Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Ithaca

Find the right Tenant attorney in Ithaca, NY

Tenant Law in New York

Relationships between landlords and tenants in Ithaca, New York 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.

Landlords and tenants have to navigate a web of legal rights and commitments. It's essential that the parties to a landlord/tenant relationship know what obligations they have to one another.

Landlord's Rights in Ithaca, NY

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

Landlords also have a right to be free from damage to the rented unit. Tenants are expected not to damage their dwellings, intentionally or negligently. Landlords can deduct the cost of repairs from the tenant's security deposit. In general, tenants are not liable for damage resulting from ordinary wear and tear.

Tenant's Rights in Ithaca, NY

At the most basic level, tenants have a basic right to what they're paying for: a habitable living environment. Therefore, landlords in Ithaca, New York 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 requirements 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.).

Furthermore, tenants are entitled to common areas that are reasonable safe and sanitary. The common areas of an apartment building would contain lobbies, laundry rooms, stairwells, hallways, and fire escapes (essentially, any part of the building which all of the tenants can access). In Ithaca, New York, these areas must be kept reasonably clean and safe.

Under the laws of New York, and the United States, discrimination in housing on the basis of race, religion, or gender is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, landlords must not discriminate against renters on the basis of any physical disability. They also have to allow the renter to make reasonable modifications to their apartment, to make it more accessible. Generally, landlords are only required to allow relatively minor and reversible modifications, and tenants cannot compel them to remodel the building, for example. Also, once the tenant leaves, the landlord can bill the tenant for the costs of restoring the apartment to its original condition.

Lastly, tenants are legally protected from arbitrary eviction. Landlords generally 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 Ithaca, New York 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, an Ithaca, New York attorney can help you protect your rights.

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Life in Ithaca

Named after the Greek island of Ithaca, Ithaca New York is a charming city to live, work, and explore. Home to 30,000 residents, Ithaca is located in Central New York. The east coast city is located on the Southern end of the Cayuga Lake, which provides Ithaca with a moderate continental climate.

Ithaca is most famous for playing home to the Ivy League School, Cornell. Cornell has an undergraduate population of close to 20,000 students and the city is happy to play host to the undergraduate and graduate school campus. Not surprisingly, Ithaca has a very college town feel and a lot of the shopping, food, bars, and main street are tailored to their young students. Cornell also has a top-ranking law school that yields many top lawyers that choose to stay in Ithaca and practice law there. It is no wonder then, that Ithaca lawyers are highly sought after for their legal prowess.

Ithaca is also known for being one of the more culturally liberal towns in America. Whether it is the education, arts, musics, or museums, Ithaca is always on the cutting edge. Ithca is a wonderful town to visit any season.

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