Renter's Rights & Responsibilities
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THE TENANT’S RIGHTS
A Tenant has the right to: THE LANDLORD’S RIGHTS A landlord has the right to: STEVENS POINT CITY ORDINACES There are many ordinances that affect you as a renter. Failure to follow these laws will result in fines from the City. For a full listing of ordinances & related penalties visit www.stevenspoint.com LEASES Many written leases are for a specific length of time, such as one year, or a school year. Some leases are month-to-month agreements, which automatically renew each month for another month, until terminated by the landlord or tenant by giving proper written notice. Read the lease that you are about to sign thoroughly and carefully. If there are parts you do not understand, seek out competent explanations. Make sure that there are no blank spaces. The landlord must tell you to whom to make the rent payment, whom to contact about maintenance problems, and who will receive legal process. You must also be informed if there are any building code violations affecting habitability about which the landlord is aware. INSURANCE Landlords have property and liability insurance on their rental property. Your personal belongings are not covered by the landlord’s insurance. You are responsible, and encouraged, to obtain a renter’s insurance policy for your own protection. MAINTENANCE It helps to understand who is responsible for fixing and maintaining what. As a resident, it is your responsibility to keep your apartment clean and in good shape. If you, your friends, or guests, damage the apartment, you will be responsible for the repairs. If there are items in your apartment which you feel need attention, notify the landlord in writing and keep a copy for yourself. This will give the landlord an opportunity to repair them and you will have proof of notification if the repairs are not made and then cause you problems later. A courteous request is greatly appreciated by your landlord. A spirit of cooperation will go a long way. PROTECTING YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT When you move in, you should inspect the property and notify the landlord of any defects in writing. You may be provided with a printed check-in form for this purpose. If not, you may write out your own. Be sure to keep a copy and give one to the landlord or their agent. You have 7 days after you move in to return this form to the landlord. This will establish a record of the condition of your apartment when you took possession of it and will also let the landlord know about things which need repair. If furnishings are provided by the landlord, you may be provided with a description of all furnishings at check-in so it can be compared at move-out. This furniture inventory is not required by law, but can be useful to both landlord and resident. MOVING OUT When it is time to leave, it is again time to inventory your apartment. Your landlord will probably have a written form and may inspect the unit with you. Before this inspection, you should thoroughly clean the premises, and repair any damages that are your responsibility. This will avoid deductions from your security deposit. You haven’t moved out (and may owe rent) until the keys are returned. Notify the landlord in writing of your forwarding address. The landlord has 21 days to return the deposit or provide you with a written itemization of the deductions and a refund of the balance. Deductions from the security deposit may be made for rent owed, outstanding utility bills, or tenant damage or neglect. SUBLEASING It is best to find out the subleasing policy the landlord has at the time of your lease signing. A landlord may not unreasonably deny a request to sublease, however, the landlord does have the right to make sure the sub-lessee meets his/her rental criteria. EVICTIONS A landlord can evict for non-payment of rent, damages to the apartment, disturbing tenants, breaking any part of the lease, or certain housing code violations that require the landlord to give you written notice. If you receive a legal notice (5-day notice to pay or quit, 14-day notice to vacate, 28-day notice terminating lease, among others) from your landlord, do not ignore it. This means your landlord has started legal procedures that could lead to your eviction. Contact your landlord as soon as possible. It may be that an agreement can be worked out that will not require you to move. If you decide to move out, you may still be liable for any past due rent and damages, as well as the rent until the property is re-rented or the end of the lease, whichever comes first. 
Rental Housing Providers Must Do Business in Accordance With Federal Fair Housing Law (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as Amended by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974) IT IS ILLEGAL TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANY PERSON BECAUSE OF RACE, COLOR, CREED, RELIGION, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, FAMILIAL OR HANDICAP STATUS Know your rights & responsibilities The Wisconsin Way: A Guide for Landlords and Tenants www.datcp.state.wi.us (In search box enter: The Wisconsin Way) |
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