Do You Need A Tenant Lawyer? 6 Steps You Must Follow Before It

Plenty of problems may occur surrounding a rented property, and solving such problems requires tenant lawyers’ help. For example, as a landlord, you may invest in building your property and then rent it out. But, sometimes disputes may occur which require you to take the help of a landlord-tenant lawyer. 

What does the tenant lawyer help you with? Sometimes tenants leave the landlords hanging for a long time when paying their rents. Tenant lawyers can help solve this situation and help you get your rent. In addition, your tenant lawyer can help you file a lawsuit against your tenant and help you with an eviction notice. 

These law professionals can help you prevent the same situation from recurring from time to time. In addition, sometimes, these lawyers can work as intermediaries between you and your tenant and help you find a middle ground.

A landlord and tenant lawyer can also help the tenants with any problems with their landlords. For example, suppose there are any problems with the lease agreements. In that case, if the landlord is ignoring your grievances, violating your privacy, evicting or suing you, you can seek help from a tenant attorney.

Rental attorneys can only help you if your legal issues are about a rental property or any dispute between a tenant and a landlord.

So, if your problems are related to the ones mentioned above, you need a tenant attorney. 

Steps You Must Follow Before Hiring Tenant Lawyer

Now that you have decided that you need a tenant attorney, let me provide you with a few tips before choosing one. Here are six crucial steps you need to follow before you choose a tenant rights lawyer or a landlord attorney

1. Look Through Various Lists Of Local Tenant Attorneys 

Look for the lists of practicing lawyers in your locality. You can start from the state bar association. Many websites list the attorneys according to their area of expertise.

Many State businesses and real estate businesses contain a list or advertise for several attorneys who can deal with rental property or landlord and tenant-related disputes. 

2. Look For Online Tenant Lawyer Consultancy Services 

You will find various directories online redirecting you to many online landlord law consultancy services. Such services offer you online consultancy regarding your rental property-related situations. You can also hire these lawyers if the situation gets too complicated.

3. Have Suggestions From Other lawyers

You may not always find a tenant lawyer near your location; in such cases, the best decision would be asking for referrals or suggestions from other lawyers who specialize in other legal issues but not in rental properties. 

It is highly unlikely that you won’t find any lawyer in your area. There will be at least one lawyer in your town who can refer you to eviction lawyers for tenants for your rental property-related disputes. 

Don’t mistake hiring any other attorney than a tenant attorney when you need legal help related to rented property. Different lawyers specialize in different legal aspects; you cannot turn to a divorce attorney for your rental property disputes. 

4. Make A Short List Of The Lawyers In Your Locality And Call Them

You may get multiple recommendations when you need a tenant to be a landlord attorney. Now, You need to make a shortlist for the attorneys available in your locality and call them one by one. You can shortlist them by looking at their online portfolios and the number of rental property-related cases they have solved.

You need to choose the attorney you need according to their responsiveness, how quickly you can access them during an emergency, and how fast they can help you solve the case. Once you have found the right tenant lawyer, you need to start an appointment and discuss the situation with them. 

5. Ask Questions And Get Details On Your Attorney’s Fees

You are the employer here, so you need to ask your lawyer as many questions as you need to help him understand your situation. But, of course, another crucial reason for asking many questions is to understand whether they can help you solve the problem or not. 

You can ask about their experience in their career and ask the details about what they can do to solve your situation. Then, with detailed and in-depth conversions, you will be able to choose the right attorney for your problems.

It would be better to get the fees and billing procedures sorted out once you are set on an attorney. I suggest always being clear about your conversations about your problems and the payment and billing process.  

6. Change Your Tenant Attorney When You Are Not Getting The Expected Results

When choosing a tenant attorney, the last and ultimate advice is to switch to another lawyer when you are not satisfied with the outcome. For example, some attorneys may be hard to get in contact with when you need them the most. Or, you two may have a different aspect when solving the case.

So, instead of staying stuck with someone who does not work too well for you, you need to switch to another attorney who will prioritize your problems and help you solves them as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Your tenant attorney should be an expert in their area; you should always prioritize their expertise when hiring one. However, if there are any other questions related to a tenant attorney, you can follow the below questions-

Q1. What Are My Rights As A Tenant?

Ans: You need to follow certain rights and responsibilities as a responsible tenant. For instance-

• Inform your landlord about any damage repairs.

• Pay for your outgoings like gas, internet, and gas. 

• Use the property only for residential purposes. 

• Keep the property clean and undamaged during your stay.

Q2. What A Landlord Cannot Do?

Ans: There are certain things that your landlord has no right of doing to you. For instance-

• They cannot discriminate according to race, gender, color, and nationality. 

• They cannot say that an apartment is unavailable when it is available. 

• A landlord does not have the right to harass a tenant.

• They cannot end a lease according to nationality, religion, race, or family status-related status-related differences. 

Q3. Can I Sue My Landlord For Emotional Distress?

Ans: If your landlord does anything to cause you pain or personal injury, you can claim compensation for any such emotional or physical suffering. Further, if such an event includes any psychiatric or physical harm, you can indeed sue your landlord for that.

Conclusion

You can hire a tenant lawyer, either a tenant or a landlord yourself. There are several rental property-related laws that both a tenant and a landlord must abide by. If you have any rental property-related legal disputes, you can hire a tenant attorney following the steps I have mentioned in this article.