Page 5 - Young Adult Guide to Housing

Renter’s Rights and Responsibilities vary from state to state
so the first thing you want to do is go to the state’s website
and download their housing brochure.

This wi outline what your rights and responsibilities as a

tenant are in your state. O en some landlords wi not know
a your rights or they wi not care to fo ow the letter of the
law. It is up to you to ensure your rights are not infringed.

In most states there are limits and rules governing the
I
maximum amount of security deposits which o en include the
additional “last months rent” deposit. It is common for
d
a
landlords to try and secure more of a deposit than their state
l n
a ows, so be mindful of that. Pet deposits are usua y exempt
from these limits. I encourage a young people to carefu y
consider pet ownership, it wi increase di culty in renting
no matter where you rent.

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O
Other important information in the pamphlet wi be what is
t
expected of you as a renter and what kind of access to the
property the landlord has. They cannot just “drop by”. It wi
also outline rules about giving notice when you wi be moving
out.