Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Middletown

Find the right Tenant attorney in Middletown, NJ

Tenant Law in New Jersey

Relationships between landlords and tenants in Middletown, New Jersey can get combative. It's difficult to be a tenant or a landlord. If one or both parties are not aware of their legal rights and obligations, conflicts can arise.

Tenants and landlords have numerous legal rights and responsibilities. In general, these rights don't conflict with one another, as long as both parties are clear about what they are, and act accordingly.

Landlord's Rights in Middletown, NJ

Landlords are, of course, entitled to collect rent from their tenants. If a tenant fails to pay the agreed-upon rent, the landlord is normally able to evict the tenant without too much trouble, though the process can sometimes get fairly complicated.

Moreover, landlords can bill the tenant for any damage they cause to the unit, whether it was intentional or negligent. The costs of repairs for such damage can be deducted from a tenant's security deposit, but it should be noted that tenants aren't responsible for usual wear and tear, over which they have little control.

Tenant's Rights in Middletown, NJ

At the most basic level, tenants have a basic right to what they're paying for: a habitable living environment. Consequently, landlords in Middletown, New Jersey must ensure that the units they rent to tenants meet some basic standards for human habitation. These requirements vary from state to state, but are often fairly easy to meet. There are no legal criteria that rented units be pretty, particularly spacious, or luxurious. They simply have to be fit for human beings to live in them. To be considered "habitable," rented units must have water, electricity, some form of heating (if the local climate necessitates it), and adequate protection from the elements (proper insulation, no roof leaks, windows that close, etc.).

Moreover, tenants are entitled to common areas which are reasonably safe and clean, and free of physical obstacles. Areas such as lobbies, hallways, stairwells, and fire escapes must comply with the building codes of Middletown, New Jersey. Moreover, any other unreasonable safety hazard, even if it doesn't violate a specific provision of a building code, can create liability for the landlord if it injures a tenant.

A tenant also has a right, under federal law and the laws of New Jersey to be free from discrimination in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, or gender. Landlords can additionally not discriminate against persons with disabilities, and must make reasonable accommodations for those disabilities.

Tenants are also legally safeguarded from unfair eviction. Before a lease agreement expires, landlords cannot evict tenants unless they breach as significant term of the agreement by not paying rent, causing serious damage to the property, engaging in activities that are a nuisance to the other tenants, or engaging in illegal activity on the property, among other things.

Can a Middletown, New Jersey Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

Tenants and landlords always want to avoid getting into any serious disputes - these disputes interfere with the tenant's living arrangement, and the landlord's business. In short, they help nobody. While a good Middletown, New Jersey attorney can definately help his or her client prevail in such a dispute, they may be more essential for their ability to help prevent such disputes from escalating in the first place.

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Life in Middletown

Middletown, a.k.a. Middle Township, is in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It was originally formed on October 31, 1693 and became a township via an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798.

Interestingly, in 2006, 2008, and 2010 Middletown was voted in the Top 100 list for the Best Places to Live by CNN Money Magazine.

Middletown is also home to many practicing attorneys who are able to provide local businesses and residents with the appropriate legal guidance.

Past and present famous residents include Pete Capella, Knowshon Moreno, Christian Peter, Jason Peter, Maury Povich, Geraldo Rivera, E.W. Swackhamer, Kevin Smith, Bob Tucker, Billy Van Zandt, Max Weinberg, Bill Weber, Tom Wilkens, and Brian Williams.

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