Legal terms, explained

The words leases, notices, and landlords use, in plain language. Each term links to what it means and to the actual rule in every place we cover.

• 211 helpline A free helpline. Dial 211 to find rent help and services near you.
• Answer (responding in court) Your written response to an eviction lawsuit. Filing it protects your right to be heard.
• Changing your locks When you or your landlord may change the locks.
• Code inspection Asking a city inspector to check unsafe conditions in your home.
• Complaint line A government office that takes complaints about your landlord, like a housing department or a fair housing agency.
• Court records / evidence Keeping photos, letters, and receipts as proof for court.
• Deposit escrow and interest Where your deposit must be kept, and the interest it may earn.
• Deposit penalty damages (2x/3x) The penalty a landlord pays for wrongly keeping a deposit. Often 2 or 3 times the amount.
• Deposit receipt Written proof that you paid your deposit.
• Deposit return deadline How long a landlord has to give your deposit back after you move out.
• Emergency entry A landlord may enter right away in a true emergency, like a fire or a burst pipe.
• Eviction record sealing The public court record an eviction case leaves. Some places let you seal it.
• Fair housing (discrimination) Laws that ban housing discrimination based on race, family status, disability, and more.
• HUD housing counseling Free or low cost advice from HUD approved housing counselors.
• Illegal lockout A landlord forcing you out by changing locks or cutting utilities. It is illegal.
• Itemized deduction statement The written list of charges a landlord must send when keeping part of a deposit.
• Legal aid Free lawyers and legal aid for renters who qualify.
• No increase during a lease term During a fixed lease term, your rent cannot go up unless you agree.
• No self-help eviction (court required) Only a court can order you out of your home. A landlord acting alone cannot.
• Notice of entry How much advance warning your landlord owes you before coming in.
• Notice to quit A letter telling you to move out by a set date. An eviction case can only start after it.
• Pay and stay (redemption) Paying all the rent you owe to stop an eviction case. Many places allow it up to a deadline.
• Pay or quit notice The written warning you must get before a late-rent eviction case. It gives you time to pay.
• Penalties for illegal entry What a landlord owes you for entering illegally.
• Quiet enjoyment Your right to live in your home without your landlord disturbing you.
• Rent control / rent stabilization Laws that cap how much rent can go up.
• Rent help programs Programs that help pay rent when money runs short.
• Rent increase notice The written warning your landlord owes you before rent goes up.
• Rent withholding Holding back rent until your landlord fixes a serious problem. Legal only in some places.
• Repair and deduct Paying for a repair yourself and subtracting the cost from rent. Legal only in some places.
• Repair requests in writing Asking for repairs in writing, so there is proof of when you asked.
• Retaliation When a landlord punishes you for using a legal right. The law forbids it.
• Right of entry (allowed reasons) The reasons the law lets your landlord enter, like repairs or showings.
• Security deposit cap The most a landlord can charge as a security deposit.
• Small claims court A low cost court for money disputes. You do not need a lawyer.
• Warranty of habitability Your landlord's duty to keep your home safe and fit to live in.