Salvation For Renters: Self-help Legal Guide Book
"Every
Tenant's Rental Guide" (Nolo.com, $26.95), is a model for
traditional publishers who want to compete with the information-laden
Internet.
The latest in a best-selling line of self-help legal guides, the hefty
rental tome is a thorough, relevant, objective and interactive renters'
manual no tenant should be without.
But then, Berkeley, CA-based Nolo.com
(formerly Nolo Press) isn't your typical traditional publisher.
It recently changed names to underscore its commitment to the Internet
and has since become a leader among Net-based news and information
services.
But Nolo.com hasn't forsaken its 28-year deep roots. You needn't turn
on the computer to get plain-English help with legal issues that touch a
variety of life styles.
The new rental guide is a well-written and researched example,
addressing the needs of the nation's approximate 85 million people who
rent their homes.
Landlord-tenant issues ranked eighth among the Top 10 common consumer
complaints handled by city county or state consumer agencies in 1998,
according a recent survey released by the National Association of
Consumer Agency Administrators and the Consumer Federation of
America.
Needing all the help they can get, renters spend a median 29 percent of
their income for housing, compared to homeowners who spend only 19
percent. And renters pay relatively more -- a median $537 a month for
housing, just $56 a month less than owners, according to the U.S. Census
Bureau.
Until renters realize it's likely a better deal to buy a home or can
afford to make the move to owning "Every Tenant's Rental Guide" is
their guide book to better living.
From finding a place to rent to moving out -- or getting kicked out --
the book is packed with the essentials: up-to-date and state-specific
laws, rules and rights, contracts, precautions to take to avoid troubles
down the road, and step-by-step measures should problems arise.
For that interactive feel, the book is peppered with icons that
indicate where to get more information. The icons also refer you to
related sections of the book, provide practical tips and ideas and
otherwise highlight important information. The convention makes for easy
navigation through 20 chapters and an appendix of state laws and
agencies as well as Nolo.com's trademark tear out forms.
Topics covered with anecdotes, side bars, sample letters and humorous
illustrations include leases and rental agreements, rent rules, security
deposits, discrimination, moving in, moving out, roommates, repairs,
maintenance, improvements and alterations, privacy rights, environmental
hazards, injuries and evictions.
From the book, here are 10 Tips Every Tenant Needs to Know
1. To land that rental, be prepared. Bring a completed rental
application, written references from previous landlords and employers
and a current copy of your credit report.
2. Read the contract. Look for unacceptable provisions, say,
restrictions on guests or pets, design alterations or running a home
business.
3. Get everything in writing. Accept and file away only written
contracts, repair requests, correspondence. Put oral agreements in
writing.
4. Know your privacy rights. If you understand your privacy rights, it
will be easier to protect them.
5. Know your rights to live in a habitable home. Landlords must offer
you adequate heat, water and electricity as well as clean, sanitary and
structurally safe premises.
6. Keep talking. Communications between you and your landlord can
prevent nasty legal battles.
7. Buy renter's insurance. Your landlord's insurance policy does not
cover your losses and the typical $350 a year for a $50,000 policy is
worth it to cover what you own.
8. Make sure security deposit refund procedures are spelled out.
Security deposit issues covered in your lease or rental agreement
protects you from misunderstandings when it's time to vacate the
premises.
9. Be safe. Learn in advance what you can expect from your landlord in
terms of safety devices such as deadbolts and window locks. Be aware of
your unit's vulnerability to intrusion and crime in the neighborhood.
10. Know when to fight an eviction and when to move. If you lose an
eviction lawsuit, you may end up hundreds (even thousands) of dollars in
debt and burdened by a negative credit rating.
 Broderick Perkins, has been a consumer journalist for 20 years. Experienced in print, electronic, and consulting journalism, he is chief executive editor of San Jose, CA-based,
DeadlineNews.Com, an editorial content and consulting firm. |
Written by Broderick Perkins
