A tenants' rights practice dedicated to pursuing fair treatment of renters through zealous advocacy. We provide quality representation to tenants and the complete access to the court system required to hold landlords fully accountable to their legal obligations and achieving fairness for tenants.
Your relationship with your landlord is governed by local, state, and federal laws as well as by decisions courts have made interpreting those laws. We know and understand these laws and we have substantial experience utilizing them for the benefit of our clients.
We believe in the sanctity of contract and that tenants - like all other consumers - should get what they are paying for and what the law says they are entitled to receive. Landlords are increasingly exploiting the unfair advantage they have over tenants and failing to honor the obligations they have under leases and under law. We are committed to providing zealous advocacy for tenants that evens the playing field and restores balance to the scales of justice.
Landlords are required to provide safe housing at the start of your tenancy and make any repairs needed to keep the property safe throughout your tenancy. Failure to make effective and timely repairs is a breach of the duty your landlord owes to you and could be the basis for compensation to you.
Landlords require tenants to provide a security deposit. When a deposit is paid, the landlord holds the money in trust against the tenant's breach of the lease or damaging the rental property. Despite laws that specify when landlords can deduct from or keep a tenant's deposit, landlords often keep money that should be returned to the tenant. If you are owed your deposit, we can help.
If you or your family have suffered adverse physical health effects from exposure to toxic mold or any other environmental contaminant or experienced significant loss of personal property because your landlord failed to make timely and effective repairs AFTER you provided proper notice, your landlord may be liable for your injuries or lossess.
Your lease agreement is a contract between you and your landlord. If your landlord fails to honor promises made in the lease agreement or violates the lease terms, all of the rules of contract law are applicable and can be utilized on your behalf. Depending on the severity of the breach of contract, it may be necessary to initiate legal action in order to obtain the compensation you might be entitled to receive.
If you have been injured at home because of your landlord or property manager's negligence, you may be entitled to pursue a claim for those injuries. Because these claims can be very complex, it is crucial to seek counsel from a renters' rights lawyer who can assess your claim; protect your rights; guide you through the claim filing and negotiations process; and, if neessary, prepare and file a complaint to initiate a lawsuit.
Tenant harassment occurs when a landlord, property owner, property manager, or HOA engages in the ongoing use of aggressive tactics designed to initimidate the tenant from pursuing legal rights the tenant may have and/or to create conditions that are uncomfortable to such an extent that then tenant feels forced to leave the property. If the harassing actions are ongoing or sufficiently frequent, there may be a violation of the law or of the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment of the leased property.
There are state and federal laws designed to protect consumers. These laws, which are applicable to the relationship between a landlord and tenant, prohibit landlords from engaging in business practices that have the propensity to unjustly harm or take advantage of tenants. In many jurisdictions, when a tenant brings a lawsuit against the landlord for UDAP violations, the tenant may be entitled to receive treble (3x) damages along with having the landlord be ordered to pay the legal expenses the tenant incurred to bring and prosecute its claim.
The federal Fair Housing Act, along with similar state and local laws, makes it illegal for landlords to engage in discriminatory practices based on protected characteristics a tenant has or to have policies that result in discrimination, whether the result is intentional or unintentional. Fair housing laws have decreased the overt widespread race-based discrimination in rental housing that was frequently seen before the early 1970s. Unfortunately, there are many investigations and studies that show many landlords still engage in illegal discrimination in the selection of tenants and in how tenants are treated while living in a rental home. If you have experienced illegal discrimination, we can help.
All businesses, including landlords, have an obligation to accurately charge and bill consumers. They also have an obligation to follow the rules and standards contained in the laws that govern the area of credit and debt reporting as well as those that govern debt collection practices. When landlords disregard the laws that are in place to protect tenants or otherwise violate rights that are afforded to tenants, those illegal acts are often accompanied by financial charges, fees, and penalties that are often inaccurate, overstated, and in some instances, outright fraudulent. The reporting of bogus or inaccurate debts can put tenants at risk of having their credit damaged. We can help you resolve debt collection and reporting issues.
Many renters try to handle landlord-tenant disputes on their own. These tenants are often unaware that their landlord has the assistance of numerous professionals. From property managers who are licensed real estate brokers to experienced legal professionals who specialize in helping landlords have an unfair advantage over tenants, your landlord has a team that helps it to wield greater power in the landlord-tenant relationship. The unbalanced nature of the landlord-tenant relationship combined with the help your landlord gets from its team makes it a mistake to attempt to resolve problems with your landlord on your own. Let us work with you to bring balance to your relationship with your landlord and to place you in the best position to enforce your rights and recover any finacial compensation to which you might be entitled.
"Attorney Ellison's knowledge of landlord-tenant laws is very deep. She did a fantastic job explaining everything to me and helping me figure out my options and the best path to take based on my particular situation. I'm very pleased with the outcome she helped me to achieve and would not hesitate to work with her again."
SELENA N."We have worked with Attorney Ellison several times and have been very pleased with the counsel and guidance received. We have referred numerous tenants to Attorney Ellison and have only received positive feedback."
ProTenant Agency"After dealing with harassment from an HOA, I realized I needed to have help from a lawyer. Attorney Ellison came highly recommended. I found her to be kind and very easy to work with. Most importantly, she really knows her stuff . With her help, I was able to resolve an ongling problem that I thought was hopeless."
Britt P.Are you ready to take action? Are you ready to hold your landlord accountable and get what you deserve? If your answer is yes, give us a call to set up an initial consultation.
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