Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Urbana

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Tenant Law in Illinois

Relations between tenants and landlords in Urbana, Illinois can sometimes be touchy. The fact is that it's not easy to be a landlord or a tenant, especially because landlords and tenants often don't understand the legal rights and responsibilities that apply to them.

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 Urbana, IL

The most basic right that landlords have is the right to be paid the agreed-upon rent by their tenant. Obviously, renting apartments is how landlords make a living, so they are entitled to collect the rent that the tenant agreed to pay.

Landlords also have a right to be compensated for damage to the building that a tenant causes, either intentionally or negligently. Any damage caused by a tenant, besides reasonable wear and tear, can be billed, and the landlord can deduct from the tenant's security deposit to pay for repairs.

Tenant's Rights in Urbana, IL

At the most basic level, tenants have a basic right to what they're paying for: a habitable living environment. Consequently, landlords in Urbana, Illinois 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 Urbana, Illinois's building codes, and that there are no conditions that create unnecessary safety hazards. They are required to make, at their own expense, the proper repairs.

In the United States, and most likely under the statutes of Illinois, it is unlawful for renters or sellers of real estate to discriminate on the basis of race, gender, national origin, color, or religion. Doing so can subject a landlord to harsh civil penalties. Additionally, they cannot discriminate based on physical disabilities, either. Tenants with physical disabilities, who are otherwise qualified to rent an apartment (they are able to pay, have good credit, etc.) are entitled to make reasonable modifications to the apartment to make it more accessible to them, and the landlord generally can't bar a tenant from doing this, as long as the modifications are not too extensive, and are reversible. The landlord can, however, require the tenant to remove the modifications, at the tenant's expense, when they move out.

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 Urbana, Illinois 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 Urbana, Illinois landlord/tenant attorney can help.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Urbana

Urbana is located in Champaign County, Illinois. It has a population of over 41,000 people.

Some great sites to visit include Market at the Square, the Urbana Free Library, Station Theatre, Candlestick Lane, Lincoln Hotel, University of Illinois Arboretum, University of Illinois Conservatory and Plant Collection, and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

For all the nature lovers out there, Urbana has some beautiful parks. Such parks include Carle Park, Meadowbrook Park, Urbana Dog Park, and Anita Purves Nature Center.

Being so near Chicago, Urbana residents have an extremely competent legal force to handle their legal matters. Chicago is home to many top ranked law firms that train ivy-league educated attorneys. Further, Chicago also has many small to mid-size law firms that train intelligent attorneys who focus on providing personalized legal services.

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