Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Greenfield

Find the right Tenant attorney in Greenfield, WI

Tenant Law in Wisconsin

In Greenfield, Wisconsin, it's not simple to be a tenant or a landlord, and relations between those parties can occasionally get testy.

Landlords and tenants have various rights and responsibilities. What follows is a partial list of the rights that landlords and tenants have, and the corresponding duties of the other party.

Landlord's Rights in Greenfield, WI

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.

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 Greenfield, WI

At the most basic level, tenants have a basic right to what they're paying for: a habitable living environment. Consequently, landlords in Greenfield, Wisconsin 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.).

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 Greenfield, Wisconsin'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.

Under federal and Wisconsin law, tenants are also entitled to protection against discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, marital status, or gender. Such discrimination can lead to grave civil penalties against the landlord. Landlords additionally cannot discriminate against tenants based on physical disability, and have to make reasonable accommodations for physically disabled tenants. For instance, they have to allow disabled tenants to make minor physical alterations to the unit (at the tenant's expense) to make it more accessible. Now, they don't need to allow the tenants to have the building remodeled. We're just talking about things like installing handrails in the bathroom, and similar things. The landlord can, however, require tenants to restore the apartment to its original condition, at the tenant's expense, once the tenant leaves.

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 Greenfield, Wisconsin Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

Landlords and tenants generally want to avoid conflict with one another. Nonetheless, conflicts are sometimes unavoidable. If you end up in a major dispute with a landlord or a tenant, a reliable Greenfield, Wisconsin landlord/tenant attorney can help.

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Life in Greenfield

Greenfield, Wisconsin is a city located in Milwaukee County. Its current population is estimated to be about 35,000 people.

Greenfield was formed as a distinct town, out of unincorporated territory in Milwaukee County, in 1957. It was the final municipality in Milwaukee County to incorporate. Greenfield is doing fairly well, economically, with less than 5% of the population living below the poverty line, and a median family income of about ,000, about the same as the state average, which is good compared to many other parts of the region which have been particularly hard-hit by the recession of the early 2010s.

Greenfield, like much of Wisconsin outside the cities, is known for its beautiful natural scenery, boasting rolling green hills, lakes, and rivers. Because of this, Greenfield is home to a large number of parks and recreational areas, featuring hiking, boating, and fishing, among other outdoor activities which are popular among residents and visitors alike.

If you live in Greenfield, Wisconsin, or other parts of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, you're in luck. There are many Greenfield, Wisconsin lawyers who can help you with just about any legal problem you might have. If you think you need legal assistance, you should call a Greenfield, Wisconsin lawyer as soon as possible.

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