney will have a good idea of what types of cases are often seen in landlord—tenant cases and how you can best avoid those situations in the first place. Long-Term Cost Balancing Many landlords avoid hiring an attorney because they believe it will be too expensive.

Use State And Local Resources Turn to the state bar association for a list of practicing attorneys in your area. Try An Online Landlord—Tenant Attorney Service There are many directories online for landlord attorneys where you can ask questions or hire a local lawyer.

Call Each Attorney On Your Short List For An Appointment After going through the steps above, you might have a list of lawyers who you are willing to consider working with in the future. Ask Lots Of Questions When you get the chance to talk to the prospective hire, ask questions. Know When To Consult With Your Attorney Landlords should also consult with an attorney if they are ever being investigated for illegal discrimination, evicting a tenant, sued for injury, sued for damage to property, audited by the IRS, fighting slander or libel, or anytime they are going to court such as small claims court.

When You Need Extra Advice Landlords often feel like they need to be equipped to handle everything on their own, but that is far from true! Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Landlord Entry: The lease or rental agreement should lay out the procedure for the landlord gain entry to the unit. Landlords are usually required to give notice to the tenant before entering the unit.

A tenant's right to privacy vary from state to state. Move-in Inspection: Both the landlord and tenant should determine the condition of a rental unit at the time the tenants take possession and make note of or photograph any pre-existing conditions.

Move-Out Inspection: A move-out inspection assesses the condition of the rental unit when tenants vacate a property. This information is compared to the move-in information provided and generally is the basis for a security deposit refund or reduction. Disabled Tenants: Tenants with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations for their disabilities, however landlords are not required to substantially impair their ability to do business in making those accommodations.

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Find Lawyers By Related Issue. Scroll down for more categories. We've helped over 5 million people. Major Repairs to Rental Property. Minor Repairs to Rental Property. Improvements, Alterations, and Fixtures on Rental Property. Injuries to Tenants on Rental Property. Environmental Hazards on Rental Property.

Inadequate Security at Rental Property. Terminating a Lease of Rental Property. Responding to Notices Terminating a Tenancy. The Eviction Process for Tenants. Working With a Tenants' Rights Lawyer. Tenant FAQs. Information for Landlords. Housing Discrimination. Eviction Forms: State Resources. Find a Landlord Tenant Lawyer.