How to be the Smartest Renter on Your Block: A Minnesota Tenants' Rights Guide [NOOK Book]

Overview

HOME Line (http://www.homelinemn.org/) wrote How to Be the Smartest Renter on Your Block to help renters find, get and keep rental housing. This book is based on the real-life concerns we hear from thousands of callers to our tenant hotline. It gives the best ways to handle and avoid the most common rental problems.

This book follows the rental process from beginning to end, with several additional chapters on more unique rental housing situations. It begins with advice on how to find and apply for an apartment, and shows how to understand the terms of a lease. The next chapters cover common issues a renter runs into once they’ve moved in – repairs, noisy neighbors, right to privacy, and more. This book also addresses what to expect when a renter moves out of an apartment, and how to make sure a security deposit is returned. Newer issues are also covered – landlord foreclosure, and bed bug infestations. Lastly, we take a detailed look at how tenants can organize together to hold their landlords and their elected officials accountable. How to Be the Smartest Renter on Your Block answers these questions and more.

Contents include:

Shopping for an Apartment
Applying for an Apartment
Housing Discrimination
Understanding Leases
Neighbors & Roommates
Privacy Violations
Repairs
Retaliation
Ending a Lease
Rent Increases
Evictions
Lockouts & Utility Shutoffs
Security Deposits
Abandoned Property
Landlord Foreclosures
Manufactured (Mobile) Homes
Subsidized Housing
Caretakers & Other Employees of the Landlord
Renters Credit (CRP)
Tenant Organizing
Appendix 1: Court Forms
Filing “IFP”
Conciliation Court
Appendix 2: Form Letters
Copy of Lease Request
Demand for Property
Notification of Guest Rights
Neighbor Violation
Right to Privacy
Repair Request
Retaliation Notice
Security Deposit Demand
Calculating Interest on Security Deposits
Sample Notice to Vacate
Appendix 3: List of Tenant Screening Companies
Appendix 4: Guide to Additional Resources
Appendix 5: Covenants of Habitability


Excerpt from "How to be the Smartest Renter on Your Block":

Chapter 13: Security Deposits

Security deposits, also known as damage deposits, are used in rental housing to cover out­standing damage or disrepair that may be caused by a tenant during a tenancy. Most tenants are required to pay a deposit before moving into the apartment. Many landlords charge a full month’s rent for a security or damage deposit (or more, especially if the tenant has bad credit or no good rental history). Additional deposits for pets can be included as well. For detailed infor­mation about pet deposits and the effect of pets on a lease, see Chapter 4, Leases.

Security deposit disputes are one of the main reasons tenants call HOME Line. Most land­lords are fair with tenants when it comes to deposits, but there are certain landlords who seem to keep every tenant’s deposit. There are important proactive steps a tenant can take to protect himself on this potentially expensive topic.

Renters can improve their chances to get the deposit back by following these guidelines and learning more about how security deposits work.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS CHAPTER:

• Overall rights and responsibilities as they relate to security deposits.

• How to document apartment conditions and take photos before mov­ing in and after moving out.

• To keep apartment in good condition; notify landlord promptly when repairs are needed.

• Not to “ride out” deposit to cover the last month’s rent.

• What to do after moving out.

• To expect a response from the landlord within 21 days of move out.

• To understand that in court, the burden is on the landlord to prove the tenant caused damage beyond ordinary wear and tear.