A Real Estate lawyer performs an array of vital functions including property documentation, checking the complete chain of title holders, investigation any loans or other encumbrances on the property and representing the client in a dispute related to the property. The property transactions could be either of the nature of sale-purchase or lease. The disputed related to the leasing out of properties for residential or commercial uses are dealt with by an experienced real estate lawyer. Normally, it is the landlord who has an upper hand but, nevertheless, it is important for the tenants to know their rights as well.

1. Federal laws prohibit the discrimination of tenants on the basis of race, color, origin, nationality, sex, age, family status and physical and mental disability. Apart from these federal prohibitions, the states can also prohibit discrimination on the basis of marital status and sex orientation.

2. Landlords are allowed to say no to tenants if the apartment is available for rent.

3. Landlords cannot make separate tenancy rules for the applicants belonging to the protected class. So, he cannot ask for more rent, alter the services he usually provides, etc.

4. The contract for tenancy cannot be repudiated on discriminatory grounds.

5. Tenant is also protected from harassment by landlord.

6. Landlords cannot refuse you tenancy on grounds of their ‘no pets’ policy if the animal is trained to help you in your disabilities.

7. Tenants have the right to live in habitable conditions. Uninhabitable conditions could be the unsafe conditions like plaster peeling off, holes in ceiling or floor, bad wiring, too many cockroaches and mice and other similar conditions.

8. Tenants also have the right to know why they are being evicted. If this was based on some negative credit report emanating from a source other than the tenant’s own credit report then evicted tenant can file for knowing the information of that report within sixty days of being evicted.

One can know more about the tenancy rights from a seasoned real estate lawyer. An online real estate lawyer will also inform about the exceptions to these rights contained in the federal and the state laws. Also, the real estate tax lawyer will inform about the financial obligations of the tenants. It is always better to make a check of the rights available so that the unjustified terms and conditions of the landlords can be opposed and challenged in a court of law.