Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Austin

Find the right Tenant attorney in Austin, TX

Tenant Law in Texas

In Austin, Texas, relationships between tenants and landlords can sometimes become strained.

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 Austin, TX

The most important and most apparent right that a landlord has is the right to timely payment of rent from the tenant. This, of course, means that the tenant has a duty to pay rent.

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 responsible for damage resulting from ordinary wear and tear.

Tenant's Rights in Austin, TX

Tenants, most basically, have a right to a habitable apartment. After all, this is what they're paying for. Austin, Texas 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 Austin, Texas. 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 Texas 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.

Finally, the laws of most states protect tenants from unfair eviction. In general, as long as a tenant is paying rent on time, and is not damaging the unit, they cannot be evicted before the term of the lease expires, unless there is a very good reason to do so (such as excessive noise caused by the tenant, or illegal activities in the apartment).

Can a Austin, Texas Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

Landlords and tenants almost always prefer to avoid conflict. In a perfect world, tenants would pay rent on time, and landlords would always provide the services that they're being paid for. As we know, the world isn't perfect. When cases demonstrate the world's imperfection, an Austin, Texas real estate attorney can help, whether you're a landlord or a tenant.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Austin

Austin, Texas is known as one of the best cities in Texas because there is a lot to do! Austin is the fourth largest city in Texas with a population of about 790,390. Also known for being the thirty-fifth largest metropolitan area in the United States, Austin has attractions for tourists of all types.

Popular attractions include Congress Avenue, Zilker Metropolitan Park, State Capital, Austin Nature Science Center, Mount Bonnell, Texas Military Forces Museum, Fall Creek Vineyards and Paramount Theatre. In all honestly, pages and pages could be written about the attractions in Austin. One really needs to go there to experience all the attractions and active vibe of the city. Austin is also home to many large multinational, international, mid-size, and small law firms. What does this mean? This means that any Austin resident and/or businesses have a large number of firms to choose from when seeking competent attorneys or law firms. This is a rare offering that not all metropolitan cities offer. Overall, from quality of life to industry, Austin is a great choice for visiting or living!

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