Making Home Affordable Program
(Separate Website)
The Obama Administration's Making Home Affordable Program includes opportunities to modify or refinance your mortgage to make your monthly payments more affordable. It also includes the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program for homeowners who are interested in a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure.
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Renters in Foreclosure Toolkit
(Separate Website)
On May 20, 2009, the President signed into a law a bill containing provisions protecting tenants living in foreclosed buildings. (The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act is Title VII of Public Law 111-22.)
These provisions immediately went into effect and are "self-executing", so no federal agency (such as HUD) is responsible for making them work. It is up to advocates to make sure that tenants, landlords, public housing authorities, courts, the legal community, and others involved in the foreclosure process are aware of these new rights for tenants.
By: National Low Income Housing Coalition
Right to Summon Police
A landlord may not prohibit or limit a tenant's right to summon police or other emergency assistance in response to family violence.
By: Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
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Security Deposits
A landlord can only deduct from your security deposit any rent, damages, and other charges for which you are legally liable under the lease agreement.
By: Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid
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Subleasing
Unless the lease allows it, a tenant may not sublet (rent the house or apartment to another person) without the consent of the landlord.
By: Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
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Suing for Repairs in Justice of the Peace Court
If you have followed the proper procedure to seek repairs from your landlord, and your landlord has not made those necessary repairs, then you can sue to enforce your landlord?s duty to make those repairs.
By: Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
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Tenants with Disabilities and Reasonable Accommodations
Tenants with disabilities can ask their landlord to accommodate their disabilities. For example, a tenant could ask a landlord to allow a service animal in a "no pets" apartment complex; a tenant who receives a disability benefits check on the third day of each month could ask to pay the rent on that day with no late fees; and a tenant with a wheelchair could ask a landlord to allow the tenant to build a ramp to the entrance of the unit.
By: Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
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The Myths of Renting in Texas
(Separate Website)
By: Austin Tenants' Council
Tip-offs to Home Repair Rip-offs
(Separate Website)
Six red-flag phrases a con-artist contractor might use.
By: AARP
Utility Shut-Offs
A landlord may not interrupt a tenant?s utility services, including electricity, water, wastewater, or gas services, unless for bona fide repairs, construction or an emergency. This is true whether utility services are paid by you directly to the utility company or if they are furnished by the landlord through your tenancy.
By: Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
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Utility Shut-Offs by Utility Companies for Landlord Nonpayment
If a utility company disconnects service or gives written notice that service is about to be cut off because a landlord who is supposed to furnish utilities has not paid the utility bill, then the landlord is liable to the tenant regardless of whether the unit is "all bills paid," submetered, or mastermetered.
By: Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
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If you are in need of legal assistance and you are not low-income, please contact your local lawyer referral service or call the State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral Information Service, Mon.-Fri. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1-800-252-9690 or 1-877-9TEXBAR.
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