how find good tenant lawyer

by Krystina Dooley 6 min read

If you are in need of a lawyer, choose one with expertise in landlord-tenant matters. For help in getting a lawyer, read the article "How to Find an Excellent Lawyer" or go straight to Nolo's Lawyer Directory. Hire a lawyer as a "coach."

Tenant Unions: Contact your local tenants' union. They may be able to provide you with a list of lawyers that work with tenants in your area. Online: There are several online sites where you can search for legal counsel. These include FindLaw.com, Lawyers.com, and AVVO.com.Oct 5, 2018

Full Answer

How can a landlord/tenant attorney help me?

Choose a local lawyer that is knowledgeable about landlord-tenant law and has significant experience fighting evictions. Such a lawyer can come up with effective strategies or creative solutions that you might not be aware of—for example, the lawyer could argue that your landlord's eviction was retaliatory (and therefore an illegal eviction ) if the circumstances support such a …

How do I find a lawyer for a landlord-tenant case?

Feb 24, 2022 · Find a Tenant Lawyer Near You Tell them you were referred by California Tenant Law. Enter your city or zip and select: Search radius (click Search button) 100 mi Results 50 Scroll to view all entries.

How to find good tenants?

Understanding how to find good tenants starts with a little self reflection. You see, the best form of marketing (and perhaps easiest) is a happy client. If landlords are able to look at themselves and the services they provide with an unbiased opinion, …

How to become a better landlord?

Jul 05, 2018 · Instead, focus on the following, and you’ll know how to find good tenants: Create a strong rental application and use the information gathered to make wise tenant choices. Get help from a reliable tenant screening service. Use the information in credit checks to …

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Your Landlord Is Evicting You

If your landlord serves you with a termination notice that you intend to fight, hiring a lawyer can increase your chance of success. Choose a lawye...

Your Landlord Is Evicting You Without Proper Court Procedures

Landlords must follow eviction procedures set forth by state and local law. If your landlord tries to evict you by taking matters into his own hand...

Your Landlord Discriminates Against You

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...

Your Landlord Won't Make Necessary Repairs

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 land...

Your Landlord Isn't Fulfilling His Promises

Sometimes, landlords make promises to encourage hesitant applicants to rent from them. For example, if an applicant is concerned about the neighbor...

You've been Injured Or Made Ill

Accidents can happen, even at a well-run rental property. However, if an accident is the result of the landlord's carelessness, you may have a lega...

Your Property Has been Damaged

Sometimes, a landlord's failure to maintain the rental property causes damage to your personal property. For example, a landlord's faulty wiring re...

How to Get A Lawyer's Help

If you are in need of a lawyer, choose one with expertise in landlord-tenant matters. For help in getting a lawyer, read the article "How to Find a...

What is a landlord tenant attorney?

A landlord/tenant attorney can help you analyze your situation, determine what your rights are, and make a well-informed decision about how to protect your interests. We've created a list of trusted landlord/tenant attorneys to help you find a lawyer who is the best fit for your situation.

What are the legal issues with landlords?

Legal issues related to real estate and the landlord/tenant relationship come in a variety of forms. These often include: 1 Landlord/tenant disputes, such as those related to rental rates, late or unpaid rent, security deposits, disagreements about the habitability of rental property, and other tenant rights and landlord rights issues. 2 Eviction, either seeking to evict a tenant or helping a tenant fight eviction and stay in their home (especially during times where additional tenants' rights/renters' rights are in effect, such as the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic). 3 Rental agreements and lease agreements, including initial drafting and review of rental contracts, updates to the terms of the lease, and other contract-related matters. 4 Discrimination claims, including those related to housing discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, sex, religion, disability or other classification protected under the federal Fair Housing Act or other state or local ordinances. 5 Commercial real estate matters, from negotiating an initial commercial lease to litigating business disputes related to the lease or other issues. 6 Personal injury claims, if a property is not kept safe and in proper repair and someone is injured as a result. 7 Addressing tangential issues for landlords, including business law and estate planning-related issues such as business succession planning, and protection of rental property assets in a divorce or other family law matter.

What to do if landlord serves termination notice?

If your landlord serves you with a termination notice that you intend to fight, hiring a lawyer can increase your chance of success. Choose a local lawyer that is knowledgeable about landlord-tenant law and has significant experience fighting evictions.

Is it expensive to hire a lawyer?

Lawyers are expensive, but there are times when hiring one might be necessary to protect your rights as a renter. By Janet Portman, Attorney. Many issues tenants face are minor and can be easily resolved by common sense and checking reputable resources on landlord-tenant law, such as a local tenants' rights group.

What to do if landlord evicts you?

Landlords must follow eviction procedures set forth by state and local law. If your landlord tries to evict you by taking matters into his own hands—for example, by locking you out, canceling your utilities, or even removing your doors, windows, or possessions—consider hiring a lawyer.

What to do if landlord discriminates against you?

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.

What happens if you don't have renters insurance?

If you have renter's insurance, your insurance company will cover the loss and its lawyers will then seek reimbursement from your landlord. If you don't have insurance or have inadequate coverage and the damage to your property is substantial, consider hiring a lawyer to help you obtain reimbursement from your landlord.

What is tenant rights?

The more you know the law and your legal rights, the better. The Tenant Rights section of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website provides a wide variety of state and local resources, including links to fair housing groups, rent control boards, tenant unions, and legal aid organizations for each state ;

What happens if your landlord doesn't fulfill your lease?

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.

How to find good tenants?

Understanding how to find good tenants starts with a little self reflection. You see, the best form of marketing (and perhaps easiest ) is a happy client . If landlords are able to look at themselves and the services they provide with an unbiased opinion, they can identify areas of strength and weakness. From there, they can pinpoint exactly how to make their tenants happy. Therein lies the secret to word-of-mouth networking: doing the best with what you have. In the event a tenant has an incredible experience in one of your properties, there’s a good chance they will tell people about their time spent in the unit. If that’s the case, you’ll want to give them a platform. Perhaps you could post a comment section on your own website. If you are confident in the service you have provided, it may serve as one of your greatest marketing strategies.

What is the worst thing a landlord can do?

Turnover and vacancies are a landlord’s worst nightmare. Turnover eats into profit margins and costs a lot of time and money. Vacancies, on the other hand, are self-explanatory. Any time a unit sits vacant or in transition, the landlord is at risk of losing out on potential profits. Therefore, it only makes sense that the best strategy is to keep the good tenants where they are: hopefully as happy renters. One of the best things landlords can do is keep their current tenants happy. That way, they increase the odds of extending the lease and cash flowing in on a monthly basis.

What is the FCRA?

Family Status. Mental/Physical Disability. In addition to the Fair Housing Act, homeowners must also abide by the rules set forth by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which is designed to protect applicant information while background and credit checks are conducted.

Do landlords conduct background checks?

Therefore, instead of simply taking applicants for their word, landlords should conduct thorough background checks. As their names suggest, background checks will vet each and every applicant.

Do landlords have a hard time finding tenants?

As a result, landlords shouldn’t have a hard time finding tenants; they are out there. It is not about finding just any tenant, but instead the right one. Finding tenants that will respect the property and its owner is of the utmost importance, and for good reason: truly great tenants are worth their weight in gold. A good tenant awarding a landlord with sufficient, timely cash flow is invaluable, which begs the question: how do you find good tenants?

What is it like to work as a landlord?

Working as a landlord is like having a never-ending list of responsibilities. From collecting rent to cleaning out properties to managing bills, the list is always growing no matter how efficiently you work. And that work only becomes more complicated when you have to deal with problems caused by unruly or disrespectful tenants.

How to make sure tenants come and go?

This is basic, but every landlord should remember that tenants can (and do!) come and go. If you have a tenant that you really like renting to, make sure to treat them well. Speak to them kindly and often. Send them cards for holidays. Be a friendly force in their lives.

Can you discriminate against people?

It is federal law that you cannot discriminate against people for certain classes of being or behavior. You can ask many questions of potential tenants, but you cannot question about or discriminate based on:

What is a credit check?

A credit check is a useful tool for determining whether or not a potential tenant is financially responsible. With the information gained in a credit check or report, you can get a sense for how financially savvy they are as well as whether or not they can be relied on to pay their rent on time.

What is the good news for landlords?

The good news for you as a landlord is that recent advances in services and technology mean that you don’t have to go it alone. Rather than spending years refining your tenant selection technique, you can rely on the quality systems that others have put their experience and knowledge into building.

How to find a lawyer for a lawsuit?

Here are a few other sources you can turn to for possible candidates in your search for a lawyer: 1 The director of your state or local chamber of commerce may be a good source of business lawyers. 2 The director of a nonprofit group interested in the subject matter that underlies your lawsuit is sure to know lawyers who work in that area. For example, if your dispute involves trying to stop a major new subdivision, it would make sense to consult an environmental group committed to fighting urban sprawl. 3 A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject -- for example, construction law. 4 A women's or men's support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce lawyers.

What is Nolo lawyer directory?

Nolo offers a unique lawyer directory that provides a comprehensive profile for each attorney with information that will help you select the right attorney. The profiles tell you about the lawyer's experience, education, and fees, and perhaps most importantly, the lawyer's general philosophy of practicing law.

How much does a lawyer charge an hour?

Lawyers, of course, are prime sources of this information, but if you bought all the needed information at their rates -- $150 to $450 an hour -- you'd quickly empty your bank account.

Do lawyers work with you?

Fortunately, many lawyers will work with you to help you acquire a good working knowledge of the legal principles and procedures you need to deal with your problem at least partly on your own. If you are hoping to represent yourself and use a lawyer only for advice, make sure the lawyer is open to that type of set-up.

What is a lawyer referral service?

Lawyer referral services are another source of information. There is a wide variation in the quality of lawyer referral services, however, even though they are required to be approved by the state bar association. Some lawyer referral services carefully screen attorneys and list only those attorneys with particular qualifications and a certain amount of past experience, while other services will list any attorney in good standing with the state bar who maintains liability insurance. Before you choose a lawyer referral service, ask what its qualifications are for including an attorney and how carefully lawyers are screened.

What can a law librarian do?

A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject -- for example, construction law. A women's or men's support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce lawyers.

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