Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Cape Coral

Find the right Tenant attorney in Cape Coral, FL

Tenant Law in Florida

The relationship between a landlord and tenant in Cape Coral, Florida can sometimes be a touchy one. Landlords and tenants are not always clear on their respective rights and responsibilities.

There are several 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 Cape Coral, FL

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.

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 normal wear and tear, for which tenants are not responsible.

Tenant's Rights in Cape Coral, FL

Tenants, most basically, have a right to a habitable apartment. After all, this is what they're paying for. Cape Coral, Florida landlords are obligated to see that the units they rent to tenants are fit to be lived in by people. Many numerous defects might render an apartment uninhabitable, such as serious infestations and other problems with sanitation, lack of running water or electricity, or failure to provide adequate protection from the outside elements.

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 Cape Coral, Florida. 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.

Under federal and Florida 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 severe 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 example, 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 protected 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 Cape Coral, Florida Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

Landlords and tenants generally want to avoid conflict with one another. However, conflicts are sometimes unavoidable. If you end up in a major dispute with a landlord or a tenant, a knowledgeable Cape Coral, Florida landlord/tenant attorney can help.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Cape Coral

Cape Coral, Florida is a city in Lee County, Florida. It has a population of approximately 155,000 people.

The city of Cape Coral, Florida was founded in 1957. Development of the area continued through the 1960s. Cape Coral saw a major addition with the construction of the Cape Coral Bridge, which is about 1 kilometer long. This reduced the drive time between Cape Coral and nearby Fort Myers from over half an hour to just a few minutes.

This allows the professionals who reside in Cape Coral, Florida, such as doctors, accountants, and lawyers, to shorten their commutes to the larger cities in the surrounding area, turning Cape Coral into a quiet residential community.

The economy of Cape Coral, Florida is largely dominated by city government, healthcare, and services. All of these industries employ large numbers of administrative personnel, such as lawyers.

If you live in or around Cape Coral, Florida, and need an attorney, it's very likely that there's a Cape Coral, Florida lawyer who can help you with whatever legal issue you might face.

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