How we write and check our guides

You are reading this because something went wrong with your home. You need to know what you can trust on this site. Here is how every guide is made.

Every answer links to where it comes from

Under each statement is a source line. It names the law or the official page the statement comes from, and links to it. A few plain words say what kind of document it is. A law. A rule from a government agency. A government guide. A court decision. A group describing its own services.

We do not cite law firm websites or legal content sites. We cite the law itself, or an official page.

When a source line says "Our editorial rules"

Some things on a guide are not the law. They are what legal aid lawyers tell renters everywhere, and they point to this page instead of a law.

• Practical advice, like putting every request in writing and keeping a copy. A text or an email counts.
• The math, worked out. If the law says 2 times what the landlord kept, we add the dollars: 2 times $800 is $1,600.
• A warning when a step is risky. Some laws let you hold back rent or leave early. The same statement says a court can later disagree, and what that would cost you.
• A reminder that money a court awards comes only if you win and your landlord pays.

These words are ours. The rule next to them is the law's. We never use our own rules to back a legal claim.

How we write

Short sentences. Everyday words. Numbers as digits, with the math done for you. When a word will show up on your lease or on court papers, we keep it and explain it in plain words right after. The usual case comes first. Narrow cases come last.

These rules are checked by software every time a guide is saved. A statement that breaks one cannot be saved.

How we check

AI researches the law and writes the first draft. We use Claude, made by Anthropic. It cannot cite a source unless the quoted words are in that source, word for word. A second AI reads every statement against its quotes. Then a person reads the guide, and a person publishes it. Nothing goes live without that step.

Laws change. Every week we fetch each source again and compare it to what we quoted. When everything still matches, the guide shows a "Sources checked" date. When the words we quoted are gone, the date disappears and the guide is flagged for review.

Not legal advice

No guide is legal advice for your situation. A rule can depend on your lease, your building, or your city. If your housing is at risk, talk to a lawyer or a legal aid office near you. We work to get every statement right, but we cannot promise a guide has no mistakes. Read the source before you act.

Tell us when something is wrong

Every guide has a link to report a problem. A person reads every report and checks the source before changing anything.