SUE YOUR LANDLORD

7 SIMPLE STEPS

If you find yourself in a situation where your landlord has not met his or her obligations, breached your lease agreement, or has engaged in illegal acts against you, it is highly likely you can sue your landlord in a court of law. 

The following are some easy steps that the average educated person can follow to seek justice against one’s landlord.

Step One
Always remind yourself that getting involved in litigation can be time consuming and costly.  So first attempt to settle any disputes with your landlord through negotiation or mediation.

Step Two
If going in there with cotton balls and marshmallows in attempting to negotiate a compromise does not work, bring out the big guns and consult your local housing authorities or an attorney about civil rights, fair housing laws and tenant rights.

Step Three
In searching out an attorney always, always, always make sure that the lawyer you find is familiar with landlord-tenant laws. 

Step Four
Whether you use an attorney or cannot find an attorney or decide to sue your landlord pro se (without a lawyer) it will be your job and your job alone to gather pertinent evidence to support your case.  This evidence will be in the form of rental agreements, correspondence, rent and security deposit receipts.  In addition don’t be shy in taking photos or video evidence where relevant.

Step Five
Go over the evidence you have gathered with an attorney or by yourself to determine whether the facts match the particular grounds you have decided to sue your landlord under. 

Step Six
Go to your local Justice of the Peace Court and fill out a small claims petition.

Step Seven
Make a timeline or chronology so the judge hearing your case will have a perfect picture to look at when adjudicating your case. 

A Final Note:
Sometimes tenants who win lawsuits against their landlords, courts sometimes require the landlords to pay the tenant's legal fees and court costs.

It is always important to consult an attorney when one decides to sue your landlord in that without warning these cases can turn very confusing and complex for the average non-lawyer.

Good Luck!

If you still are unsure about you rights and want to sue your landlord contact an experienced landlord/tenant attorney to Get Immediate Legal Help Now!

Not Certified By The Board of Legal Specialization