Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Fort Collins

Find the right Tenant attorney in Fort Collins, CO

Tenant Law in Colorado

The relationship between a landlord and tenant in Fort Collins, Colorado can occasionally be a touchy one. Landlords and tenants are not always clear on their respective rights and obligations.

There are numerous rights and responsibilities that landlords and tenants have. It's important that each party is aware of their rights, and the rights of the other party. By knowing and respecting these rights, the risk of conflict should be reduced dramatically.

Landlord's Rights in Fort Collins, CO

Most obviously, landlords have a right to collect rent from their tenants. When a tenant agrees to pay a landlord a specific amount of money for the right to occupy the landlord's property, a contract is formed. Tenants have to hold up their end of the deal.

Additionally, landlords have a right to be compensated for damage a tenant causes to a rented unit, either intentionally or negligently. Landlords have a right to deduct repair costs from tenants' security deposits, unless the damage was caused by usual wear and tear, for which tenants are not responsible.

Tenant's Rights in Fort Collins, CO

The most basic right of a tenant is the right to a living space that's fit for human habitation. This is, after all, what they're paying the landlord to present. Landlords in Fort Collins, Colorado are under a legal duty to make sure that their apartments are habitable. There are numerous factors that are considered in deciding if an unit is habitable or not, but, generally, an unit will not be deemed habitable if it lacks any of the following: running water, electricity, heat, and protection from the elements (such as proper insulation, and windows that close).

Tenants also have a right to ensure that the common areas of their apartment building are reasonably safe. Landlords are required to make sure that the common areas of their buildings meet Fort Collins, Colorado's building codes, and that there are no conditions that create unnecessary safety hazards. They are obligated to make, at their own expense, the proper repairs.

Tenants also have rights, under federal and Colorado law, to not be victims of racial, ethnic, or gender discrimination in housing, whether they are renting or buying. Moreover, landlords are not allowed to discriminate against tenants based on physical disabilities. They must also allow physically-disabled tenants to make reasonable modifications to the apartment to make it more accessible. Nonetheless, the landlord can require tenants to remove those modifications and restore the property to its original condition once the tenant moves out.

Lastly, tenants are legally protected from arbitrary eviction. Landlords usually must have a very good reason to evict a tenant before the lease agreement reaches the end of its term (at this point, they are of course allowed to decline to renew the lease). Of course, if the tenant breaches the lease agreement (such as by failing to pay rent, damaging the property, or violating other reasonable rules the landlord has put in the lease), the landlord, like a party to any other contract, is free to terminate the agreement and evict the breaching tenant.

Can a Fort Collins, Colorado Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, chances are that you want to prevent conflict. But if you do end up in a seemingly irresolvable conflict with the other party, a Fort Collins, Colorado attorney can help you protect your rights.

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Life in Fort Collins

Fort Collins is a medium-sized city. It is a home-rule municipality, meaning that it is not part of any county, and the state of Colorado has delegated some of its authority to the city, which the city can exercise within its own borders. It has a population of about 137,000. Fort Collins is generally known as a college town, being home to Colorado State University. The city of Fort Collins frequently ranks near the top of Money Magazine's list of best places in the U.S. to live. Because of the large college-aged demographic, Fort Collins has a thriving music and art scene, as well as a large number of well-regarded microbreweries. Fort Collins has a healthy and diverse economy, with major employers such as Colorado State University, Hewlett Packard, AMD, Wal-Mart, and many others providing thousands of public and private-sector jobs, in a wide variety of fields. Given its size, diversity, and vitality, it should come as no surprise that, with all the business that's done in Fort Collins, there are sometimes legal issues. For that reason, it shouldn't be a surprise that there are many Fort Collins, Colorado lawyers who are very skilled. If you're facing a legal issue, a Fort Collins, Colorado lawyer can help.

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